Back to School Special – Super Scorers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We spent the summer getting to know new, up-and-coming players and monitoring the progress of risers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But 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. While we looked at shooters as a group, there's much more to being a great scorer than just being a shooter. These guys have a knack for scoring at each level, for drawing fouls, and for creating their own shot when the defense is geared to shut them down.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(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.)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kansas Top Scorers, 2023-2024:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1270296' first='Mason' last='English'], 6-foot-2 guard, 2024, Pittsburg (pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No one is scoring points at the clip English has going. He averaged 21 points as a sophomore, and racked up nearly 30 a game as a junior. He has unlimited range from deep, the handle to get to shots on his own, the body to ward off defenders and get power buckets, and the creativity to get tough shots off. Perhaps what he does best is draw contact on the attack and go to the line. He carried his team to state last year. The Dragons should be more experienced and balanced this season. But you can bet English will still rack up a ton of points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1378439' first='Zaxton' last='King'], 6-foot-2 guard, 2024, Lawrence:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The gap between King and English here was miniscule. King differs from English in that he's a sleeker, more spring slasher. He can create angles on the bounce and hit tough shots. But like English, he's a bucket-getter who also draws a lot of fouls. King went for 21 points a game as a sophomore and bumped that up to 25 as a junior. King is a smooth, explosive athlete who can score equally well from each level. He will have to take on an even bigger load for the graduation-depleted Lions as a senior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1270094' first='Andrell' last='Burton'], 6-foot-6 forward, 2024, Campus:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Burton has labored in a bit of obscurity since his freshman season when was a supporting piece on a state champ. Since then, he hasn't had a ton of support and has had to try to carry the team on his own. There's no question about his combination of athleticism and skill. He can shoot, handle the ball, attack the rim and create his own shot. He also can run the floor and jump out of the gym. He's a regular 20 point scorer despite defenses gearing to stop him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1461341' first='Logan' last='Sullivan'], 6-foot-3 guard, 2024, Eudora:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sullivan is a pure scorer. He's not the tallest, fastest, most explosive…and yet he racks up buckets. When he plays off the ball, he moves tirelessly and with high IQ to get free for shots. He can catch and shoot, catch on the move to get to the bucket, or face the goal and put the ball on the floor. He can shoot from a variety of angles. Defenses worked overtime to shut him down last year, and he still went for 19 points per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1270268' first='David' last='Cobin'], 5-foot-10 guard 2024, De Soto:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cobin breaks the mold on this list. The other guys are all long, physical slashers who use their size to their advantage. Cobin is one of the smallest guys on the floor, but he doesn't let that stop him from racking up points. He has a great handle, great toughness and creativity. He can hit acrobatic shots and play through contact. We still haven't forgotten when Cobin, then just a sophomore, scored 53 points in the first two rounds of the 2022 5A tournament to propel De Soto to the finals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Other elite scorers (in alphabetical order):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1270098' first='Kaiden' last='Abasolo'], Mulvane</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1588381' first='London' last='Burton'], Aquinas</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1461344' first='Willie' last='Dorsey'], Wellsville</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1300857' first='Logan' last='Garner'], El Dorado</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1772994' first='Ty' last='Romero'], Elyria Christian</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->