STATE TOURNAMENT: Class 6A Day 1 Stock Risers

WICHITA, Kan. — The opening day of the Kansas Class 6A state championships saw several big performances from a host of players who have made a name for themselves this season. On the day, Olathe Northwest defeated Liberal; Topeka got past Olathe East oin overtime; Derby defeated Shawnee Mission Northwest; and Washburn Rural defeated Olathe North. Here, Prep Hoops takes a look at several of the top performers in Thursday’s competition at Wichita. <b>25-Kasey Hamilton, 5’8, G, 2020, Washburn-Rural</b> A fine floor general and team leader, Hamilton seems more confident in her game than ever before. She is an excellent shooter and played off the ball and created for herself. against Olathe North. She makes those around her better as she can find open teammates and make defenders resort to fouls to slow her down. She scores a lot near the basket and has a nice jumper and deep ball. She finished with 13 points in the win against Olathe North. <b>21-Kennedy Taylor, 6’2, F, 2021, Shawnee Mission NW</b> A strong forward who can pass well and score around the basket. Taylor uses her size in the paint to help her collect rebounds and finish plays on fast breaks. She uses the glass when she shoots and plays a smart game that allows her to slip through coverage and score quickly. She is also an important defender who can come away with the ball in the paint and finish on the other side. She finished with 10 points in the loss to Derby. <b>10-Mary Reiber, 5’5, G, 2020, Olathe Northwest</b> Reiber is a strong, physical guard with great speed and agility. She gets very low to the ground when she dribbles and can used her quickness with the ball to get around the Liberal defenders and scored layups through traffic. She’s extremely tough for her size and proved she can handle physicality well and finish big plays. She ended the game with 16 points in the win over Liberal. <b>25-Makenna Winemiller, 5’6, G, 2019, Olathe East</b> A strong ball handler who doubles as a good scorer. She is an intelligent player, one who has worked hard and has a great understanding of her team’s scheme. She brings experience and a knack for scion with a hand in her face. Winemiller had several excellent jumpers against Topeka and proved she could fake out defenders and do anything she needed to with the ball. She finished with a team-high 16 points. &nbsp; <b>15-Jaidyn Schomp, 6’2, F, 2021, Derby</b> An intelligent forward who can stretch the floor. Schomp is an aggressive young player who works hard and can get a hand on the ball and force turnovers. She moves in and out of the paint well and can defend guards and forwards in the right match up. Her versatiltiy was very impressive in Derby's match up against Shawnee Mission Northwest. She roleld the dice from the 3-point line and blocked shots and created havoc in the paint.