New Guards Added to the 2023 Rankings

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2023 rankings update dropped today, and eight guards were added to the list.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some of the new adds, like Topeka West's [player_tooltip player_id='1749039' first='Xavier' last='Alexander'] and Lebo's [player_tooltip player_id='1749050' first='Landon' last='Grimmett'], have been lingering on the watch list for a while and finally got the recognition they deserved. A few guys were flying below the Prep Hoops radar. And one – [player_tooltip player_id='1748988' first='Jalyn' last='King'] – moved from out of state in time to impact the Kansas hoops scene.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>79 - [player_tooltip player_id='1748988' first='Jalyn' last='King'], 5-foot-8 guard 2023, Emporia:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No one in Kansas had heard of King before fall, when he moved in and gave the Emporia football team a jolt. That was a sign of things to come. The Spartans went 4-18 in basketball last year, playing a lot of young guys. The addition of King has made the returners better. He distributes the ball, disrupts everything, and is another threat to score. His 11 points, 3 assists and 2 steals per game have been huge in Emporia's 8-2 start.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>100 - [player_tooltip player_id='1748989' first='Joseph' last='Recalde-Phillips'], 5-foot-9 guard, 2023, Wichita Independent:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When the Panthers advanced to the state tournament for the first time in school history, not a lot of people took notice. They had the misfortune of facing Hillsboro in the first round. But they have turned that experience into a fast start this season. They currently sit atop the 2A rankings, and a lot of the credit is due to Recalde-Phillips' leadership. He averaged 15 points en route to 2A honorable mention as a junior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>101 - [player_tooltip player_id='1749039' first='Xavier' last='Alexander'], 6-foot-1 guard, 2023, Topeka West:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alexander has been well-known in Topeka and the Centennial League for his talents as a shooter and physical presence. But with a lot of good players around him, he was somewhat overshadowed. But the senior has been a contributor to two state teams, and this year there's no overlooking the 19 points he's averaging. His versatility shows up in a variety of stats: 3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2 steals per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>106 - [player_tooltip player_id='1749041' first='Jeremyah' last='Greer'], 6-1 guard, 2023, Bishop Ward:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Interestingly, no one seems to have noticed that the Cyclones are off to a 7-1 start. They are not yet ranked in 3A. But they might be a team making noise yet. Greer is a big guard who keeps the offense humming by doing a lot of things well. He is averaging 17 points and hitting the board from the guard spot for 5 rebounds. He gets the ball to his teammates and hits from the perimeter too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>110 - [player_tooltip player_id='1749049' first='Trey' last='DeWeese'], 5-foot-9 guard, 2023, Cunningham:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DeWeese led Cunningham to a state football title last fall. Now he's got the Wildcats rolling on the court. He does it all, scoring at all three levels and getting his teammates involved. He is averaging 15 points and 8 boards, 3 assist and 3 steals, and the Wildcats appear dramatically improved from last year's squad.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Other guards added to the 2023 rankings:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>120 [player_tooltip player_id='1749050' first='Landon' last='Grimmett'], 6-foot-1 guard, 2023 Lebo</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>122 [player_tooltip player_id='1749052' first='Truman' last='Bailey'], 6-foot-2 guard, 2023, Olpe</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>123 [player_tooltip player_id='1749053' first='Teagan' last='Thompson'], 5-foot-11 guard, 2023, Caldwell</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->