Class 6A: Day 1 Standouts

The opening round of the Kansas 6A state championships opened on Wednesday with quarterfinal play at Wichita State University in Wichita. <span style="font-weight: 400;">Olathe East beats Wichita-Heights, 49-48.; Topeka over Olathe North, 79-55; Liberal over Olathe South, 41-33; and Derby beats SM Northwest, 44-39</span> <b>Eylia Bruce (Lele Love), 6’1, SF, 2020, Olathe North</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The Georgia Tech commit had a solid final game showcasing her skills, size and inside-outside play. She’s an extremely athletic player and has good bounce and finishing ability around the rim. A long and athletic wing-style combo forward who defends the ball well but can stay strong inside and handle herself against opponents more comfortable with post play. An elite athlete</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Who attacks the basket and looks to make plays around the glass. Love scored a team-high 18 points and 10 rebounds, seven of those on the defensive side of the floor. Love also had two steals and one block. </span> <b>Nijaree Canady, 6’0, F, 2022, Topeka</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">One the most dominant players in the state, Canady brings a terrific combination of size, length and two-way productivity to the floor. She has a clear advantage at 6’0 and is an elite rebounder and scorer around the glass. She can back opponents back and score over top four create some with her dribble in post moves on the low and high post. She’s creative and a match up nightmare for most opposing teams giving her skills and and playmaking ability with the ball. Canady had 20 points and 18 rebounds and added four assists, five steals and one block. She was 7 of 12 from the field and 6 of 7 from the free-throw line.</span> <b>Machia Mulens, 6’0, F, 2020, Liberal</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Mulens is a tough-minded athlete who can use her frame well around the glass. She played a terrific all-around game for Liberal showcasing her two-way play and ability to score from anywhere on the floor. Mulens led her team and all scorers with 20 points and also finished with eight rebounds and an impressive four blocks. Mulens also had the only 3-pointer for Liberal as she seems virtually unguardable at times. The University of Missouri Kansas City commit played hard and made a terrific impression Wednesday with her work ethic and ability to make plays. </span> <b>Aubrey Rogers, G, 2022, Olathe East</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Rogers is an up-and-coming player for Olathe East who made a terrific impact her sophomore year. She is a competitive player who shoots a high percentage from the field and from the 3-point line. She can hit tough shots and looks to attack the rim And come away with the ball on defense. Rogers led scoring for East with 18 points and added a rebound two assists and one steal. She was 7-9 from the field and 2-3 from 3-point range.</span> <b>[player_tooltip player_id="47064" first="Kennedy" last="Taylor"]</b><b>, 6’3, F, 2021, Shawnee Mission Northwest</b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">A standout over the summer and a problem for opposing teams this season, Taylor is a long, athletic player who can get a hand on the ball, score through contact and rebound on both ends of the floor. Taylor is listed at 6’3 and brings elite length and strong hands to the floor. Taylor had 14 points against Derby and also led both teams in rebounding with 14 as well. She finished plays on offense but she set a tone on the defensive boards. Taylor also had two blocked shots and shot 8-11 from the free throw line. </span>