Best in KC

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>June is high school team month. After a spring spent with club programs, players return to their high schools for a few weeks of practice and scrimmaging with their high school teammates. So that's a good time for Prep Hoops to look around the state for a “Best of” series.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are the best returners in Kansas City:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Top ranked senior – #9 [player_tooltip player_id='1461338' first='Joey' last='Matteoni'], 6-foot-7 forward, 2024, Blue Valley Northwest (pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the very best big men in the state, Matteoni helped his Huskies squad to the state championship after a second-place finish his sophomore year. He's a great runner of the floor, a top rebounder and an athletic threat to score. He averaged 17 points and 10 boards as a junior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Top ranked junior – #1 [player_tooltip player_id='1588338' first='Carter' last='Kaifes'], 6-foot-6 forward, 2025, Mill Valley:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The versatile big forward averaged 17 points and 6 boards as a sophomore for a balanced team. He hit 39% from deep. Kaifes has the combination of size and power, athleticism, IQ and ball skills to be one of the most highly recruited players in the state this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Most Underappreciated – [player_tooltip player_id='1756338' first='Dean' last='Markes'], 6-foot-3 forward, 2024, Blue Valley:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Markes was a bright spot for a .500 team. A wing who can get hot in a hurry, Markes hit 40% from deep last year. He can get buckets in the paint and off offensive rebounds and he is a good passer, averaging nearly 2 assists per game as a junior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Top rising talent – <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2209736' first='Ethan' last='Taylor']</strong>, 6-foot-9 center, 2026, Shawnee Mission Northwest:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>His freshman stats aren't the story. It's Taylor's ceiling that is creating a buzz. He measured 6-foot-9 as a ninth grader and apparently is still growing. He was lanky and thin, but he made strides during the season. He finished with a line of 4 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks in limited time on the talented state-bound Cougars. You can bet a year of physical maturation and skill development will see Taylor make a big leap.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Top team – Shawnee Mission Northwest:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's hard to pick against perennial powers Blue Valley Northwest and Bishop Miege, but the team that looks poised to explode is Shawnee Mission Northwest. The Cougars return a trio of 2025s in [player_tooltip player_id='1962889' first='Van' last='Collins'], [player_tooltip player_id='1588406' first='Aiven' last='Riley'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1588348' first='Keaton' last='Wagler'] who were pretty dynamic as sophomores. Taylor should be ready to make a much bigger impact, and seniors <strong>Deven Bolton</strong> and <strong>Dominic</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1939448' first='Vincent' last='Nixon']</strong> are talented veterans. The Cougars went to 6A state last year and return most of that talented group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->