Panther Classic Standouts

<p>A few of the top players in northeast Kansas converged at Royal Valley, which headlined a meeting between the host Panthers, ranked second in 3A, and Wabaunsee, ranked fifth in 2A.</p> <p>The two stars expected to do battle were [player_tooltip player_id="891912" first="Nahcs" last="Wahwassuck"] of Royal Valley and [player_tooltip player_id="1147992" first="Brayden" last="Meseke"] of Wabaunsee. They did not disappoint in their head-to-head matchup.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="891912" first="Nahcs" last="Wahwassuck"], 6-foot-5 guard, 2022, Royal Valley (pictured):</p> <p>Wahwassuck’s return from a prep school gives the Panthers a veteran leader who makes them one of the most talented starting fives in the state. When the lights came on in the matchup with Wabaunsee, he controlled the game. He scored 24 while getting everyone involved in the 65-49 win over Wabaunsee.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1147992" first="Brayden" last="Meseke"], 6-foot guard, 2022, Wabaunsee:</p> <p>Like Wahwassuck, Meseke took his game to the next level against the best competition. The never-say-die senior torched the Panthers from long range. He drilled six contested 3-pointers from long range to finish with 30. Meseke is a competitor and winner who doesn’t wilt under pressure.</p> <p><strong>KJ Miller</strong>, 6-foot-4 center, 2022, Royal Valley:</p> <p>Miller is an effective post player who is really hard for smaller defenders to stop. He is powerfully built, but with soft hands and light feet. He seals defenders on the block, and catches the over-the-top pass very deftly. Once he has the ball in the post, he’s got great touch. He scored 18 against Wabaunsee and against Santa Fe Trail.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1076412" first="Brady" last="Klotz"], 6-foot-6 forward, 2022, Royal Valley:</p> <p>The brawny senior is normally known for lighting it up from outside. But against Wabaunsee he exploited his size to dominate in the paint in the second half. He notched 14 in games against Wabaunsee and Santa Fe Trail.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="891923" first="Mason" last="Thomas"], 6-foot-5 forward, 2022, Royal Valley:</p> <p>Thomas doesn’t always score a lot, but he’s a Swiss Army knife for coach [player_tooltip player_id="1168053" first="Chris" last="Brown"] to use in a variety of ways. He’s a long, active defender who can run the floor and dribble drive to open space for his jumper. He lit up Santa Fe Trail for 20.</p> <p><strong>Torin Cavanaugh</strong>, 6-foot-3 center, 2022, Chapman:</p> <p>The Irish were led by Cavanaugh’s work in the lane, particularly with 20 against Santa Fe Trail.</p> <p><strong>Landon Watkins</strong>, 6-foot guard, 2022, Santa Fe Trail:</p> <p>In their 57-47 win over Chapman, Watkins drilled three 3-pointers and racked up 29 points.</p>