The Initial 2026-27 Class 6A Boys Basketball Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We give you power rankings, chatter on each team, talk on top players and everything else in a giant preview! It's the 2026-27 High School Basketball Season.  It's what we think will become of the year with our Power Rankings for Class 6A.  We go 1-36. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Blue Valley North (1). League player of the year [player_tooltip player_id='2815486' first='Will' last='Davis'] returns to a line-up that also has first team all league player [player_tooltip player_id='2205709' first='Colton' last='Nichols'] who scored 18 points a game last season.&nbsp; North has one of the best 1-2 punches in the state. They lost to Olathe North by just one last season and look to be a favorite.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shawnee Mission South (2).&nbsp; This is a tough one to predict considering that the state runner up has four senior starters that need to be replaced but with Conor Kerigan back they are going to be in a great position for another run. The Raiders had a great summer winning every game over the three weekends they played in June. [player_tooltip player_id='2917221' first='Croix' last='Garcia'] will have a bigger role but from there it's mostly players coming up from the younger levels.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Maize (3).&nbsp; The Eagles won 20 games last season and six of their nine main players return, giving them six (seven counting the guys that played some varsity and a lot of JV) seniors that are experienced winners. Second team all league Carson Miles is the big name and guard Pearce George will be a key piece as well.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Derby (4).&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2205706' first='Avant' last='Riley'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2820782' first='Greg' last='Stiger'] are first team all league players returning with Riley being a returning all state talent as well. Expectations are high, and they should be, but there are six rotational seniors that have to be replaced. Sophomore Big Tyler Pointious should step in and help even more at 6'6 this season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Blue Valley Northwest (5).&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2205725' first='Tommy' last='Chapman'] and Eli Bwami are two very good players returning to lead the way for the Huskies who will once again be dreaming big. There is some experience behind them as well stepping into bigger roles.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wichita East (6).&nbsp; With [player_tooltip player_id='2205722' first='Luke' last='Henderson'], Jayden Phillips-Grey&nbsp; and [player_tooltip player_id='2814772' first='Aiden' last='Butler'] back that right there should have everybody at East dreaming big.&nbsp; But so much depth returns as well in [player_tooltip player_id='2831748' first='Jamaal' last='Garrett'], [player_tooltip player_id='2815545' first='Eliot' last='Hill'] and Jevon Welch.&nbsp; This should be a contending team.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mill Valley (7).&nbsp; A 24-4 season is special and the Jags will be good again with [player_tooltip player_id='2978823' first='Hayes' last='Henderson'], AJ Davis, and Grady Larson returning from the rotation.&nbsp; That said, the top three scorers graduated as all state players and over 50 points per game needs to be replaced. Good? Yes.&nbsp; But need to replace the top scoring producers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Olathe North (8).&nbsp; The state champs won the title game 67-50 avenging a one point loss from early February, and they beat Mill Valley by 18 after losing to them by one score in February.&nbsp; The champs eventually defeated every team in Kansas they played to bring home the title. But what now?&nbsp; There were six players honored by the state after the title run and all six are now gone.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2303952' first='Josiah' last='Roland'] is the one player returning from the main rotation.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Blue Valley (9). [player_tooltip player_id='2866725' first='Brendan' last='Walsh'] returns as a first team all state player along with two other starters.&nbsp; The main rotation lost just two guys but good players like Dan Sogard and Joey Lonegran will have to make up for some of the points that Parker and Enoch graduated with.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wichita Heights (10).&nbsp; All State first team player Jalihn Timmons is gone but most of the rest of the rotation is back for the Falcons.&nbsp; Returning is [player_tooltip player_id='2969778' first='Tyson' last='Phillips'] who averaged 11 points and seven boards last year, Jordan Thomas is back after a 11 a game, plus other return players return from their roles as well.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Olathe East (11).&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2692700' first='Cade' last='Alholm'] is a major ace in the hole to keep Olathe East contending for what they want but there are multiple senior starters that need to be replaced that were valuable pieces.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junction City (12).&nbsp; The loss of Lovell Autry from a team that was two games over .500 is tough but [player_tooltip player_id='3731587' first='Brody' last='Boeckman'] and Khaliel Walker are two very good seniors that should keep the Jays above .500 once again.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Olathe South (13).&nbsp; Two all league players graduated but 6'1 guard Jacob Corrales returns as an all league talent along with a handful of other players from last year's rotation.