Big Shoes to Fill: 3A

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Summer is now half over. With each passing day, we draw a little closer to the start of another season, when graduates are replaced by new faces and young players get the opportunity to step up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All-state seniors are not forgotten, but teams have to move on. Here are some young 3A players who will have the chance to fill some big shoes (in alphabetical order):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1378447' first='Marcus' last='Bauman'], 6-foot guard, 2024, Sabetha (pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Matthew Garber</strong> has been a gamer for Sabetha for a few years, culminating in all-state honors leading a great team that was disappointed by an early out of the playoffs. The Bluejays have another gamer cut from the same cloth in Bauman, a high-energy guard who defends and distributes the ball. But in club action he shows he can really light it up from deep and is capable of creating shots. He averaged 7 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists as a junior, but had a high of 17 against Perry-Lecompton.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Biruk Dietz</strong>, 5-foot-6 guard, 2025, Heritage Christian:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Owen Evans</strong> rolled up some ridiculous stats for Heritage Christian the past couple of years. Like Sabetha mentioned above, Heritage Christian was kept out of the state tournament after a fantastic season. The Chargers will have a lot of seniors to replace. Dietz can help cover the loss of the departed all-state point guard. He's a physically solid and quick ball handler who gets the ball to scorers and plays tough defense. He contributed 7 points and 2 assists as a sophomore.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2321590' first='Reed' last='Friesen']</strong>, 6-foot-6 center, 2025, Hesston:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>How do you replace the 3A Player of the Year? <strong>Jake Proctor</strong> took his game to an entirely different level as a senior and led the Swathers to a title in what looked like a rebuilding year. Perhaps Friesen can raise his game in a similar fashion. He was primarily a rebounder and rim protector as a sophomore. But he contributed 21 points in the tournament on 9-14 shooting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1624987' first='Jordan' last='Jones']</strong>, 5-10 guard, 2026, Colby:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hunter Vaughn</strong> was one of the most fun guards to watch in the small school classes last season. He will be missed. But the Eagles can see what Jones can do in his sophomore season. He was on the varsity team as a freshman. He played up in club last summer and showed he could handle the higher level of competition. He handles the ball and can shoot it and plays with some physicality defensively and on the glass.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1955301' first='Mason' last='Martin']</strong>, 6-foot guard, 2026, Hoisington:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Leyton Haxton</strong> was a stat-sheet stuffer and hard-nosed leader for the Cardinals. An athletic freshman was his sidekick last year. Martin looks to be ready to run the show and contribute more scoring next season. He's a long and springy guard who can shoot and distribute.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->