Best in Northeast Kansas

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With school teams working together this month, we took a look around the state for a “Best of” series.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We covered the KC and outlying schools. Now lets move a little west to look at the best players in Northeast Kansas, excluding Topeka.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is the best in Northeast Kansas:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Top senior – #3, [player_tooltip player_id='1378439' first='Zaxton' last='King'], 6-foot-2 guard, 2024, Lawrence:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A two-time 6A all-state pick, King is one of the most prolific scorers in the state. He's a long, angular slasher who can get to the goal and make highlight plays. King would like to get his Lions to the state tournament in his senior season. But he hasn't left a lot undone in his two years as a starter. He averaged 25 points per game as a junior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Top junior – #12, [player_tooltip player_id='1290136' first='River' last='Peters'], 6-foot-3 guard, 2025, Emporia (pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A a sophomore leader, Peters helped turn the Spartans around after a couple of rough seasons. The team was more balanced last season, so Peters didn't produce eye-popping stats. He averaged 10 points and 3 boards. But he provided a big, physical, playmaking option at shooting guard, a weapon not a lot of teams enjoy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Most Underappreciated – [player_tooltip player_id='1461342' first='Zac' last='Evans'], 6-foot guard, 2024, Valley Falls:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This guys is probably one of the best kept secrets in the state. He's a fast, springy, athletic guard who can really push the ball to create buckets. He also gets fouled a ton attacking opposing defenses. As a junior he put together the impressive stat line of 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Top rising talent – [player_tooltip player_id='1962890' first='Brady' last='Hurla'], 5-foot-10 guard, 2025, St Marys:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The point guard was really good as a sophomore, but last year's Bears was Keller Hurla's team. Now Brady is in firm control of the St. Marys club, which may surprise despite graduation losses. Brady averaged 13 points and 3 assists as a sophomore, and you can bet his stats are going to make a huge leap next season. He is a deadeye from deep and has the creativity to get shots even when teams try to limit his opportunities. He's a slick ball handler who sees the game and always seems in control.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Top team – Atchison:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Phoenix put together a brilliant 19-4 season and return pretty much everyone for another run. Their guards will lead the attack at both ends. [player_tooltip player_id='1953940' first='Xiomar' last='Hernandez'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1756359' first='Trey' last='Carter'] are experienced playmakers. On the front line, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2314773' first='Jeter' last='Purdy']</strong> averaged 9 points while <strong>Jace Richards</strong> contributed 7 rebounds. This team will have length, ball handling, defense, and multiple scoring options.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->