The Playoffs were Impacted by These Unranked Centers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Having a good big man is not necessarily essential in the playoffs. Teams like Wellsville and Cunningham went all the way without one. But having one sure is nice. Just ask Shawnee Mission Northwest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are some unranked centers deserving of credit for their work in the playoffs:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2387756' first='Izeyah' last='Harris']</strong>, 6-foot-5 forward, 2024, Hugoton:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For Hugoton to get back to the promised land this year, it was going to need some new dudes. Harris isn't a pure center, but he did a great job giving Hugoton length and playmaking on the frontline. He was the team's leading rebounder with a nice 9 boards per game. He was also the second leading scorer, averaging 12 points per game and shooting a very solid 14-22 from the field. He was key to the state title team a year ago and was a big reason for the Eagles' success this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2393757' first='Eli' last='Johnson']</strong>, 6-foot-5 center, 2025, Beloit:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've paid so much attention to [player_tooltip player_id='1270292' first='Bryce' last='Beisner'] over the years, we might have missed just how good Johnson is. He's a rim-rocking beast in the paint who dominated in the postseason. He finishes with authority and is a good recipient on alley-oops. He uses his size and strength to create space for shots and rebounds and converted nearly every shot he took in the state tournament – 23 of 38 attempts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2387803' first='DJ' last='Thomas']</strong>, 6-foot-5 center, 2024, Piper:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were some more celebrated members of the Pirates' team that finished second in 5A. But Thomas fulfilled his role excellently, defending the rim, running the floor, and providing reliable production in the paint. His totals for the three game run in Emporia point to his effectiveness: 13-19 shooting, 29 points, 17 rebounds, 5 blocks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2393799' first='Deacon' last='Pomeroy']</strong>, 6-foot-4 center, 2025, Shawnee Heights:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pomeroy's offensive production is very up and down due to the role he plays for the T-Birds. His defensive effort and dominance on the glass never take a night off. When it got to crunch time for Shawnee Heights, Pomeroy showed his competitiveness and his toughness, both physical and mental. He dropped the winning shot against Aquinas in the substate final, finishing with 18 points on 7-9 shooting. Then he scored 11 in the disappointing loss to Piper.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Darius Felton</strong>, 6-foot-5 center, 2024, Maize South:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Maize South was in a tough spot in the playoffs. At the last minute, they were forced to go without [player_tooltip player_id='1378442' first='Tory' last='Homan'], one of the best big men in the state. But they were able to look to veteran Felton to pick up some of the slack. He turned in a great first game of the 5A tournament, getting 15 points and 6 boards. He and sophomore Cy Stucky shared a lot of the paint responsibilities and admirably filled in for Homan.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->