Spring Standouts: Central KS Guards

<p>Spring tournaments gave us an opportunity to see some of the best from across Kansas together under one roof. The opportunity is especially meaningful to players from small schools and from the central part of the state that doesn’t get as much media attention.</p> <p>Following fine sophomore seasons, Ellsworth’s [player_tooltip player_id="1461340" first="Will" last="Cravens"] and McPherson’s [player_tooltip player_id="1436793" first="Kyden" last="Thompson"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1461339" first="Cory" last="Muehler"] got ranked for work on the Kansas Team 2024. But some others seized the opportunity to jump on our radar.</p> <p>Here are a few guards from Central Kansas who stood out in the spring:</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1470555" first="Parker" last="Dicks"]</strong>, 6-foot-1 guard, 2024, Great Bend HS;</p> <p>Dicks lit it up with his quick release from deep at the Prep Hoops tournament in Wichita for Western Kansas Elite in April. He showed he can score in various ways with a Euro step floater in the lane and a nice handle to penetrate for a jumper. He is long for a point guard and can find open spots at the off-guard spot.</p> <p><strong>Aaron Gust</strong>, 5-foot-7 guard, 2025, Hutch Trinity HS:</p> <p>A guy to pay attention to is the rising-sophomore who’s playing up for the 16U Buddy Buckets Mocaby club. He got his feet wet on the Trinity varsity last year, and he pushed himself against tough competition this spring. He can shoot it and is a quick ball handler.</p> <p><strong>Quevon Purucker</strong>, 6-foot guard, 2024, Salina South HS:</p> <p>Purucker is an unassuming guy as he takes the floor. He’s not tall, he’s not powerfully built. But when the guy dunks with two hands on layup drills, you realize he’s an explosive athlete who will make plays all over court. He brings an infectious energy and puts the team first. He handles the ball well and is always looking to make a big play with a pass or drive to the bucket. He can shoot it and loves to impact the game on defense.</p> <p><strong>Owen Pyle</strong>, 6-foot-1 guard, 2024, McPherson HS:</p> <p>As you would expect from a guard named Pyle from McPherson, Owen Pyle is fundamentally proficient and understands the game. This guy can really torch the nets if given the chance, but he’s smart enough to take what’s there and exploit weaknesses in the opponent. He’s long and lanky and will continue to get better as he fills out and gets stronger. He has the intangibles, the smarts and the skills.</p> <p><strong>Devon Spiller</strong>, 5-foot-9 guard,2024, Hutchinson HS:</p> <p>A stocky, tough guard who excels as an in-your-face on-ball defender, Spiller played up in the spring with the 17U Wichita Magic. He makes nice pocket passes and drop-offs on penetration. He’s no newcomer, having done some good work for the Salthawk varsity as a sophomore.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1300834" first="Maddox" last="Spray"], 6-foot guard, 2024, Great Bend HS:</p> <p>Dicks’ backcourt mate at Great Bend is one of a bunch of good guards on the Kansas Team 2024 club. He is an athletic guard who isn’t all about scoring buckets. He defends and sticks his nose in traffic for loose balls. He plays bigger than 6-foot, defending with toughness and crashing the boards. He is a good shooter who can handle the ball from end to end and moves it efficiently in the half court set.</p>