Additions to the 2024 Rankings: Guards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2024 rankings update is heavy on bigs. But four high-quality guards broke in the ranks. Check out these new additions:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>48 [player_tooltip player_id='1756349' first='Kenton' last='Thalheim'], 6-foot combo guard, 2024, Northern Valley:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Northern Valley placed third in 1A Div. II a year ago with a balanced, senior-heavy team. Graduation took a lot of talent from the Huskies. But Thalheim, who was really good as a sophomore, has taken on the load. He's got good length for point guard and moves well when off the ball. You can't leave him for a second because he releases the ball in a flash from deep. The junior is tallying 15.5 points, 5 boards and 4 assists. And most importantly, he's got the Huskies right back in the race, currently ranking #2 in 1A Div. II. He gained great experience at state last year, scoring 33 points in the tourney.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>63 [player_tooltip player_id='1756354' first='Quevon' last='Purucker'], 6-foot-1 combo guard, 2024, Salina South:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's been a rough go for Salina South this year. Purucker is providing leadership and toughness for the Cougars. He's a slasher who brings tons of energy. He's a slender guy with surprising explosiveness. He is a playmaker and a disruptive force on defense. The junior is averaging 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>64 [player_tooltip player_id='1756359' first='Trey' last='Carter'], 5-foot-9 point guard, 2024, Atchison (pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carter was really good as a sophomore. He showed he can play with anyone over the summer. And now his team is winning, which is the highest compliment for a point guard. The Phoenix is 10-1 and ranked #5 in 4A. Their only loss was to 5A juggernaut Highland Park. Carter is a bulldog with a smooth handle and great vision and awareness.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>65 [player_tooltip player_id='1756360' first='Eli' last='Lang'], 6-foot combo guard, 2024, Minneola:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lang has been a stat monster for the Wildcats the past two seasons. He attacks at all three levels and can hit the three. He grabs a ton of rebounds from the guard spot and he gets his teammates the ball too. He is averaging 16 points, 10 boards, 7 assists and 3 steals per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->