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Free State (14).&nbsp; A seven win team from a year ago that has one of the elite point guards in the state back in [player_tooltip player_id='2820767' first='Brendan' last='Barrett'] plus Brayden DeBruin is a junior wing that returns as well.&nbsp; Free State should make a jump to at least .500.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Blue Valley West (15).&nbsp; Michael Baum is the name to know here but the Jags lost four senior starters and three of them were all league honored players including second team all league Cade Wysong.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Olathe Northwest (16).&nbsp; Third team all state player Gavin Popik is gone along with two other starters.&nbsp; That said 6'5 senior big Cash Christiansen scored 14 a game last season and is now the main player (along with junior guard Zander Dible).&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shawnee Mission North (17).  The top scorer is gone as are two other starters back all league second team player [player_tooltip player_id='2623092' first='Dailan' last='Holman'] returns as does senior [player_tooltip player_id='2623107' first='Le'Andre' last='Franklin'].  A 14-9 team a season ago. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Topeka (18).  Bryson McComas and Elijah Guest have graduated but junior Devon Ponte is now a senior that forward that will be among the key returning players. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shawnee Mission Northwest (19). A nine win team from a season ago that lost their first five games but had a nice stretch to the end of the year they should be able to build off. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='3218302' first='Everett' last='Diener'] and junior Luka Krstic were good young players ready to take a step.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Manhattan (20).&nbsp; All three all state honored players graduated from a 17-win team.&nbsp; Is the next wave ready? That's the big question.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Washburn Rural (21).&nbsp; Three of the top four guys have graduated including the top two scorers but Rural does have [player_tooltip player_id='2820897' first='Brooks' last='Ballard'] and his 12 points per game back at guard.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Garden City (22). A smaller team that graduated 3-4 key seniors, they lost key scorer Jalen Jagels but junior shooter MacKoy Hammert came up big later in the season and looks to be a key figure. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wichita Southeast (23).  [player_tooltip player_id='3700817' first='Jaydin' last='Araujo'] is back which is big for the Grizz but they lost nearly everything else to graduation.  Arajuo and Elijah Francis are the lone two players back with experience. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shawnee Mission East (24). With Stephen Hlobik, Paxton Ochs, Pearson Kolold&nbsp; and Vince Kopp graduated Coach Shawn Hair has some spots to fill but the winner of 500 plus games is well respected and the team should continue to be solid. Brooks Dillon is returning.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Olathe West (25).&nbsp; Malachi Buchner graduated taking school records with him to Iowa Central next year. A lot of point production needs to be replaced to try and get back to ten wins. Senior Beckett Schweer is now the key player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Haysville-Campus (26).&nbsp; Only had a couple seniors on a team that was near .500 and all of their size returns it appears.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wichita South (27). Three starters return as well as the entire bench is back.&nbsp; Jamison Howard, a 6'2 senior, scored 14 a game is back and should lead the team to a better season. Had a nice 58-55 win later in the season vs Northwest that seems like a telling sign for this year.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wichita Northwest (28). The top two scorers graduated but everything else returns including senior guard De'Marion Garland who at 6'2 scored just under ten points a game last season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gardner-Edgerton (29).&nbsp; Won only four games last season but top player [player_tooltip player_id='2470681' first='Peter' last='Frisbie'] is now a junior and they should be one of the teams taking a good step forward.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dodge City (30). A ten win team last year but the Red Demons lost eight of their last ten and top player Ty Scheck has graduated. .&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lawrence (31). The Lions were tough at home but they had a rough time in district play losing 11 of 13.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wichita West (32).&nbsp; A five win team that has four regulars returning.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Liberal (33).&nbsp; Four starters return but top scorer James Fieser graduated.&nbsp; Junior Eathan Hernandez is a player to watch (9ppg and 5rb last year).&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kansas City-Wyandotte (34). Three starters return but they lost two of their top three scorers from a year ago. Keen an eye on 6'0 junior guard Jaydon Bray.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wichita North (35). Three underclassmen (from last year) starters return from a team that struggled to score.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shawnee Mission West (36). One win last year, no information to go off of yet.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->