Top Unranked Playoff Performers 4A

<p>As you would expect, players ranked by Prep Hoops shined at the 4A tournament at Salina last week. But some unranked players found the big stage to their liking as well, making a big impact for their teams, and potentially putting themselves in position to be included when we update the rankings in May.</p> <p>As we have not posted a ranking of 2025s yet, the list below does not include ninth graders.</p> <p>Here are some unranked 4A players who stood out in Salina (in alphabetical order):</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1300793" first="Trent" last="Duffey"]</strong>, 6-foot-2 guard, 2022, Hayden (pictured):</p> <p>Duffey has been Hayden’s leader for so long, it’s surprising he’s still not ranked. But rest assured that will happen in a few weeks. He was enormous at state as the Wildcats were much more competitive in the 4A field than most expected they could be. Duffey connected on 8-10 free throws and scored 16 in the huge upset of Eudora. He helped the Wildcats hang in there with Miege and McPherson with 8 and 11 points in those games. Duffey inspires his teammates with toughness and a never-say-die attitude.</p> <p><strong>Caden Marcum</strong>, 6-foot-5 forward, 2022, Paola:</p> <p>Not many guys merit mention from a one-and-done appearance at state. But Marcum was impressive enough to get notice. He’s long and athletic, runs the floor and can make some eye-opening moves in the lane. He scored 12 points in Paola’s disappointing loss to Andale.</p> <p><strong>Cory Muehler</strong>, 5-foot-11 guard, 2024, McPherson:</p> <p>A guy who really impressed throughout the tournament was Muehler. He struggled to hit shots in the consolation win over Hayden, but the first two games he was quite effective. His combined numbers from games against Buhler and Andale: 8-17 from the field, 7-14 from beyond the arc, 29 points. Muehler is just one of a trio of McPherson sophomore guards that included <strong>Owen Pyle</strong> and <strong>Kreighton Kanitz</strong> that looked really good in Salina. Keep an eye on that group.</p> <p><strong>Jacksyn Potucek</strong>, 5-foot-10 guard, 2022, Andale:</p> <p>The Andale guards were really impressive at Salina. They showed a ton of maturity and control over the game. Potucek was handled defensive pressure, shot it well, and was consistently productive at the offensive end. He scored 11 against Paola, 10 against McPherson, and got 12, plus 3 assists, against Miege.</p> <p><strong>Grant Ricker,</strong> 6-foot-2 guard, 2023, Buhler:</p> <p>The Crusaders return nearly everyone, and Ricker will be a riser to watch. He is a long guard who can connect from deep. In his lone appearance at Salina, he hit four 3s and finished with 16 points on just nine shots.</p> <p><strong>Logan Sullivan</strong>, 6-foot-1 guard, 2024, Eudora:</p> <p>Like the three sophomores at McPherson, Sullivan is a 2024 to really pay attention to. When he team needed points in its struggle against Hayden, it consistently put the ball in Sullivan’s hands and asked him to make a play. The aggressive sophomore attacked the lane and racked up 17 points.</p> <p><strong>Zach Winter</strong>, 5-foot-11 guard, 2022, Andale:</p> <p>Working in tandem with Potucek, Winter was solid and smart at the point for the Indians. He showed he can hit from deep or get points in transition. He got 14 huge points in the win over Paola, and was competitive in close losses to McPherson and Miege.</p>