#PrepHoopsLive Standout Kansas Wings/Bigs at Lawrence

<p>The recent Prep Hoops event in Lawrence brought some of the best 2023s (and some 2022s and 2024s) together for a weekend. It was a chance for some of Kansas’ top players to measure themselves against players across the nation.</p> <p><strong>Joey Matteoni</strong>, a 6-foot-7 2024, played really well for Drive-5 Select. [player_tooltip player_id="1080207" first="Tyson" last="Ruud"], a 6-foot-6 high riser, showed off a bunch of athleticism for SSA Hoops Elite Black. And [player_tooltip player_id="1212149" first="Jace" last="Steinmetz"] (pictured) filled it up for the SSA White team. But there were a lot of other bigs and long wings worth noting.</p> <p>Here are some Kansas big men who stood out in Lawrence (in alphabetical order):</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1382169" first="Jackson" last="Biggs"], 6-foot-5 forward, 2023, Lyndon HS, SSA Hoops Elite Black:</p> <p>Biggs demonstrated a nice 3-point shot, particularly from the top of the key. He is a long, athletic wing who can do a lot of everything. Playing top-level talent with SSA will do a lot for this small school star’s game.</p> <p><strong>Collins Elumogo</strong>, 6-foot-4 forward, 2023, Manhattan HS, SSA Hoops Elite White:</p> <p>Like Biggs, Elumogo will benefit a ton from spending a summer with SSA. He’s a tough, physical big who really hits the glass. He’s explosive and blocks a lot of shots. In Lawrence, Elumogo showed both the ability to guard taller bigs and also the skill to step out and knock down the deep shot.</p> <p><strong>Gage Hollenbeck</strong>, 6-foot-3 forward, 2023, Olathe South HS, Drive-5 Select:</p> <p>Hollenbeck is a tweener, a big body with guard skills. He made some really nice passes at Lawrence, including some back-door passes. He has good vision and manipulates defenders to create passing windows. Hollenbeck is strong and tough and made some nice moves to the goal when not hitting from the perimeter.</p> <p><strong>Devin Kerr</strong>, 6-foot-4 forward, 2024, Piper HS, Drive-5 Select:</p> <p>Kerr got some good playing time at the end of the high school season and showed he can be productive. He kept up that roll last weekend in Lawrence, playing up with the mostly-2023 Drive-5 team. He knifes to the basket with great effectiveness, getting off shots on the move with a soft touch. He’s is a battler who just keeps fighting until the ball goes through the hoop. He has nice length and ability to elevate in the lane, but showed he can also play on the perimeter. Watch for this guy to take a significant step forward.</p> <p><strong>Preston Ross</strong>, 6-foot-4 forward, 2023, Washburn Rural HS, Kansas 94x50 Elite:</p> <p>Ross showed nice athleticism against good competition in Lawrence. He is long and can get up, getting nice elevation and high release on his jumper in the lane. He slashed to the bucket and cut into the lane to receive passes that he put up with his quick release. Ross has a nice combination of size and explosion.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1080193" first="Zion" last="Young"], 6-foot-3 forward, 2023, Campus HS, Hunt United:</p> <p>Young is built and can play with power from the guard and wing position. He is an athlete who likes to run the floor and make things happen at high speed. He rebounds his position well and can be a handful defensively because of his combination of length, quickness and strength. He has an array of shots that allow him to score in traffic.</p>