5 Kansas 2023s Looking to Continue Their Run up the Ranks
As summer club season starts to heat up I want to share a look at five players with high potential to continue their charge up the 2024 ranks. Player rankings were last updated in February and the next update is…
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Continue ReadingAs summer club season starts to heat up I want to share a look at five players with high potential to continue their charge up the 2024 ranks. Player rankings were last updated in February and the next update is due mid-summer.
Lily Ba
Lily
Ba
6'2" | C
Blue Valley West | 2023
State
KS
, 6’2″, C, Blue Valley West, Missouri Phenom – What one observer said to me captures her in a nutshell. She is hard to not double-team because she is “too big, too strong, and most high school players cannot guard her one-on-one. Size, strength and length. Takes up space on the post-up.” She runs the floor well and is a legitimate three point shooter with a quick release. Her short clip on Hudl captures what she brings to the table. Climbing five spots to #97, what I am looking to see is lateral quickness to defend one-on-one and get a feel for her mid-range, face-up, and back-to-basket game.
Reagan Goetz Reagan Goetz 5'9" | CG Southeast of Saline | 2023 State KS , 5’9″, SF/PF, Southeast of Saline, Wheat State Elite – I have seen Goetz play several times in the past couple of years and have always liked what she brings to the table. She did miss some time in the recent past with an injury, causing her to not advance as much as could have been warranted until I saw how far she got back. Not only did she bounce back but her game just keeps growing. Advancing seven spots to #121, what Goetz brought to the Trojans in the past couple years is often overlooked. Even the all-Heart of America teams left her out. The team was loaded this past year so to some degree I can see it. Goetz was the team’s best post threat through the season. She is a legitimate scoring threat at all three levels, including off the mid-range pull-up jumper. She has good hops, rebounds well, and is scrappy. With her quick hands she can get her share of steals then go end-to-end with speed to finish with length and athleticism. Check out her junior year highlights.
Amaya Marshall Amaya Marshall 5'6" | PG Lawrence | 2023 State KS , 5’6″, PG, Lawrence, Della Lamb – Climbing three spots to #40, Marshall was a Sunflower League three team selection. She also is a player who has missed substantial time in the past, going down with an injury in February 2020. With a solid, athletic build Marshall uses her frame to good advantage to get into the lane and create in transition. Her ball skills are very good, they have to be in the toughest 6A league in Kansas. What I really am keen on is her quick trigger off the catch on her perimeter jumper and her ability to make the quick, soft, catchable entry pass. Get a feel for her game from 2022 highlights shared earlier this month..
Brooke Strine
Brooke
Strine
6'0" | C
Scott City | 2023
State
KS
, 6’0″, C, Scott City, Western
Kansas Elite
2023 Fyler/Adigun – What drives Strine’s game is how active she is and how well she runs. She always seems to be in the middle of action. Her length makes her appear taller than she is and she uses her length and strength to great affect. Paired with her hops, a nice perimeter stroke, solid ball skills to create a mid-range shot, shot blocking smarts, and a nose for the glass Strine has high upside. The two-time Great West Activities Conference selection climbed to fourteen spots to #95.
Lillie Veer Lillie Veer 5'7" | PG Berean Academy | 2023 State KS , 5’7″, PG, Berean Academy, KS Dream Team – Veer is a lock to make a more substantial jump than the four spots, to #138, she advanced in the February rankings. I have been watching Veer for a couple years and, after coming off a loss Kansas’ class 2A championship game, I wanted to see how well she faired against strong players she would face during the summer. In my Top 2023s from the 2022 MAYB Hall of Fame exposure event article she showed a game. She absorbed contact on finishes, created well for others – including dime dropping – and showed athleticism on a wrap around lay up. Her improvement has been dramatic in the past year. Overall the two-time Heart of American League first team selection is a floor general with transition speed, quickness, and toughness. Now I will be watching consistency in her perimeter and mid-range shooting ability.
Featured image: Southeast of Saline and Wheat State Elite 2023
Reagan Goetz
Reagan
Goetz
5'9" | CG
Southeast of Saline | 2023
State
KS
. Photo: Robert Kelly