Ranked Senior Bigs Ready for More

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's always exciting when Prep Hoops updates the Kansas player rankings. Most of the buzz goes to new players added to the ranks, and rightly so. It's a great accomplishment to be considered among the state's best players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But a close review of the list reveals some players who might just be primed for a big jump in usage and focus as well as potential to lead their teams to greater success. Let's take a look at some ranked senior bigs across the state who are “Ready for More.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>13 – [player_tooltip player_id='1633228' first='Savailio' last='Smith'], 6-foot-4 forward, 2024, Bennington:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's not that “Mister” Smith wasn't really good as a junior. He certainly was. His 15 points and 7 boards were the perfect complement to all-state center [player_tooltip player_id='1270299' first='Eli' last='Lawson']. But the disappointment at the 2A state tournament should drive Smith to even bigger things as a senior. Bennington returns a lot of talent, so watch for Smith to be a part of something big this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>19 – [player_tooltip player_id='1270303' first='Teagan' last='Charles'], 6-foot-5 forward, 2024, Kapaun:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Like Smith, Charles was very good as a junior. He averaged 7.5 points and 6 rebounds and earned second-team Greater Wichita Athletic recognition. But when you're part of as talented a group as Kapaun had last year, it's easy to fly under the radar. The Crusaders were led by some good seniors last year, most notably center Will Anciaux. Charles should be a bigger component in the offense next year. His athleticism, versatility and length should lead him to a big senior season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>65 – [player_tooltip player_id='1300821' first='Blake' last='Rucker'], 6-foot-3 forward, 2024, Andover:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ok, so Rucker is listed as a shooting guard, but we're including him in this list because of his size and talents on the wing. Rucker was an important piece of the 5A state title run for Andover. But pretty much everyone from that group is gone minus Rucker and point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1588392' first='Josh' last='Kim']. Those two will have to really step up their production, and Rucker will need to provide senior leadership as well as rebounding and defense. We all know he can light it up, but he'll have to do even more as a senior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>87 – [player_tooltip player_id='1378448' first='Emmett' last='Gaskill'], 6-foot-3 forward, 2024, Hugoton (pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We love Gaskill's versatility and willingness to do the dirty work. Despite not getting any headlines, he was a big key to the Eagles' success at state. The cupboard is far from empty at Hugoton, but Gaskill will be looked to for greater production this year. He's got the inside/outside skills and competitiveness to shoulder a bigger load.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>103 – [player_tooltip player_id='1580560' first='Abdoulaye' last='Kante'], 6-foot-7 forward, 2024, Shawnee Mission East:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We loved this guys game so much when we saw him in club, we put him into our rankings immediately in the summer of 2022. But he's sort of flown under the radar ever since, showing flashes of athleticism and production. He's just too long, explosive and dynamic not to believe he is ready for a big senior year. Particularly with the graduation of fellow big man Dillon Mong, look for big things from Kante.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->