Ranked Senior Guards Ready for More

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's always exciting when Prep Hoops updates the Kansas player rankings. Most of the buzz goes to new players added to the ranks, and rightly so. It's a great accomplishment to be considered among the state's best players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But a close review of the list reveals some players who might just be primed for a big jump in usage and focus as well as potential to lead their teams to greater success. Let's take a look at some ranked senior guards across the state who are “Ready for More.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>12 – [player_tooltip player_id='1172929' first='Michael' last='Kates'], 5-foot-10 guard, 2024, Maize South (pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Maize South loses several key seniors, including all-state point guard Isaiah Atwater. But Kates has been high on the Prep Hoops radar since his freshman year and he might just be ready to take a leap. He will be called on to handle more ball handling duties, produce more points, and lead the returners. He made first-team in the AVCT Div. I helped the Mavericks to state last year. So his junior year was a good one. We'll see what more he can do when he's given more responsibility.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>17 – [player_tooltip player_id='1270271' first='Tanner' last='Heckel'], 5-foot-11 guard, 2024, Lyndon:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Heckel has been one of the state's best guards since his freshman year, when he received some all state honorable mentions at Inman. Good as Inman has been, Heckel has yet to advance to state. The multi-sport star has now taken his talents to Lyndon, a perennial state contender. It will be interesting to see how he fits in with the Tigers this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>34 – [player_tooltip player_id='1300809' first='Dasean' last='Lewis'], 5-foot-10 guard, 2024, Hugoton:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Eagles are state champs in no small part due to the contribution of flashy guard Lewis. But they were led by the brilliant backcourt duo of Ryle Riddlesperger and Carson Bennett. Everyone else is back, but Hugoton will rely heavily on Lewis, who will have to step up his leadership and production. This guy has the talent to do it, but he's got some big shoes to fill.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>46 – [player_tooltip player_id='1378443' first='Wyatt' last='Lewis'], 6-foot-2 guard, 2024, Aquinas:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aquinas is stocked with some fantastic returning talent. But they lose their reliable lead guard, Will Rost, who averaged 19 points per game en route to some all-state honors. Lewis has been highly regarded by Prep Hoops for a couple of years now, so his 8 points and 3 assists as a junior came as no surprise. But now he steps into the role of senior leader for an immensely talented team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>58 – [player_tooltip player_id='1300838' first='Jacob' last='Fritz'], 6-foot-3 guard, 2024, Blue Valley Northwest:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grant Stubblefield is gone from the 6A champs. His sidekick, Fritz, is not the same type of guard as Stubblefield, so no one will expect him to fill the enormous shoes of the top player in the 2023 class. That said, the Huskies need Fritz to go from second fiddle to reliable, productive leader. Fritz' 9 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists as a junior demonstrate he can be an athletic, versatile and productive guard as a senior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->