Freshmen From Big Schools Earn Post-Season Honors

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the all-league teams compiled across the state, there were 30 freshmen who earned some form of post-season honors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As is to be expected, the majority of those players were from small schools. But a handful received honors playing for 4A-6A schools, quite an accomplishment.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are the eight players from big schools who were recognized as “all-league”:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>6A:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Will Davis</strong>, 6-foot-7 forward, 2027 Blue Valley North – Eastern Kansas League honorable mention:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This big guy has a big future. He averaged 8 points, 5 boards and 3 assists for a solid team. He had a handful of double-figure outings, perhaps highlighted by a 14-point night against state tournament-bound Shawnee Heights.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2205710' first='Conor' last='Kerrigan']</strong>, 6-foot-4 forward, 2027, Shawnee Mission South – Sunflower League honorable mention:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kerrigan showed he can finish around the rim protect the paint and run the floor – three great ingredients for a young post player. He's got nice ball skills and will only continue to expand his game. He's not undersized or overpowered by older bigs and had some really productive games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2205709' first='Colton' last='Nichols']</strong>, 6-foot-3 forward, 2027, Olathe West – Sunflower League honorable mention (pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kerrigan isn't the only young big man who made an impact in the Sunflower League this year. After what we saw in Nichols last fall, we were not the least bit surprised he shot straight to the varsity and made a big contribution on a really good team. This guy is a workhorse with tremendous finishing skills. He is a team player who goes after rebounds with abandon and defends, runs the floor and passes unselfishly.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>5A:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2205716' first='Kamari' last='Jennings']</strong>, 5-foot-5 guard, 2027, Arkansas City – AVCTL Div. II second team:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the 5A classification, you find a small guy who made a huge impression. We weren't sure how quickly a small guy could get acclimated to the size of varsity opposition. But it didn't seem to faze Jennings. He's lightning in a bottle. He's super quick with the ball in his hands, and he knows how to handle and distribute or create his own shot. He creates a lot of opportunities in the open court, particularly with his ball-hawking skills.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>4A:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2205719' first='Liam' last='Tesmer']</strong>, 5-foot-9 guard, 2027, Bishop Miege – Eastern Kansas League, honorable mention:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tesmer is a crafty baller and much more athletic than you would expect. The guy is quick, can leap and plays with a tenaciousness. He is fearless with the ball in his hands, attacks defenders and can score at all three levels. He stepped into a rebuilding situation at Miege and quickly became a leader and a go-to option. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Others big school freshmen earning honors:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2393594' first='Zander' last='Ford']</strong>, 5-foot-11 guard, 20207, Rose Hill – AVCTL Div. IV second team</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Quintayvion Pike</strong>, 5-foot-10 guard, 2027, Wyandotte – Meadowlark League honorable mention</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mehki Stephens</strong>, 6-foot-3 forward, 2027, Lansing – United Kansas Conference honorable mention</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->