Bigs to Watch at the 6A State Tournament

The 2020 6A State Basketball Championship begins Wednesday, March 11.  And as the final 8 teams ready for the excitement ahead PGH is taking a look at centers and power forwards to watch. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="125019" first="Tatum" last="Boettjer"], 6’3", PF, Derby, PBR Team Lex Nation, 2022</strong> -- She has a solid interior and shot blocking presence who can shoot the three and take the ball down the floor off the rebound.  Boettjer averages 5.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. <strong>Nijaree Canady, 6’0", PF, Topeka, Team KC Hoops, 2022</strong> -- Canady was a Kansas Basketball Coaches Association (KBCA) 6A first team selection and USA Today Kansas Girls Basketball first team selection in 2019. Physically strong and strong defensively, she scores within the flow of the offense. Canady does have perimeter range but only has taken 18 shots (28% made). <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="121725" first="Molly" last="Kaemmer"], 6’0", F, Olathe East, Precision Athletics, 2020</strong> -- Led the Sunflower Leauge in rebounding with 11.4 per game and is a 2020 <a href="http://www.sunflowersmack.com/">Sunflower Smack Show</a> first team selection. She was a KBCA 6A honorable mention in 2019 while averaging 11.7 points and 9.6 rebounds. PGH’s Mason Asher reported last summer on her play at the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Be The Best tournament</span>: "[player_tooltip player_id="121725" first="Molly" last="Kaemmer"] playing tough inside the paint. Not afraid of contact and has the ability to score a ton inside. Mobile player wants the ball all the time in the post and when she gets, she’s probably going to score. Solid rebounding player too."  Kaemmer has not committed. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="91880" first="Jae’Mya" last="Lyons"], 6’0", PF, Topeka, Wheat State Elite, 2021</strong> -- Known as a strong rebounder who looks to kick to guards to get the transition game going.  Lyons has good footwork and left hand to finish in the paint.  She averages 5 points and 4 rebounds per game. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="23370" first="Machia" last="Mullens"], 6’0", PF, Liberal, Ohlde Elite, 2020</strong> -- Mullens was a KBCA 6A all state honorable mention and a Western Athletic Conference first team selection. She averages 15.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks. She has very quick feet and hands.  She has handles and the ability to draw a defender to the perimeter to then blow by them.  Mullens has a good back-to-the-basket game, three point mid-range accuracy, and good ability to drive the baseline and finish. She also aggressively denies entry passes into the post. Mullens has committed to University of Missouri - Kansas City. <strong>Yiibari Nwidadah, 6’0", C, Olathe North, 2021</strong> -- Finished the season nine in the Sunflower League in rebounding at 7.4 per game.  Her game is a bit raw but has substantial upside.  She does a good job of using her solid, athletic build, and long arms to box well and block shots.  Nwidadah also has solid transition speed. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="47064" first="Kennedy" last="Taylor"], 6’3", PF, Shawnee Mission Northwest, KC Dream, 2021</strong> -- Taylor is a Sunflower Smack Show first team selection this year and was a Sunflower League third team selection in 2019.  Taylor’s game has matured dramatically in the past year.  She has developed more fluidity and flexibility to her game while eliminating the volleyball swing, haymaker shot blocks.  She finished the season averaging 15.1 points and 9.1 rebounds.  She has great size as well as good strength, agility, and transition speed.  Her offensive game has extended to the three point line and is a solid passer in the high-low game. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="47074" first="Aubrey" last="Warden"], 5’10", PF, Liberal, Gameball Basketball, 2021</strong> -- Warden averages 8 points (52% FGM) and 6 rebounds. She also shot 81% from the free throw line. She has a solid build to defend opposing posts with. Offensively she has a quick shot from beyond the arc.  This past summer she was selected for the 2019 John Lucas Top 160 Girls Elite Invitational. <em>Featured image: Shawnee Mission Northwest’s [player_tooltip player_id="47064" first="Kennedy" last="Taylor"] challenges a shot from McPherson’s Cassie Cooks at their 2020 Mid-America Classic Match-up. Photo by Robert Kelly.</em>