Top Shooters at the Break

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A great month (plus a little) of basketball is in the books. The 2023-2024 season is off to a great start, with some surprises, some risers and some dominant performances to reflect on at the break.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>You know the names of some of the best shooters in the state. They established themselves as deadeyes in previous high school seasons and on the club circuit: [player_tooltip player_id='1588338' first='Carter' last='Kaifes'], [player_tooltip player_id='1300833' first='Dallas' last='Metzger'], [player_tooltip player_id='1772980' first='Jack' last='Perry'], [player_tooltip player_id='1588348' first='Keaton' last='Wagler'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1962890' first='Brady' last='Hurla'] (pictured) are names that always come up when talking about shooters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a look at some guys who have stood out as shooters at the break:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2314813' first='Tamir' last='Anderson']</strong>, 6-foot-3 forward, 2024, Highland Park:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anderson's name would be mentioned with the top shooters in the state except that he split playing time with so many talented seniors last year. This guy has the green light, and for good reason. He knocked down nine 3s in one game and seven in another already this year. He's hitting a ridiculous 51%. He hunts shots with supreme confidence and has the length and athleticism to create the space needed to get good looks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1300838' first='Jacob' last='Fritz'], 6-foot-3 guard, 2024, Blue Valley Northwest:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We raved at Fritz' athleticism, length and intensity on display at the end of last season. If there was any question if he could take it to the next step as a scorer, he gave some impressive answers. He hit a crazy 52% of shots from deep, which is the same as what he hit from the floor. His great numbers derived in large part from two games. We'll see if he can keep it up the rest of the season. Regardless, Fritz looks ready to establish himself among the state's best guards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2169868' first='Rhett' last='Kats']</strong>, 6-foot-4 forward, 2025, Logan-Palco:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the team's go-to guy, everything runs through the long junior forward. Kats can create shots and get them off all over the floor and he's hitting 57% from the field. He's not strictly a perimter shooter, but he occasionally takes double-digit 3-point attempts. From distance he connects on 43%. That's not an anomaly – he hit 38% on 136 attempts as a sophomore. Watch for Kats to rise among the best small-school ballers in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2317398' first='Talan' last='Torrez']</strong>, 6-foot-1 guard, 2024, Baldwin:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've been giving a lot of attention to Torrez early this season for his play taking up the slack for graduates from last year's Baldwin team. But Torrez deserves a mention here for his marksmanship. The senior Bulldog is stretching defenses and knocking down 41% from deep. He knows his role and is doing it effectively, and the team is 6-0 in large part for his shooting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sam Wheeler</strong>, 5-foot-9 guard, 2025, Oxford:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wildcats blasted out of the gate with a 6-0 start. They look to be a small-school team ready to make noise this year. Wheeler is the leader thus far, dropping multiple 3s just about every time out. He's knocking down 38% and scoring 16 points per contest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->