One Month to Tourney: 1A Div II Teams, Players to Watch

Prep Hoops Staff

February 16, 2024 @ 04:17 PM

While we're not counting anyone out, it looks like Greeley County has a tough uphill climb if they hope to threepeat in the smallest classification. We're taking a look at every class for “frontrunners,” “challengers” and teams with “work to do.” And in the process we're identifiying some of the top players in the class.   Here are teams and players from the 1A Div II class to watch this final month:   Frontrunner – Axtell:   Of all the seven classifications, this was the toughest one to pick a “frontrunner.” While a couple of other teams have been ranked ahead of Axtell, we're going with them because of their returning experience and winning pedigree. Not only did the Eagles finish fourth at state last year, most of the guys on the court have been toughened by deep runs in the football playoffs. They are led by experienced juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2169874' first='Brandon' last='Schmelzle'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2393807' first='Eli' last='Broxterman'], a couple of the most successful all-around athletes in the small classes.   Challenger – (tie) Northern Valley and Elyria Christian:   Atop the KBCA rankings are these two teams. Northern Valley didn't make the tournament last year, so they will have to get there first. But our guess is they have the potential to make a deep run. The Huskies have the advantage of age – seven of their main players are seniors, led by [player_tooltip player_id='1756349' first='Kenton' last='Thalheim']. Elyria Christian is led by a junior in [player_tooltip player_id='1772994' first='Ty' last='Romero'] (see below), and he's supported by senior Johnny Unruh. They qualified for state in the larger 1A class a year ago.   Work to Do – Cheylin:   We like teams who have success in football to know how to win in March. The Cougars claimed the six-man championship. They probably hurt their preparation for basketball, but similar to Northern Valley they have a great senior class that would love to put another trophy in the case. Leading the charge are all-around athletes [player_tooltip player_id='2314831' first='Pablo' last='Bermudez'], Logan McCarthy and Brady Ketzner.   Main Man – [player_tooltip player_id='1772994' first='Ty' last='Romero']:   Ever since they dropped their opener to 2A powerhouse Moundridge, the Eagles have gone essentially unchallenged. So it's hard to tell from afar just how good Romero is. But his performance on the club scene and the attention he attracts from college coaches tells you that he's good. He's a long leaper who can shoot from anywhere, handle the ball, defend every position and lead a team. Once the bright lights come on at state, he will be a guy to watch closely.   Player to Watch – [player_tooltip player_id='2169868' first='Rhett' last='Kats']:   Flying just below the radar is Kats, who has his team in the Top 10. They've lost five games, but two of those were to Northern Valley, and two others were to bigger schools. Kats is a shooter who is also a consistent scorer, even when he has an off night from deep. He gets to the line and also can score second-chance opportunities because he's an active rebounder. If he gets hot, he can be a tough guy to stop and could lead his team to some big wins in March.

While we're not counting anyone out, it looks like Greeley County has a tough uphill climb if they hope to threepeat in the smallest classification. We're taking a look at every class for “frontrunners,” “challengers” and teams with “work to do.” And in the process we're identifiying some of the top players in the class.