6A Tournament Big Impressions

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As was to be expected, the biggest performances of the 6A state tournament were turned in by guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1378390' first='Grant' last='Stubblefield'], [player_tooltip player_id='1270090' first='TJ' last='Williams'], [player_tooltip player_id='1080161' first='Marcus' last='Zeigler Jr'], [player_tooltip player_id='1454148' first='Kaeson' last='Fisher-Brown'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1300833' first='Dallas' last='Metzger'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But in each game of the final two days of the tournament, some players popped, making big impressions on the biggest stage. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Semifinal 1: Blue Valley Northwest defeated Blue Valley North 53-51</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Adam Parks</strong>, 6-foot-5 forward, 2023, Blue Valley North:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When a group of long-limbed basketball players take the court together, they can often appear lanky and physically undeveloped. Then there's Parks. This guy's physique stands out. He's got thick legs and massive shoulders and arms. Opponents think twice about driving to the hoop when this 6-foot-5 dude is in the way. But although Parks will play football at New Mexico State next year, he's far from unskilled on the basketball floor, and he's not just a brute in the low block. He has good hands and helps with the press break and to move the ball on the perimeter He moves inside and out of the paint to help facilitate the offense. He can put it on the floor and shoot it from the outside. was effective throughout the tournament. On Friday he hit 3-3 from the field, including two 3-pointers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Semifinal 2: Wichita Heights defeated Derby 61-45</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mason Anderson</strong>, 6-foot guard, 2024, Derby:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Derby spreads the floor and lets their shooters go to work. Anderson was one of the first Panthers off the bench each game, and he really stood out, and not just as a shooter. He is sneaky athletic, leaping high for rebounds and making a total pest of himself on the defensive end. At the offensive end, he can put it on the floor and fearlessly gets to the goal. In the hardfought loss to Wichita Heights, he competed with the Falcons' elite athletes and hit 4-6 from the field, including 3-4 from distance. Anderson was a standout for the entire tournament, collecting 28 points in Derby's three games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Championship: Blue Valley Northwest defeated Wichita Heights 55-50</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jakob Fritz</strong>, 6-foot-3 guard, 2023, Blue Valley Northwest (pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fritz' 8 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists per game on the season are solid. But they don't begin to tell the story of Fritz' contribution, particularly in the championship game. This guy is an explosive athlete and a fierce competitor. Most impressive in the game were a couple of blocked shots Fritz had high above the rim and at high speed. Also eye-popping was, at one of the most intense moments of the game, Fritz attacked the rim through a mass of bodies in transition to attempt a soaring two-hand dunk. The ball didn't stay down, but it was a pretty astounding display of not just his spring, but his fearlessness. He also defended and rebounded equally well. While backcourt mate [player_tooltip player_id='1378390' first='Grant' last='Stubblefield'] was the player of the tournament, the Huskies don't win the championship without Fritz. He hit 5-11 from the field, connected on 5-6 clutch free throws, and finished with 16 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Consolation Game: Derby defeated Blue Valley North 67-66</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jaron Lashley</strong>, 6-foot-4 forward, 2024, Blue Valley North:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Just about the only non-senior for the Mustangs, Lashley demonstrated that he will be one of the best big men in Kansas City next year. He's a muscular, big-framed guy who can move well and makes a lot of hustle plays. He collects a lot of rebounds for put backs. He has nice hands and good ball skills both in the paint and on the perimeter. Like Parks, he can handle the ball and help break pressure. In the Consolation Game, Lashley hit 6-10 from the field and got 14 points to follow the 12 he scored in the semifinal contest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->