A Look Ahead at Frontier League Returning 2020s

The 10-team Frontier League is composed of eight Class 4A and two Class 5A schools. The league sent three teams to the Class 4A state tournament with one, Piper, advancing to the state title game as the top seed. This past season nine seniors from this tough league were included in the list of sixteen players selected to the league's first, second, and honorable mention teams. Of the seven other selections, four were juniors. Clearly, this coming season is going to provide substantial opportunity for not just new faces and names to gain attention, but for players who received some recognition to gain additional. In this article I will be taking a look at 2020 players that earned spots on Kansas Basketball Coaches Association all-state and/or all-Frontier League teams. Brayden Hanf, Paola, 6'0", PF - Hanf was selected as a <span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Frontier League honorable mention. Averaged 14ppp, 6 rpg. Good size and strength, not someone who can be easily moved, opponents avoid stepping in. Off-ball anticipation awareness. Ability to go end-to-end with the ball. Good quickness in back-to-basket game. Sees the floor well. Solid passing ability. Very quick on the perimeter shot. Ability to shoot the off the step-back and as a jump shooter. Shot blocker. Can finish through contact and uses a variety of shots to score around the basket. Some dribble drive ability. Highlight video shows little vs Piper, Eurdora, and Baldwin. Far bigger and stronger than Piper's Cobbins."}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":4609,"3":{"1":0},"12":0,"15":"Verdana"}">Frontier League honorable mention. She Averaged 14 points and 6 rebounds per game. Hanf will be one of the few, true bigs in the league. With good size and strength, Hanf is not someone who can be easily moved. It is noteworthy that opponents visibly avoided stepping in to draw a charge. Offensively Hanf has good off-ball anticipation, has the ability to go end-to-end with the ball; has good quickness in her back-to-basket game; sees the floor and passes well; has a very quick perimeter shot; has shown that she can hit the three off the step-back and as a jump shooter; and can get to the hole and finish with contact. She also has good shot blocking ability. Reagan Hiebert, Eudora, - Hiebert was selected as a Frontier League honorable mention. Hiebert made a living last year as a spot-up three point shooter and, due to her defensive quickness and hand speed, a ball thief. Once stolen she has good transition speed to go end-to-end. She is also unafraid to go at defenders in transition. Riley Hiebert, Eudora, 5'3", PG - Hiebert was selected <span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"KBCA 4A honorable mention all-state. Averaged 15.9 ppg, 3spg, shooting 55 percent from the floor. Had double figures in 16 games with a season high of 29 points. Key to the team's transition game. Good lateral quickness, can finish off the drive. Perhaps the best shutdown guard in the 4A state tournament, including in the backcourt. 6.14.19 Israel - "A strong an active guard for her sides who earns her stripes by being active on the Defensive side of the floor. She can stay with the ball and has great lateral quickness. She’s tough and knows when to trap and how to use her hands. Also solid on the other side of the floor. A player who can score and get the ball out of problem areas.""}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":4609,"3":{"1":0},"12":0,"15":"Verdana"}">KBCA 4A honorable mention all-state and Frontier League first team all-league. She averaged 15.9 points, shooting 55% from the floor, and 3 steals per game. She was in double figures in 16 games with a season high of 29 points. While she is the key to the team's transition game; is laterally very quick; and can finish off the drive, she arguably was the best shutdown guard in the 4A state tournament. [caption id="attachment_82247" align="alignright" width="142"] Piper's Ali Vigil on defense during Class 4A state tournament game against Eudora.[/caption] Ali Vigil, Kansas City Piper, 5'11", G/F - Vigil was selected KBCA 4A first team all-state and Frontier League first team all-league. She has been recognized as a 3-star player and with inclusion in the <span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"3-star ESPNU HoopGurlz 100 Watch List. KBCA 4A first team all-state. Sports In Kansas 4A all-state tournament. Difficult matchup given size, ability to run and see the floor, ability to create her own shot on the perimeter or via dribble-drive. Ball-handling skills to lead and finish breaks end-to-end. 25' range. Strong build and rebounder. ACL Surgery Mid-April 2019"}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":12801,"3":{"1":0},"12":0,"15":"Verdana","16":10}">HoopGurlz 100 Watch List by ESPNU. Vigil is a difficult matchup given her size; ability to run and see the floor; ability to create her own shot on the perimeter or via dribble drive; that she has 25' three point range; and her strong ball-handling skills ability to lead and finish breaks end-to-end. She is also a strong and is an effective rebounder. She is continuing to recovering from mid-April knee surgery. Vigil has committed to University of Central Missouri.   Featured image: Eudora's Reagan Hiebert is trapped on the block during a 2019 Class 4A state tournament gave against Piper.