17Us We Can’t Wait to See at the Jayhawk Jam

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Jayhawk Jam promises to be a proving ground for Kansas kids as teams converge in Lawrnece from all over the Midwest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>26 teams in the 17U division will lock horns for two days. We will get to know quite a bit about players from across Kansas over the weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players in the 17U ranks we are particularly excited to see this weekend include (in alphabetical order):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2413280' first='Jayson' last='Byrne'], 5-foot-10 guard, 2025, Tonganoxie, Livin' the Dream:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Livin'the Dream teams revealed several nice players to Prep Hoops scouts last summer. We expect the same spring. Byrne was a key member of a competitive Tonganoxie team last winter. They are building around some nice returners. We hope to get to know more about Byrne's game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2416777' first='Charlie' last='Keller'], 6-foot-1 guard, 2027, Syracuse, Magic Basketball:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's tough to play up a grade against top competition. But two years? Keller will be taking on that challenge this weekend with Magic Basketball. We believe he can handle it. After all, he earned second team honors in the Hi-Plains League as a freshman.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2416780' first='Samuel' last='Lynn'], 6-foot guard, 2026, Meade:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Meade was really good last year. Lynn made a big contribution as a sophomore, providing outside scoring, playmaking and disruptive defense. Now he's playing up as a 2026 with the 17s. We can't wait to get a feel for his game in this setting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2416776' first='Austin' last='Rietsma'], 6-foot-7 center, 2025, Lakin, Magic Basketball:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've heard some about Rietsma over the years, particularly his ability to run. The track star has been an important member of really good Lakin teams. We look forward to seeing what this long, athletic big man can do against good competition this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1588398' first='Cam' last='Schmidt'], 6-foot-2 guard, 2025, Newton, CM3T Guardians:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Schmidt blew up as a freshman a few years ago, catching our attention for his precocious high-scoring abilities for tiny Burrton. We lost track of him until he started turning in some impressive performances as Newton as a junior. His scoring ability translated nicely. We can't wait to see what he can do against the comp from across the Midwest this weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->