Sunflower League Features Rising Stars

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Sunflower League brings back a lot of talent, including a special collection of players from the 2025 and 2026 classes. There will be stiff competition in the league and there should be several teams advance to state tournaments in this league.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sunflower League Preview</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Preseason Player of the Year:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1588338' first='Carter' last='Kaifes'], 6-foot-6 forward, 2025, Mill Valley:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the few Kansans getting major DI offers, Kaifes has the total package. He's got length and a solid physique, has a versatile skill set and can really shoot it at a high level. Kaifes will be surrounded by a lot of talent this year, so he will be distributing the ball and playing off other good players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Preseason Team of the Year: Shawnee Mission Southwest</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Talk about a tough decision. We could have gone with several other teams on this question, but we went with the Raiders for two reasons: 1) the experience all these talented 2025s got by making the trip to 6A state last year, and 2) the potential for growth from big man [player_tooltip player_id='2209778' first='Ethan' last='Taylor']. Having an impact player who's nearing 7-feet tall makes this team different from the other talented squads in the league.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Player to Watch:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1378439' first='Zaxton' last='King'], 6-foot-2 guard, 2024, Lawrence:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>King will have his hands full as the leader of a rebuilding Lions team. But there's no question his talent. He has lit up the league the past couple of seasons as one of the most talented scorers in the state. He will need to not just light it up, but provide leadership and stability to his young teammates. King is a veteran who will guide the way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Other Top Players (in alphabetical order):&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1962884' first='Nic' last='Anderson'], 6-foot-3 forward, 2025, Olathe South</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1504859' first='Jackson' last='Collins'], 6-foot-2 guard, 2024, Olathe West</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1378440' first='Micah' last='Deaver'], 6-foot-1 guard, 2024, Olathe East</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1480552' first='Mason' last='Kemp'], 6-foot-7 center, 2024, Mill Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1580478' first='TJ' last='Porter'], 5-foot-7 guard, 2024, Olathe North</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1588348' first='Keaton' last='Wagler'], 6-foot-5 guard, 2025, Shawnee Mission South</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1402310' first='Jaalan' last='Watson'], 5-foot-8 guard, 2025, Olathe North (pictured)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rising Star:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2209778' first='Ethan' last='Taylor'], 6-foot-9 center, 2026, Shawnee Mission Northwest:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Taylor is the player to watch in the league, to see just how far his development has come. He was a role player who didn't get the crucial minutes as a freshman for the talented Raiders. He was still a bit of a project at that point. But he worked hard and got great exposure over the summer, and should have added weight and strength as well as fundamentals. He still won't have to do it all as the team returns talent and depth. But Taylor could be the difference maker.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Others Rising Stars (in alphabetical order):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1588406' first='Aiven' last='Riley'], 6-foot-3 forward, 2025, Shawnee Mission Northwest</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2209776' first='Cameron' last='Love'], 6-foot-4 forward, 2026, Olathe North</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2209779' first='Jakhai' last='Carter'], 6-foot-1 guard, 2026, Mill Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1892885' first='Drake' last='DeBaun'], 6-foot-5 forward, 2026, Shawnee Mission South</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2211345' first='Alex' last='Casares'], 5-foot-10 guard, 2026, Shawnee Mission North</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2169816' first='Jadon' last='Sautter'], 6-foot-5 center, 2025, Shawnee Mission South</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->