Back to School Special – Elite Ball Handlers

Prep Hoops Staff

August 22, 2023 @ 02:18 PM

With another school year in session, it's time to get reacquainted with the best of the best in the state. We'll take a look at a handful of the skills that separate the best from the rest in a rough ranking system.   (FYI, obviously, some guys could have qualified in more than one category. But in order to cover the best in the state, we only considered each individual player for one of seven categories. No repeats.)   Kansas Top Ball Handlers, 2023-2024:   [player_tooltip player_id='1270290' first='Tesean' last='Williams'], 5-foot-7 guard, 2024, Wichita Northwest:   This guy is so talented, he could have been on a few of the categories, particularly the “scorer” list. But he doesn't score 20 points a game without his ability to handle the ball. He creates his shots with a brilliant handle and remarkable quickness. He's one of the most electric players in the open court in the state. So we put him on this list as the best ball handler in Kansas.   [player_tooltip player_id='1402310' first='Jaalan' last='Watson'], 5-foot-8 guard, 2025, Olathe North (pictured):   Somewhat similar to Williams, Watson uses his handle to create shots for himself, when he's not breaking apart defenses to set up his teammates. He's got all the moves to set up a defender, then blow by him. He's got a bounce in his step as he pushes the ball up the floor, and the smile on his face tells you he's supremely confident in his ability to handle on-ball pressure. Like Williams, Watson is small, but he gets where he wants with the ball.   [player_tooltip player_id='1588392' first='Josh' last='Kim'], 6-foot-3 guard, 2025, Andover:   Kim was one of the leaders for our forthcoming “distributors” list. But we put him here because he gets a lot of his many assists by handling defensive pressure, getting into the teeth of the defense and dealing the ball to one of Andover's scorers. On such a talented team, it was impressive that Kim was entrusted with the ball as a freshman. As a sophomore, he orchestrated the attack that eventually won the 5A title. His tight handle has evolved as he's grown from a little freshman to a 6-foot-3 junior.   [player_tooltip player_id='1962887' first='Amare' last='Jones'], 6-foot guard, 2025, Washburn Rural:   One of the big risers last high school season, Jones gradually earned the trust of his coach and teammates at Washburn Rural, relieving teammates of the ball handling duties and developing into a true team-leading point man. He's both strong and quick and can break down defenders to create opportunities for others. Jones looks to grow into one of the best ball handlers in the state this season with full command of the offense at Rural.   [player_tooltip player_id='1772982' first='Terrell' last='King'], 5-foot-8 guard, 2025, Hutchinson:   Hutchinson ran an exciting and varied attack that took them to the 5A semifinals. His ball handling freed up senior Garrett Robertson to hunt for shots off the ball. King has the handle to push it up tempo and create his own shots in the half-court set. He's small, but strong, quick and fast. He was a bit of a secret last season as Hutchinson relied on a talented group of seniors to run through the competition. But King was as important as anyone to the Salthawks' fourth place finish.   Other top ball handlers (in alphabetical order):   Lovell Autrey, Junction City   [player_tooltip player_id='1756359' first='Trey' last='Carter'], Atchison   [player_tooltip player_id='1172929' first='Michael' last='Kates'], Maize South   [player_tooltip player_id='1300809' first='Dasean' last='Lewis'], Hugoton

With another school year in session, it's time to get reacquainted with the best of the best in the state. We'll take a look at a handful of the skills that separate the best from the rest in a rough ranking system.