CLASS 5A: Young Standouts

Prep Hoops Graphic

Israel Potoczny

March 18, 2020 @ 03:47 PM

The Kansas 5A state championships were short lived in Kansas as the Kansas High School Activities Association announced on Thursday the remaining state tournament games will not be played following a single quarterfinal round of play. However, Prep Girls Hoops takes a look at several players who stood out at the event, with a look here at several young standouts. To recap the quarterfinal scores, McPherson (1) beat Basehor-Linwood (8), 59-44; Aquinas (4) beats Maize South (5), 62-35; Andover Central (2) beat De Soto (7), 61-52; and Topeka-Seaman (3) beat Maize (6), 54-44. [player_tooltip player_id="48270" first="Beatrice" last="Culliton"], 6’3, F, 2022, Aquinas A terrific young player for Aquinas who can dominate the boards inside and score in a variety of ways at the low and high post. Culliton runs the floor well and is aggressive and is quick to score one she’s fed the ball. She can create some with her dribbled but her terrific size and strong athleticism make her a match up nightmare. She also has a high release point to her shot and a way of creating buckets when very little is there. Culliton had a game high 22 points against Maize South [player_tooltip player_id="93976" first="Kyla" last="Frenchers"], G, 2022, Maize A dynamic guard who has good speed, great vision and a smooth nature to her game. She creates with her dribble well for her age and can fake out opponents and finish with either hand near the basket. Frenchers is a team-first player who likes to pass and keep her teammates happy but is also comfortable breaking down a defense in scoring for herself both from distance, the free throw line and off the glass [player_tooltip player_id="93975" first="Brittany" last="Harshaw"], 2022, Andover Central A strong young sophomore who has been making plays in a variety of ways throughout the season. She is a score and a strong rebounder and can block shots and come away with the ball. She can back down opponents and score over the top and also looks to use spacing and her dribble. Harshaw led scoring for Central with 19 points in their win over De Soto. Maddi Lambert, G, 2022, Maize Another young guard for Maize who has quickness, a good eye for openings and the ability to open the floor with her outside shooting. She moves well off the ball and runs the floor well and shows a lot of potential as a catch-and-shoot scorer given her movement and accuracy when she’s dialed in. Brekkyn Pierce, G, 2022, Maize A defensive guard on the perimeter who plays fast and looks to overwhelm opponents. She is still young and doesn’t always have her rhythm on offense but she forces herself to stay active and make plays. She looks to stay on the move and involved and use their speed and separation to make something happen on offense but collapses on the ball as a defender. Ellie Stearns, G/F, 2022, Andover Central A nice overall player who can rebound, force turnovers, make smart passes and score when she needs to. She can make plays in a variety of ways and can stretch the floor and getto the basket. She has a good sense of her role and just looks to score and make passes and rebound when she has an eye on the ball. [player_tooltip player_id="127280" first="Sydney" last="Watts"], 5’9, G, 2023, Aquinas A nice freshman player for Aquinas who has good speed and the ability to play inside and out. She is a creative player with the ball in her hands and has the ability to facilitate and shoot well from distance. She’s strong and has great intelligence for her age and has the ability to score in bunches and make smart plays on defense inside and on the perimeter.