KC Schools with Intriguing Sets of Risers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Summer allowed us to see a ton of guys who have yet to get significant varsity action. We were introduced to a large number of risers, particularly 2026s, whose varsity days are on the horizon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When a school has a group of risers all working hard during the summer, good things could be on the horizon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We looked at some schools across Kansas who have interesting groups of young players in development. Here are a few KC schools that appear to be developing a cluster of risers:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Gardner Edgerton:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Living the Dream clubs had a number of Gardner-Edgerton players, and they all seemed to be gaining great experience that could really pay off. Rising junior <strong>Braden Mann</strong> is a big forward who can mix it up inside, or pop out to pass effectively from the high post or hit from outside. Another rising junior, <strong>Tristan Johnson</strong> showed he can be a very creative scorer who can get it done in the paint despite being just 5-foot-10. 2026 <strong>Briggs Cunningham</strong> (pictured) is an exciting, athletic attacker who also plays bigger than 5-foot-10. Rising sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1946258' first='Shawn' last='McConnell']</strong> was an active forward who can produce in the midrange and make plays against bigger players in the paint. That group has a mix of athleticism, skill and toughness that will be interesting to watch this year at Gardner-Edgerton. The Trailblazers didn't win many games a year ago, so they may be looking for contributions from some young players soon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Olathe Northwest:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We saw a lot of versatility and production from a group of players from Olathe Northwest. They appear to have something building for the future. The Ravens relied quite a bit on 2025 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2169841' first='Merak' last='Greinert'] </strong>and even incorporated 2026 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2211338' first='Gavin' last='Popik']</strong> last season. They lose several good seniors so that might open the door for a couple of talented guards we watched the summer. <strong>Quentin Lewis</strong> is a rising junior guard who is quick and clever with the ball and is a real problem as an on-ball defender. He showed he can be effective off the ball as well, so he might be a versatile guard the Ravens can incorporate. Rising sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1990170' first='Brandon' last='Serna']</strong> is a tough, physical guard who helps off on defense and does the little things to help the team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Olathe East:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The KC Kings Elite club featured several 2026s from Olathe East. That experience should help prepare this group for varsity action. Standing out was big man <strong>Tyler Schuknecht</strong>, a 6-foot-5 center with long arms and a willingness to mix it up around the goal. He has nice athleticism and looks to block shots, particularly on drivers into the paint. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2328074' first='Hudson' last='Weikal']</strong> showed some creativity and craftiness driving, getting shots off in the midrange. But he's probably most dangerous from deep, where he showed a nice touch. Fellow guard <strong>Tye Mwende </strong>had some breakout games offensively this summer. He's lanky and likes to penetrate and get shots off with his nice handle and creative shot angles. He can also get hot from deep, giving the Hawks some scoring options in the backcourt.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Shawnee Mission South:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Raiders were competitive last year, led in large part by rising junior big man <strong>Jaden Sautter</strong>. Sautter showed on the varsity that he might be a big riser in the 2025 class. A couple of young players we watched this summer might help him out sooner than later. Fellow rising junior <strong>Brody Featherson</strong> is highly skilled guard who can produce points in the paint and in transition. He's also an effective passer who could play point, or off the ball. Small 2026 guard <strong>Colston Ames</strong> is a tough playmaker. He attacks off the bounce and pressures defenses. He might be a point guard the Raiders can look to.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->