Who’s the Best of the Wild West?
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A look at the most recent rankings by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association reveals an interesting coincidence: there is one team from the far west ranked in the top ten in each of the big school classifications. In the 2A…
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Continue ReadingA look at the most recent rankings by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association reveals an interesting coincidence: there is one team from the far west ranked in the top ten in each of the big school classifications.
In the 2A and 1A divisions, there are multiple schools from the far west that show up in the rankings.
Who are these teams who currently represent the far western part of the state in the rankings?
Dodge City – #4 in 6A
Do you wonder how the 12-1 Red Demons stack up against the established powers from the east? Well, their lone loss this year is a 50-48 defeat at the Tournament of Champions at the hands of defending 6A state runner-up Campus. They then bounced back to beat defending 5A champ Maize 59-52 in the third place game. Cooper Scheck Cooper Scheck 6'0" | CG Dodge City | 2022 State KS 22 points in that one. Isaiah Taylor added 19, with four 3s. Those two games alone show the Red Demons can compete with the best this year.
Hays – #4 in 5A
Similar to Dodge City, Hays tested itself against the best. They took the best team in Kansas – Free State – to overtime before falling 45-41. Otherwise the Indians haven’t been challenged en route to an 11-1 mark. For that reason, it’s a little surprising Hays is only ranked fourth. But that will sort itself out in time. The Indians are led by Jace Linenberger Jace Linenberger 6'7" | C Hays | 2022 State KS , one of the best big men in the state. The 6-foot-6 senior averages 18.7 points and 7.8 boards. Point guard Carson Kieffer Carson Kieffer 6'1" | PG Hays | 2022 State KS is one of the best distributors and leaders in the state.
Pratt – #8 in 4A
The 11-2 Greenbacks’ losses came to top teams Cheney and Hays. Last weekend in the Hoisington Winter Jam, Pratt knocked off a top 2A team in Ellinwood for the championship. Senior forward Karter Hoeme led the way with 53 points in the three-game tournament. Pratt will get another extreme test next Tuesday against Hesston, the top team in 3A.
Holcomb – #9 in 3A
The Longhorns’ only losses come to really tough opponents – 6A Garden City and top-ranked 2A Hillsboro. Holcomb is led by by 6-foot-4 senior shooter Cooper Autry Cooper Autry 6'3" | SG Holcomb | 2022 State KS (pictured), who is good for about 15 points a game.
Ellinwood – #6 in 2A
The Eagles have blown the doors off nearly every opponent so far this season. They were locked up by 4A Pratt in the Hoisington Winter Jam finale, losing 53-45. Ellinwood isn’t just scoring phenom Britton Dutton Britton Dutton 6'0" | SG Argo Comm | 2023 State KS . They have length, scoring ability, and are still really young, relying on just one senior, 6-foot-3 Cody Zink who is a reliable scorer and rebounder.
Trego – #8 in 2A
The 10-1 Golden Eagles have handled their small school competition thus far, falling only to 3A Thomas More Prep in the Mid-Continent League championship last weekend. Trego is led by rugged 6-foot-4 senior Charlie Russell Charlie Russell 6'4" | PF Trego | 2022 State KS , who posts 17.3 points and 8.8 rebounds a game, to go with a handful of assists and steals each night.
It’s not surprising that the smallest school ranks feature a lot of western Kansas schools.
The 1A divisional rankings are chock full of top teams from the west, headed by South Gray and Osborne, #2 and #3 in 1A Div 1.
In 1A Div. 2, watch out for #2 Northern Valley and #3 Tribune – Greeley County.