4A Class Featured Top Freshmen Contributors

When a freshman starts for a state tournament team, that tells you something. Carr was more than a supporting piece to his brother Caleb, the team’s leader. The younger Carr was Baldwin’s second-leading scorer and was a versatile contributor. He gained great experience as a freshman, which he will need to step into a leadership role as a sophomore. He defends and rebounds and picked up 3 assists per game last year.

After watching Dillon (pictured) light it up this summer, we can’t wait to see what he does in his sophomore season. Newton really struggled last year, but the contribution of the freshman Dillon was a bright spot. He earned all-league honorable mention as a freshman, in large part due to his ability to shoot from deep. He does more than shoot, however. He has long arms and the athleticism to defend and block shots. He could handle some of the point guard duties and he knows how to get the ball to shooters.

Chapman has suffered through a couple of rough seasons, and they had to turn Gruver as one of their leaders. He did all he could to help the team turn things around. He led the team in scoring with 11 points per game and was their leading play maker. He hit 30% from behind the arc, and also produced a lot of plays at the defensive end. He jumps passing lanes and picks off passes that hang in the air too long. He has good vision and makes some impressive passes, and he was willing to attack the goal against older opponents.

One more team that really struggled, Winfield looked to Hutto for leadership and production as a freshman. He gave the Vikings 6 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists from the point guard spot. He can stretch defenses, hitting 32% from behind the arc. The team graduated some senior talent, so Hutto will have to carry even more weight as a sophomore.

One of the freshmen we were most excited about on the 4A scene will apparently not be there any longer. Word is that McGibboney will no longer be at Hayden, but rather will be at Blue Valley Northwest in the fall. He will be greatly missed at Hayden, where he gave some versatile production as a freshman. He’s physically capable of defending every spot on the floor, and he is tough enough to crash the boards and come up with loose balls. He has a pretty diverse offensive skill set too. His role was really going to grow at Hayden as a sophomore. Now we’ll see what kind of impact he can make at with the 6A powerhouse Huskies.

Atchison High School will be really good next season. But they will be without one of their weapons in Rowley, who appears to be headed to Topeka West for his sophomore season. As a freshman, he gave the Phoenix another slick playmaking guard who could create his own shot. The lefty played a key role in Atchison’s trip to 4A state and was voted the Meadowlark Conference Newcomer of the Year.