Point Guards to Watch at Big School Substates

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Three of the most talked-about point guards from last year's big school state tournaments are back. Wichita Heights is again led by [player_tooltip player_id='1080161' first='Marcus' last='Zeigler Jr'], Blue Valley Northwest has [player_tooltip player_id='1378390' first='Grant' last='Stubblefield'] and DeSoto is guided by tournament star [player_tooltip player_id='1270268' first='David' last='Cobin'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But there are some other point men who really can impact the playoffs. Here are five point men to watch in the substate round:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1756359' first='Trey' last='Carter'], 5-foot-9 guard, 2024, Atchison:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Atchison has surprised by staying at the top of 4A. A recent loss to KC Washington may be a reminder that no game is automatic. Nonetheless, the Phoenix got the top seed in the 4A East bracket, with a couple of dangerous teams to get through to advance to state. Carter is turning the experience of running the team as a sophomore into a great season this year. He's the consummate point guard. He handles pressure and plays through defensive contact with his physicality. His head is always up, and he provides a threat as a scorer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1080177' first='Malik' last='O'Atis'], 5-foot-10 guard, 2023, Shawnee Mission Northwest:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>His game is unorthodox, but this guy deserves more credit for the chaos he creates. It's amazing to watch a guy playing this much faster than everyone else on the court. His team is just just the #6 seed in the 6A East bracket, but they are a talented group who could make some noise. Oatis torments opposing ball handlers, shutting down their drives and getting up in their faces in the backcourt. He can drive to the bucket when given the slightest opening. Oatis understands that his game is speed, and he never takes his foot off the accelerator.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1300816' first='Emilio' last='Zundt']</strong>, 5-foot-8 guard, 2024, Garden City (pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Garden City may be somewhat unappreciated this year because they don't face Kansas City and Wichita competition. But they got the #1 seed in the 6A West bracket over Wichita Heights. This team has several weapons, and guards who get them the ball. Zundt is super shifty with a good handle and an understanding of how to distribute the ball to scorers. He's a threat from the perimeter and is a handsy ballhawk at the defensive end. He and the senior-led Buffaloes should have a pretty clear path to state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1300861' first='Quentin' last='Adams']</strong>, 5-foot-9 guard, 2023, Highland Park:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the biggest stories to watch next week is how Highland Park will evolve without their most talented player, [player_tooltip player_id='1300865' first='Ketraleus' last='Aldridge'], who was removed from the team a couple of weeks ago. They have a lot of other weapons. Huge will be Adams' play as the distributor who gets the ball to the scorers. Adams is a quick and smooth point guard who has to know how to play without the ball since teammate [player_tooltip player_id='1454197' first='Tre' last='Richardson'] often pushes it up court himself. Adams can penetrate and knock down open shots. He and his fellow Scots will have to be on point to survive challenges from the likes of St. James and Seaman to get to state as the #1 seed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kale Hammerschmidt</strong>, 5-foot-10 guard, 2023, Eudora:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hammerschmidt is back running the point for Eudora, which was the top-ranked team a year ago. They finished this season at 16-4 but earned the #2 seed in the 4A East and a clear path to return to state. Hammerschmidt is a powerfully built, physical guard on a team loaded with interchangeable parts. He is a gritty multi-sport athlete who comes up big in the clutch and draws fouls by attacking the lane.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->