Class 5A State Preview: Eight Teams & Eight Prospects

Eight teams have punched their tickets to the Class 5A State Girls' Basketball Tournament which begins Thursday, March 7, at White Auditorium in Emporia.   Yours truly will be scouting the four first-round games in Emporia, and here is a preview of one player for each of the eight teams whom I anticipate will need to have solid performances for their respective team to have a chance to cut down the nets.   I scouted four of the eight teams to make the field in Emporia, so I have high expectations of the players I have seen perform in person and for those who I have heard great things about.   Here is a look at each first-round contest and two athletes in each game to watch. Stay tuned next week as I will have multiple reports from the 5A Tournament on Thursday and the Class 4A Tournament on Wednesday in Salina.   No. 8 Blue Valley Southwest (12-10) vs No. 1 Andover (22-0), 2:00 p.m. – The Andover Trojans will look to make a run for the state championship and complete an undefeated season. Andover is a deep team with a dangerous frontcourt. I have seen the Trojans play twice and look forward to scouting them a third time. The Timberwolves were a .500 team entering sub-state play. They upset Spring Hill in the first sub-state game and then knocked off Pittsburg to earn the trip to Emporia. Blue Valley Southwest is the “Cinderella Team” of the 5A Tournament.   [player_tooltip player_id='231259' first='Brooke' last='Walker'], 5'8”, CG, Andover, ‘24   Walker is a guard who loves to drive, but who can score from three levels. I have seen her play twice and she scored double-digits in both games, but I still don't think I have seen her best game. She is the No. 2 ranked player in the Prep Girls Hoops Kansas Class of 2024. She has committed to play basketball for the Utah Utes. I am curious to see if the Trojans' front court of [player_tooltip player_id='396405' first='Alana' last='Shetlar'] and [player_tooltip player_id='349458' first='Aliyah' last='Green'] carry Andover in the first round or if it falls on the shoulders of Walker.   Ashley Chaput, 5'11”, PF, Blue Valley Southwest, ‘24   I enjoy scouting post players, so one player I am looking forward to scouting is Timberwolf Power Forward Ashley Chaput. Blue Valley Southwest is one of the four teams in the Class 5A State Tournament that I have not seen play yet. Chaput is averaging 5.7 rebounds and 4.4 points per game. It will be interesting to see what kind of game she has against the deep and talented Andover frontcourt.   No. 5 De Soto (19-3) vs No. 4 Seaman (20-2), 4:00 p.m. – This is a rematch from one of the best games I saw during the regular season. Back on February 2, the Vikings knocked off the Wildcats 50-47 in a tight game that went to the wire. Seaman defeated Basehor-Linwood in its sub-state final, while De Soto punched their ticket to Emporia with a sub-state final win over Shawnee Heights.   Jadia Stallbaumer, 5'8”, G, Seaman, ‘25   Stallbaumer is a prospect that is quite interesting in my opinion. She is one of the top-ranked athletes in Kansas in both basketball and volleyball but has yet to make it clear which sport, if either she wants to compete in at the collegiate level. She can do it all on either court, as she is cheetah fast and jumps like a cougar. Like Andover, Seaman has a solid frontcourt, but I still hold the old-school belief that titles are won by experienced guards who take care of the rock.   [player_tooltip player_id='453778' first='Ava' last='O'Brien'], 5'11”, PF, De Soto, ‘24   O'Brien was my favorite player to watch for the De Soto Wildcats when I saw them play against Seaman. She is a true post player who knows how to create space and guard in the interior. She is ranked No. 147 in the Prep Girls Hoops Kansas rankings for the class of 2024. She will have her hands full guarding against Seaman's [player_tooltip player_id='766538' first='Ava' last='Esser'], [player_tooltip player_id='349798' first='Anna' last='Becker'], and [player_tooltip player_id='722996' first='Maddie' last='Gragg'].   No. 7 St. Thomas Aquinas (16-8) vs No. 2 Maize South (21-1), 6:00 p.m. – I have not seen either of these teams play this season, so I will be heading into this game with few expectations and will be looking for a couple of players to surprise me and catch my eye. The Maverick's only loss this season came against the Class 6A State Qualifier Derby. Maize South knocked off Valley Center to win its sub-state bracket. St. Thomas Aquinas had blowout wins against Leavenworth and St. James Academy to qualify for the tournament.   Kelsey Schenk, 5'11”, SG, St. Thomas Aquinas, ‘24   I have seen Schenk play volleyball, but have not seen her play on a basketball court. She finished the regular season as the Saints' leader in scoring dropping 16-plus points per game. Schenk has committed to play volleyball at Lipscomb University. I am interested to see how her athleticism plays out in the sport that features a significantly smaller net.   [player_tooltip player_id='265128' first='Ashley' last='Singhateh'], 5'8”, PG, Maize South, ‘24 (Pictured Above)   Singhateh is ranked No. 52 by Prep Girls Hoops. She is another athlete I have scouted in volleyball but have not scouted on the hardwood. She has plus-speed which I am guessing plays a large role in her basketball game. She led Maize South in scoring during the regular season scoring almost 17 points per contest. What I want to see most is how she scores her points and how she rebounds.     No. 6 Bishop Carroll (19-3) vs No. 3 Emporia (21-1), 8:00 p.m. – I'd like to go on record as saying the Emporia Spartans are the most disciplined team I have seen this season and arguably the best-coached team. It would be between the Spartans and Derby Panthers for the team whose coaches are shown the most respect by their players. Emporia's lone loss came against Hayden in the third game of the season, and then Emporia knocked off Hayden twice later in the season by double-digit totals both times. Carroll is the last of the four teams I have not seen play in 2023-2024. Two of Carroll's three losses came against Class 6A State Tournament Qualifier Wichita Heights. The Golden Eagles qualified for the tournament by defeating Andover Central and Hays in sub-state competition.   [player_tooltip player_id='231285' first='Addie' last='Kirmer'], 5'7”, PG, Emporia, ‘24   Kirmer was one of the most impressive players I saw this season. She is tough to guard and can score from anywhere on the court. She was the leading scorer for the Spartans averaging 18 points per contest. She can also dish the ball and rebound. The Emporia senior is currently ranked No. 42 in the Class of 2024 PGH Kansas rankings. She has committed to play basketball for Emporia State University after graduation.   [player_tooltip player_id='616752' first='Leah' last='Henke'], 5'7”, SG, Bishop Carroll, ‘25   The Bishop Carroll junior is ranked No. 44 in the Class of 2025 by Prep Girls Hoops. She finished the regular season as the Golden Eagles' top scorer. The shooting guard scored at a 15.6 points per game clip during her junior season.   I usually don't do this, but it's March (my favorite sports month of the year) plus I am feeling froggy. So here are my predictions for the tournament.   Chalk plays out in the first round and I believe all four top seeds will advance creating semifinal match-ups of Seaman vs Andover and Emporia vs Maize South. In the semifinals, I believe the Vikings and Trojans will play an instant classic with Andover coming out on top to reach the finals against Emporia.   Then in the state final Andover's front court dominates the smallish Spartans and finishes with an undefeated season. In the words of the “Wise Man” Paul Heyman, “It's not a prediction, it's a fact.”   I can't wait for two days of scouting state girls basketball to be followed by two days of scouting Power League Club Volleyball. Good luck and safe travels to all of the 16 teams I look forward to scouting in Salina and Emporia.

Eight teams have punched their tickets to the Class 5A State Girls' Basketball Tournament which begins Thursday, March 7, at White Auditorium in Emporia.