Kansans Who Played Up in the Jayhawk Jam 17U Division

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last weekend's Jayhawk Jam was a proving ground for Kansans who faced off against teams from five other states across the Midwest. A handful who went to battle in the 17U division were playing up, several 2026s – and one 2027.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are six who played up in the 17U category at the Jayhawk Jam (in alphabetical order):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jason Byrne</strong>, 5-foot-10 guard, 2026, Tonganoxie, Livin' the Dream:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A shooter, Byrne showed he can be a threat from deep against older competition, which isn't surprising since he's already a varsity veteran. He hustles non-stop and turned some turnovers into breakaways. He is fast and quick, working around the perimeter to get open looks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>David Harper</strong>, 6-foot guard, 2026, Olathe West, Kruse Elite Blue:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A springy, athletic guard, Harper is active at both ends. He looked good running the point or off the ball. He cut to receive passes going downhill and demonstrated a nice scoop shot. He finished through traffic, showing toughness and determination to get to the goal.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Logan Karsten</strong>, 6-foot-3 forward, 2026, Olathe West, Kruse Elite Blue:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A big wing, Karsten has a very smooth, effortless stroke from the perimeter. While he doesn't handle the ball much in transition, he showed an ability to pass effectively, making good decisions to help teammates find opportunities. Karsten is powerful and stout in the paint on defense and is a strong screener on the perimeter. Left alone, he will drill it from the outside.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2416777' first='Charlie' last='Keller']</strong>, 6-foot-1 guard, 2027, Syracuse, Magic Basketball Blue:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Playing up one level is hard enough. Keller actually played up two grade levels in Lawrence last weekend, and held his own just fine. Though he was more thin and less developed the competition, he has long arms and good quickness. He battled on defense and was disruptive. Offensively, he showed he has versatile skills. He handled the ball and passed it confidently, made shots and got involved on the glass.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2416780' first='Samuel' last='Lynn']</strong>, 5-foot-10 guard, 2026, Meade, Magic Basketball White:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lynn is strong and played with physicality against the older opponents. He handled the ball against pressure and created a lot of the offense his team generated by attacking off the bounce. He got to his own shots or created opportunities for teammates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tyland McGee</strong>, 6-foot-1 forward, 2026, Turner, KC Lakers:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McGee spent a lot of time defending bigs and rebounding in the paint, but he's got versatile skills to play just about anywhere. He showed a nice handle, taking the ball from end to end, applying pressure on opposing defenses in transition. He has good size and could present a mismatch at either guard or forward. He hustles, making plays getting back in transition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->