Tournament Analysis: Top Unranked Guard Performances

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While some “stars” led the way at state, there were some unranked players who were also big on the big stage.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are some of the top performances by unranked guards in the state tournaments (in alphabetical order):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mason Anderson</strong>, 6-foot guard, 2024, Derby:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anderson impressed as a game changer off the Derby bench. He's more than just a shooter. He brought a ton of energy to the game at the state tournament. He gets after on-ball defense and breaks on passes that hang in the air with good anticipation. He slices to the glass for rebounds at both ends with some nice hops and athleticism. He shot it really well in Wichita, getting 28 points, including 3-4 from deep in the semifinal game against Wichita Heights.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jake Fritz</strong>, 6-foot-3 guard, 2023, Blue Valley Northwest:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fritz really stood out in the state championship game, going toe-to-toe with the elite athletes of Wichita Heights. In the biggest game of the season, he produced 16 points, exactly twice his season average. He attacked the goal, playing above the rim and drawing fouls. He hit 5-6 from the line in the pressure-packed final. He's a very long guard with explosiveness that was a great complement to [player_tooltip player_id='1378390' first='Grant' last='Stubblefield'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Luke Gebhardt</strong>, 6-foot-1 guard, 2023, Southeast of Saline:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gebhardt has probably been overshadowed by the highly-ranked bigs on the Trojans' frontline. The team had a lot of guards sharing the load, and only after they went deep into November in a great football season. So Gebhardt, the football quarterback, didn't earn a ton of recognition for his work in the regular season – 9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. But he was especially productive in the playoff, where he hit 15-26 shots, including 6-10 from deep, for 39 total points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rogelio Ibarra</strong>, 5-foot-10 forward, 2023, Macksville:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Mustangs were deep, with a lot of players moving seamlessly between positions on the court. Ibarra stepped up as a senior as a leader of the deep and balanced team. He led the team with 13 points per game and also averaged 4 rebounds and 2 assists. He helped lead the drive to the state championship with 61 points. He didn't always shoot a great percentage, but he was a go-to weapon. He also hit 19-23 from the line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1408946' first='Corbin' last='Johnson']</strong>, 6-foot-3 guard, 2025, Kapaun (pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On a really talented team, Johnson might have gone underappreciated this year. But his season numbers are top notch for a point guard: 11 points and 4.5 assists per game and 50% from deep. On the big stage, it was evident that Johnson was a crucial element to the Crusaders' success. With his length and athleticism, he is a dynamic point guard. He has vision and the handle to effectively run the offense and get the ball to the right places. Against Hutchinson, Johnson was huge with five 3-pointers and 19 points. He got 30 points in the three games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1300809' first='Dasean' last='Lewis']</strong>, 5-foot-11 guard, 2024, Hugoton:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1080203' first='Ryle' last='Riddlesperger'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1378394' first='Carson' last='Bennett'] showed the state just how brilliant they could be. But helping them break pressure, run the offense and manage the game was slick point Lewis. The junior was huge in the championship game win against McPherson's excellent guards. Lewis hit 3-3 from deep and 9-12 from the line to get 18 points to lead the champs in scoring. His three-game numbers: 9-14 from the field, 13-20 from the line and 36 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations":"","_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6417310892d2d"} /-->