Players to Watch – Central Kansas Guards

<p>There are always players who haven’t made varsity impact who stand out in the summer. These players bear watching to see if they can translate their summer growth to a role at their high school.</p> <p>Here are some guards from Central Kansas to watch as we transition to school ball:</p> <p><strong>Noah Gerstner</strong>, 5-foot-6 guard, 2024, Beloit:</p> <p>Gerstner saw some good action as a freshman for Beloit. A summer of top-flight competition with SSA Hoops Elite is preparing him to take it to another level next year. He has developed a reputation for a sharpshooter from deep with games of multiple 3-pointers. He has good touch from every level and is a battler at the defensive end.</p> <p><strong>Leyton Haxton</strong>, 6-foot-1 guard, 2023, Hoisington:</p> <p>One of the basketball playing Haxtons of Central Kansas, Leyton is a long guard who was a support to [player_tooltip player_id="602176" first="Drew" last="Nicholson"] and company with 4.9 points per game as a sophomore. He showed some ability from deep last year, frequently connecting on multiple 3-pointers per game. With graduation sapping some talent from the Cardinals, Leyton Haxton should make a big leap this year.</p> <p><strong>Ashton Hernandez</strong>, 5-foot-10 guard, 2022, Hays:</p> <p>The cupboard is full at Hays. The Indians just seem to be able to cycle in new ball players to replace the studs who graduate. Hernandez played sparingly as a junior, but has demonstrated a lot of grit and ability this summer. For Western Kansas Elite, Hernandez attacks the basket and pushes the ball full court at top speed. He defends with just as much intensity.</p> <p><strong>Connor Hudson</strong>, 5-foot-11 guard, 2022, Lakin:</p> <p>Lakin has been so stacked with guards, it’s been tough for Hudson to carve out a niche. But with the graduations of several seniors, watch for Hudson to step into that rotation that will feature [player_tooltip player_id="1139933" first="Allen" last="Martinez"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1139927" first="Servando" last="Gonzalez"]. Hudson canned 37% of 3-pointers in his limited opportunities.</p> <p><strong>Rylan Konen</strong>, 6-foot-1 guard, 2023, Little River:</p> <p>The Indians will be hit so hard with graduation, there will be a lot of opportunities this year. Rising junior [player_tooltip player_id="1080199" first="Braxton" last="Lafferty"] will need help, and Konen is a long, versatile athlete who can make a much bigger impact. He chipped in 4.7 points and 3.2 boards as a sophomore.</p> <p><strong>Quevon Purucker</strong>, 6-foot guard, 2024, Salina South:</p> <p>Purucker is a quick, springy guard who has shown some ability to push the ball, slither through traffic, and finish explosively for SSA Hoops Elite this summer. He’s got some growing to do physically, but he has nice handles in the open floor and plays hard at both ends. With all the loses to the guard rotation at Salina South, Purucker is in line for some playing time.</p>