Centennial League Junior Sleepers

<p>There are so many good juniors in the Centennial League that picking out the top six wasn’t easy. The Top 2021s are (arguably) <strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/joe-berry/">[player_tooltip player_id="599759" first="Joe" last="Berry"]</a></strong>, forward, Washburn Rural;<strong> <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/charles-snyder/">[player_tooltip player_id="889466" first="Charles" last="Snyder"]</a></strong>, forward, Emporia;<strong> CJ Powell</strong>, forward, Highland Park;<strong> Jalen Smith</strong>, guard, Topeka High; <strong>Trevion Alexander</strong>, guard, Topeka West; and<strong> Vicarrio Triplett</strong>, guard, Hayden.</p> <p>But to call the second tier “sleepers” is sort of a misnomer. The following are juniors who make a huge contribution to their teams. In some respects, they could be considered “stars” in their own right.</p> <p>Here are the top Sleepers of 2021:</p> <p><strong>Jahi Peppers, guard, Highland Park:</strong></p> <p>It was a turnaround of historic proportions at Highland Park. The Scots went from 3-18 to 13-7 and stayed in the Centennial League race until the final couple of weeks. Peppers was a great complement to a couple of other Highland Park stars, averaging 10.5 points per game and occasionally taking the lead role. He scored 15 points or more in five games.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jack-hutchinson/">[player_tooltip player_id="889486" first="Jack" last="Hutchinson"]</a>, guard, Washburn Rural:</strong></p> <p>Hutchinson is one of the sweetest shooters in the city, and was essential to freeing up <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/joe-berry/">[player_tooltip player_id="599759" first="Joe" last="Berry"]</a>. The 5-foot-11 guard could handle the ball at point and facilitate the offense. And he went off for 21 points against Highland Park and 20 against Olathe North.</p> <p><strong>Chris Dixon, forward, Junction City:</strong></p> <p>The 6-foot-4, Dixon doesn’t spend a lot of time banging inside. He can light it up from the perimeter, and is an athletic complement to <strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/quavez-humphreys/">[player_tooltip player_id="885508" first="Qua’Vez" last="Humphreys"]</a></strong>. He hit six 3-pointers against Seaman for a season-high 21 points, and tallied 17 against Topeka High.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/owen-braxmeyer/">[player_tooltip player_id="889495" first="Owen" last="Braxmeyer"]</a>, guard, Manhattan:</strong></p> <p>Though one of the only juniors to get much action on a senior-dominated team, the 6-foot Braxmeyer was a leader. He finished in double figures in each of the Indians last five games, including 18 against Hayden and against Highland Park.</p> <p><strong>Micah Kobuszewski, guard, Seaman:</strong></p> <p>The 6-foot perimeter specialist provided a steady hand in a turbulent season for the Vikings. His ability to hit from beyond the arc opened up the rest of his teammates, and he had several games with multiple 3-pointers.</p> <p>Other 2021 Centennial League Sleepers worthy of note:</p> <p><strong>Trey Pivarnik, forward, Hayden</strong></p> <p><strong>Geivonnii Williams, guard, Topeka High</strong></p> <p><strong>Marque Wilkerson, guard, Topeka West</strong></p> <p><strong>Josh Williams, guard, Washburn Rural</strong></p> <p><strong>Hunter Hines, forward, Emporia</strong></p>