New Year, New Names: 4A

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most fun things about covering Kansas high school basketball is learning the new names when kids emerge. December saw several guys step into the spotlight in 4A. Here are some new names to know:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1624971' first='Coley' last='Burgess']</strong>, 5-foot-8 guard, 2025, Rock Creek:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The sophomore plays with an edge. He has confidence and a fire to compete. He isn't afraid to get into the paint and battle bigger players, getting his jumper off in traffic or getting to the goal. He is a threat from the perimeter too. But the things this guy does best are drive the ball aggressively and defend with tenacity. You're in for a fight every time Burgess takes the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1630972' first='Jacob' last='Deister']</strong>, 6-foot guard, 2025, Hayden (pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The transfer guard earned playing time at Hayden and is starting to assert himself as a team leader. He is a smooth slasher who takes on bigger bodied defenders and finds a way to get shots off. He can be deadly from deep, like the six 3-pointers he knocked down against Emporia. Deister plays with intelligence and a little bit of an edge. He's best moving without the ball to find openings, but he can be a creative distributor too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1336892' first='Spencer' last='Hecht']</strong>, 6-foot-2 guard, 2024, Wamego:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hecht has been showing nice shooting touch and ball skills on the club circuit for years. But now his body is catching up to his skills. He's grown up to be a long guard who can hold his own in the paint and against physical guards. He can light it up and is helping lead the Red Raiders to a surprising 7-1 start. He got 19 in a win over Clay Center, then 19 against St. Marys.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Caleb Hepner</strong>, 5-11 guard, 2025, Ottawa:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After a slow start, the Cyclones found their groove and ran off three wins in a row. Hepner has stepped into a leadership role, shooting well from outside and giving the team a spark. He's a physical guard and tough on ball defender. Hepner drilled five 3-pointers and got 25 points against Louisburg.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Aiden McKee</strong>, 6-foot-1 guard,  2024, Mulvane:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wildcats got off to a sluggish start. McKee has provided a ton of the team's offensive output so far, scoring more than half the team's points in a few of their games. He gets in the lane to catch and score with a variety of pump fakes and release angles. He can also get into the paint off the dribble to shoot a jumper, and he gets a few buckets every game on putbacks. But the main thing the junior does is hit from deep. He tosses in multiple threes in just about every game, scoring 26 against Augusta and against Circle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->