Home Stretch: The 6A Race

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>State tournaments are just about a month away. As teams jockey for substate seedings and try to get on an upward swing, let's take a look at the 6A race.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"center"} --> <p class="has-text-align-center"><strong>The Favorites:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wichita Heights:</strong> How can the Falcons not be the favorite? Though they haven't held the top spot in the rankings throughout the season, they really were the frontrunner from the minute [player_tooltip player_id='1270090' first='TJ' last='Williams'] returned from Sunrise Christian Academy with his eligibility intact. Williams is a versatile and dynamic talent that no other team can really match. He is surrounded by athletes like [player_tooltip player_id='1588339' first='Amalachi' last='Wilkins'] and <strong>Jordan Alford </strong>who can score and defend. And the Falcons have one of the most experienced and capable point guard in the state to run the show in [player_tooltip player_id='1080161' first='Marcus' last='Zeigler Jr'] (pictured) The team's one loss to Washburn Rural prior to the holiday break looks like an anomaly, but it was a wake up call to the Falcons that they better stay focused and take care of business. That loss may benefit them in the long run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Olathe North:</strong> Many of the top 6A teams suffered losses in late January, muddying the waters of the top favorites. We'll insert the Eagles as a second “favorite” by default. They took a bad beating at the hands of Blue Valley West in January, but have since rebounded. Part of the reason why this team could make a run is its collection of blazingly fast ball handlers. Having so many guys to handle the ball will help them overcome full-court pressure, and also can lead to a lot of transition buckets. [player_tooltip player_id='1580478' first='TJ' last='Porter'], <strong>Aiden Bruce</strong> and [player_tooltip player_id='1402310' first='Jaalan' last='Watson'] experienced a trip to state last year and are guards who can both handle pressure and score. Big men like <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2209720' first='Cameron' last='Love'], Alex Gunderson</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1588419' first='Derrick' last='Cooper']</strong> will need to really step up for this to go far.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"center"} --> <p class="has-text-align-center"><strong>Challenger:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Garden City:</strong> The Buffaloes could really make noise in the postseason for several reasons: 1) they have a ton of senior leadership, 2) they have traveled extensively, perhaps in preparation for playoff-style basketball, and 3) their January loss to Wichita Heights exposed them to what they should expect at state. The one thing the Buffaloes lack: actual state experience. If they are to make a run in the postseason, they have the bigs to get it done. On the frontline, they feature three big, powerful seniors in [player_tooltip player_id='1212149' first='Jace' last='Steinmetz'], [player_tooltip player_id='1080162' first='Caleb' last='Wiese'] and <strong>Jake Underwood</strong>. Those three combine for about 40 points and 20 boards per game. Steinmetz stretches defenses from deep and Weise and Underwood can both bang in the paint and score in the midrange. The Buffaloes will need their guards to handle pressure and defend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"center"} --> <p class="has-text-align-center"><strong>Hopeful:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Washburn Rural:</strong> There are some questions about the Rural season so far. Considering the Junior Blues are the only team to beat Wichita Heights, losses to Manhattan and Shawnee Mission Northwest seem somewhat inexplicable. But the Junior Blues appear to be trending in the right direction. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1080168' first='Jack' last='Bachelor'] has to lead if this team is to go far. But he's got a nice supporting cast. There is a group of big, physical forwards to defend and rebound and score some. [player_tooltip player_id='1080205' first='Wyatt' last='Conklin'], <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1561997' first='Jacob' last='Hirschi']</strong> and <strong>J.C. Heim</strong> are all rugged guys to rely on. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1962887' first='Amare' last='Jones']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2169833' first='Kaden' last='Ballard']</strong> are sophomores who are proving capable at the guard spots.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->