AVCTL Div II Should See Big Turnover

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Andover was the story of the season in the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Div II a year ago. Everyone knew they were really good. And then they went on a memorable run to win the 5A tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But that remarkable senior group at Andover is gone. There will be big turnover and lots of unpredictability in the league this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ark Valley Chisholm Trail Div II Preview:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Preseason Player of the Year:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1588392' first='Josh' last='Kim'], 6-foot-3 guard, 2025, Andover:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With so much talent around, Kim's role was to keep things under control and get the ball in the right place. He did a stellar job, racking up 4.5 assists per game. But it was obvious he had playmaking and scoring talents in addition to his ability to distribute. He's a big point guard who can rebound and defend at every level. Watch for Kim to take over leadership and put this team on his back.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Preseason Team of the Year: Andover</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was tempting to go with another squad for this position, but no other team returns a significant core. So we'll go with the program that has proven it can develop talent and win. Andover will rely heavily on [player_tooltip player_id='1588392' first='Josh' last='Kim'] and super shooter [player_tooltip player_id='1300821' first='Blake' last='Rucker'] until other players develop. Chances are there's plenty of talent just waiting in the wings at Andover. They probably don't merit the #4 preseason ranking given by the KBCA, but we'll give them time to build around two really good returners.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Player to Watch:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2393763' first='Pierce' last='Blue']</strong>, 6-foot-4 forward, 2025, Eisenhower:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long, lanky shooter who really grew in his role as a sophomore, Blue might be ready to take off this year. He blocks shots, moves without the ball to find shots, and looks like a double-double prospect as a junior. The Tigers were solid last year, and Blue may help them go to another level this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Other Top Players (in alphabetical order):&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Desmyn Gibson</strong>, 6-foot-2 forward, 2024, Salina Central</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jake Jasnoski</strong>, 6-foot-4 forward, 2024, Goddard</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Nick Rogers</strong>, 5-foot-11 guard, 2024, Goddard</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1300821' first='Blake' last='Rucker'], 6-foot-3 guard, 2024, Andover</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rising Star:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1300824' first='Jayden' last='Brown'], 5-foot-7 guard, 2025, Andover Central (pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A super-quick ballhandler with a fearless streak, Brown was a significant contributor to a talented Jaguars team that went 17-5. Brown stretches defenses with his ability to let it fly from deep. Look for his averages of 8 points, 2 assists and 1 steal to go up quite a bit as he takes over a much bigger role as a junior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Others Rising Stars (in alphabetical order):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1555934' first='Colin' last='Frazier'], 6-foot-5 forward, 2025, Arkansas City</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Erv Phillips</strong>, 6-foot-1 guard, 2026, Goddard</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jordey Pierce</strong>, 6-foot-4 forward, 2026, Arkansas City</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->