3A Substate Preview: Tough Pairings and Top Players
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It’s time to turn our attention to substate play, and we can begin breaking down the groupings in the small school classes, looking forward to potential matchups and headlining players. Let’s start with 3A. Final Season Rankings from the Kansas…
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Continue ReadingIt’s time to turn our attention to substate play, and we can begin breaking down the groupings in the small school classes, looking forward to potential matchups and headlining players.
Let’s start with 3A.
Final Season Rankings from the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association:
1 Beloit 2 Goodland 3 Cheney 4 Hesston 5 Wichita-Collegiate 6 Ellsworth 7 Wellsville 8 Sabetha 9 Humbodlt 10 Norton
Riley County Substate:
The award for Toughest Substate goes to Riley County, based on history and depth of quality.
Beloit will be the heavy favorite, but we don’t envy any team that might have to face Rossville, a team with a lot of length and shooting for days. Marysville has fallen on hard times, but features a top talent in Will Otott Will Otott 6'0" | CG Marysville | 2025 State KS . St. Marys will bring its own stud in Brady Hurla Brady Hurla 5'10" | PG St. Marys | 2025 State KS . Silver Lake and Nemaha Central also have proud histories and quality players. Beloit, led by senior Bryce Beisner Bryce Beisner 6'7" | PF Beloit | 2024 State KS , will be the favorite, but it won’t be an easy path.
Wellsville Substate:
Wellsville hosts two ranked teams, #7 Wellsville and #9 Humboldt. The host features a couple of all-state caliber seniors in Willie Dorsey Willie Dorsey 6'2" | SG Wellsville | 2024 State KS (pictured) and Dezmond Winton Dezmond Winton 5'7" | PG Wellsville | 2024 State KS . Humboldt will counter with a couple of talented and versatile big men in Sam Hull and Colden Cook Colden Cook 6'3" | SF Humboldt | 2025 State KS . These two deserve a lot more attention than they’ve received thus far, but they will have their chance to shine if they can somehow help Humboldt advance from this tough substate.
Chaparral Substate:
The substate at Chaparral has two ranked teams, but we still don’t know who all will be available for #5 Wichita Collegiate, which has been hampered by injuries. If the Spartans could be at full strength, they would pose a stiff challenge to #3 Cheney, a team with stars and a championship pedigree, having just won the 3A football title.
Caney Valley Substate:
This one looks to be wide open. There are no ranked teams in this grouping. Honestly, we don’t know a lot of players from this region beyond Jack Perry Jack Perry 6'3" | SG Galena | 2025 State KS , a sniper for Galena. Girard and Riverton enter the tournament with the best resumes.