Tournament Analysis: Top Unranked Bigs Performances

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've been looking at unranked players who were big in the state tournament. Here's a look at unranked bigs who impressed (in alphabetical order):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2321590' first='Reed' last='Friesen']</strong>, 6-foot-6 center, 2025, Hesston:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hesston rode [player_tooltip player_id='1454193' first='Jake' last='Proctor'] and a group of seniors to the state title. But Friesen's contribution should not be overlooked. He provided a big presence on the back line and some efficient scoring. The big sophomore scored 21 points in the run to a title, hitting 9-14 shot attempts. Watch for Friesen to play a much bigger role next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Gavin Hoffman</strong>, 6-foot-5 center, 2024, Blue Valley Northwest:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Blue Valley Northwest is blessed with a corps of bigs who can all play in the paint, run the floor and pop outside. Hoffman wasn't the only big man to do a lot of nice things in the tournament, but he was the most physical and best at battling opposing bigs on the block. He scored 10 points in the opening round and 6 in the second round. There may be a lot of more that coming next season for the big, powerful center.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jaron Lashley</strong>, 6-foot-4 forward, 2024, Blue Valley North:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lashley is big man who can move inside and out, handle the ball and contribute on the perimeter. But he made his biggest impression as a powerful hustler on the glass and around the rim. Lashley scored 26 points in the first two games of the tournament. As one of the only returners to the team next year, Lashley is a player to keep an eye on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Chase Robinson</strong>, 6-foot-4 forward, 2025, Wichita Heights:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Falcons didn't need anyone to come off the bench firing up shots. They needed help defending and providing energy to support their big three. Robinson brought a lot of energy off the bench and played in control on the offensive end. He scored 10 points in the first round game, and he provided a lot of key minutes in the championship game when a starter got in foul trouble. Most importantly, Robinson has the combination of length and athleticism to guard multiple spots on the floor and sub for multiple positions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Luke Rome</strong>, 6-foot-3 forward, 2023, TMP:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rome was a great support to a couple of other outstanding TMP seniors this year, averaging 10 points and 6 rebounds on the season. But in an epic semifinal battle with eventual champion Hesston, Rome went off. He hit 12-19 for 26 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. For the tournament, he hit 18-32 shots and scored 43 points, playing a huge role as TMP lost two battles at the buzzer to finish fourth.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->