New #1, Top 10 Moves in 2025 Rankings Update

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Changes in the class top 10, including a new Queen of the Ranks, are significant in the June class update. While former #1 [player_tooltip player_id='349427' first='Reese' last='Messer'] of St. James Academy slid a couple spots the tandem of the state's best center, [player_tooltip player_id='349796' first='Jaliya' last='Davis'], and standout guard [player_tooltip player_id='349453' first='Aubrey' last='Shaw'] advanced to #1 and #2. It gives Blue Valley North, the team to beat for the 2024 6A crown, the top spots in the class. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Davis and Shaw have drawn substantial NCAA Div I offers for a couple of years now. Davis' include from Texas Tech, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Kansas State. Shaw's include De Paul, Texas Christian, Southern Methodist, Texas Tech, Kansas State, </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Messer missed some time during the season (I was sorely disappointed to not get to watch her at the Mid America Classic that the Thunder won, beating host McPherson in the final). She recently committed to play volleyball at the University of Southern California. Notable was the team's 2022 sub-state championship game against St. Thomas Aquinas. Watching it online, the 5A state championship was really played that game. While Aquinas went on to win yet another consecutive state title, observers I talked to later said the Saints could not stop Messer from scoring if their lives depended upon it. Despite dropping a couple spots, when she is on Messer is arguably still the best player in the class and can help end Aquinas' run of state titles. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The next four spots remain the same. Bishop Miege PG [player_tooltip player_id='349455' first='Kirston' last='Verhulst'] holds down #4, Olathe West's [player_tooltip player_id='350247' first='Emma' last='Sales'] is at #5 and two central Kansas players break up the eastern Kansas party by staking claim the next two places. The state's top 2025 power forward, [player_tooltip player_id='349458' first='Aliyah' last='Green'], comes in at #6 and [player_tooltip player_id='335922' first='KaMyra' last='Barber'] (formerly of Wichita Northwest) moves up to #7.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Three new players slide into the final three spots on the strength of strong play coupled with some notable recruiting skinny I am aware of. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lawrence's 5'7" guard [player_tooltip player_id='335955' first='Brynnae' last='Johnson'] game ratched up suddenly last fall at the PGH Top 250 event in Shawnee, KS, and was integral in the ferocious Chesty Lion guard play that powered a 6A season resulting in a state tournament appearance. She moved into #8.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wellington's 5'8" guard [player_tooltip player_id='349450' first='Valorie' last='Norwood'], entering at #9, just continues to establish herself as not just a top player in the class but also in the state. Each time I have watched her play this summer she has always, clearly stood out as one of Kansas United's top three players after each game. The crusaders were the top seed at the state 5A tournament last season and, barring serious disaster, will be one of the favorites to capture the title in 2024. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The final debuter in the top ten is Wichita Heights 5'9" CG [player_tooltip player_id='398375' first='Kennadi' last='Jackson']. She started garnering substantial NCAA D II interest while playing for her previous club team in 2022 due to her explosiveness in the half court game. With good size, length, speed, and scoring ability she will be pushing the Falcons to return to the 6A state tournament for the first time since 2021.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->