Board Monsters: Five Northeast Kansas Rebounders

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Northeast Kansas is currently a hotbed for multi-sport athletes and big-time rebounders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here is a look at five “Board Monsters” playing for high school programs in Northeast Kansas.  The majority of them are club basketball players and also play other sports at elite levels.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='872345' first='Samantha' last='Klotz']</strong>, 5'9”, PF, Royal Valley, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Girls Hoops currently has Klotz ranked No. 123 overall in the class of 2025. She was one of the top rebounders in Kansas last season averaging 10.7 rebounds per game. She understands how to box out opponents, however, she also gets to the boards by sheer hustle. The Royal Valley prospect scored 5.2 points per contest during her junior season. Klotz is also a solid volleyball prospect currently ranked No. 98 overall by Prep Dig.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='431037' first='Hayden' last='Heim']</strong>, 6'3”, PF, St. Mary's, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Heim is a board monster of a different sort when compared to Klotz. Heim is long and lanky. She outrebounds opponents by utilizing her height and vertical jump. She registered an average of 10.3 rebounds per game as a junior. She has back-to-back seasons averaging double-digit rebound totals. She is also more of a pure scorer than Klotz. She scored 17.8 points per contest last fall. Heim is currently ranked No. 17 by PGH Kansas. She is also a talented middle hitter on the volleyball court ranked No. 72 overall on Prep Dig Kansas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='773203' first='Elle' last='Robinson']</strong>, 6'0”, PF, St. James Academy, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Robinson is a versatile athlete who can play all three front-court positions. She finished her sophomore season averaging 6.9 rebounds per game. She also scored 11.9 points per contest last fall. The St. James prospect is an accurate shooter who can score in the paint or has a nice mid-range jumper. She shot 55 percent from the floor and 66 percent from the free throw line during her sophomore campaign. Robinson plays club ball with Mokan Elite.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Abby Packard</strong>, 5'11”, C, Mission Valley, ‘27</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Packard is a young board monster that I also featured back in May. She averaged 7.3 rebounds per game as a freshman. She has a huge reach, which makes her a threat to alter shots on the defensive end. During her freshman season, she averaged 2.8 blocked shots per contest. Packard is also a top-ranked volleyball prospect ranked No. 86 overall by Prep Dig.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='898141' first='Blakely' last='Walter']</strong>, 5'5”, PG, Hayden, ‘28</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I don't often watch club basketball, but Walter is a pint-sized board monster I expect to scout during an upcoming club practice. Walter is a freakish three-sport athlete who is quick and competes with high energy. She plays club basketball with the Missouri Phenom. The 14U team she plays for is preparing for a trip to Chicago to compete in the Nike Nationals. She plays club volleyball with the Topeka Saints and is ranked No. 3 overall by Prep Dig in the class of 2028. Walter also plays club softball with Synergy Softball. College coaches and scouts from all three sports are sure to make Walter a highly sought-after recruiting target.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->