Robert's 2025 6A Quarterfinals All-Tournament Team

A great day of basketball in Charles Koch Arena found me courtside for all four class 6A quarterfinal games. Typically state basketball all-tournament teams include players from the final four. I do not play that way. Many great players and performances never make it out of the first round but should be considered anyway. So, my all-quarterfinals teams were born. Now, I am not a statistics driven. I look at skill sets, future skills sets and game impact. Seriously, who had the better game: a player who scores 15 and gives up 20 points or a player who scored 5, held a major scorer to single digits and gathered several assists and steals? I am the kind of guy who thought the entire Philadelphia Eagles defensive line should have been the MVPs of the Super Bowl, not Jalen Hurts. So agree or disagree, here are my all-tournament teams. A couple of quick notes and comments. Yes, I have 6 players on my first team. Also, a shot clock was not used in the post-season and the impact of it missing was dramatic. Substantially more fouling to lengthen games was the result. Teams started fouling far earlier in the fourth quarter to attempt to get ball possessions from free throw situations because they could not get them from shot clock violations. It led to Olathe North shooting 35 free throws to Olathe South's 5. A foul count of 26-10 difference. Late in regulation Olathe West turned several additional possessions into points to erase a 8 point deficit against Heights when the Falcons pulled it out and run time off. The Owls nearly pulled out a win in regulation because of it and it enabled Heights, when behind in overtime, to get a couple extra possessions.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">First Team</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='349796' first='Jaliya' last='Davis'], 6'2", C, Blue Valley North, 2025 - Davis has been the best player in the state since S'Mya Nichols graduated. In a hard fought win over Washburn Rural her sticky defense on [player_tooltip player_id='671505' first='Maddie' last='Vickery'] in the second half was just disruptive enough to alter passes and affect decision made by the Junior Blues overall. Davis showed what she always shows around the basket. But really was eye-catching was her work with and without the ball in transition and work passing or off the pass. Davis nearly had a double-double by half-time and finished with 26 big points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks, 3 steals and 2 assists.   [player_tooltip player_id='719101' first='Macayla' last='Askew'], 6'1", PF/SF, Derby, 2026 - Askew and the Panthers flew out of the gate of a 'no-blood, no-call' within 5' of the basket game, until the game was already out of hand, and just pounded Wichita East. I have long felt Askew was a terrific small forward but all game she showed the graduation to laying wood on people power forward land. Defending with quickness, altering shots, abusing East interior players who routinely did not box out including by out-jumping them. She consistently ran the floor, was aggressive on both ends of the floor.   [player_tooltip player_id='351760' first='Asia' last='Lee'], 5'9", SG, Olathe North, 2026 - Against a big, strong team with speed and skills Lee led a hot shooting first half to give the Eagles a 27-15 lead they would never relinquished. The lack of a shot clock in the post-season caused Olathe South to start fouling fairly early in the fourth quarter, enabling Lee to go 20/25 from the line as part of her 34 points to keep the Falcons at arm's length. Lee consistently beat full court pressure with and without the ball, scored with athleticism, and made plays defensively. She collected 3 steals and 2 blocked shots.   [player_tooltip player_id='671505' first='Maddie' last='Vickery'], 6'1", SF/PF, Washburn Rural, 2027 - Vickery and her teammates could have easily crumbled to Blue Valley North runs and actually broke it open when Blue Valley North did not have both [player_tooltip player_id='349453' first='Aubrey' last='Shaw'] and [player_tooltip player_id='349796' first='Jaliya' last='Davis'] on the floor together. She had a double-double before half-time and finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds. She also collected 2 blocked shots, 2 assists and 2 steals. When she got in a rhythm in three point off the catch to shoot quickly with a little hop it was all net. Vickery hit 4 bombs that way. Impressive was how, after picking up a pair of quick first quarter fouls, she made great decisions in how she did or did not challenge shots. She walled up well when possible, jumped backwards slightly against drives to challenge but not contact the shooter. But going after the ball, she went high and grabbed balls with two hands.   [player_tooltip player_id='672683' first='Eve' last='Long'], 6'3", C, Olathe South, 2027 - Once Olathe North created an arm's length of distance in the second quarter Long clearly put the team on her shoulders and tried to carry them. And it would have worked had they been able to get the lead down to six points or less. The Falcons could not quite do it and were forced to foul to get extra possessions. Finishing with a 19 points and 11 rebounds Long also dished out 3 assists. At times she went end-to-end or went to work in the half court and just went over or around anybody and everybody. Not one Eagle aside from [player_tooltip player_id='351760' first='Asia' last='Lee'] could remotely compete with her physically.   [player_tooltip player_id='335953' first='SaMiyah' last='Ellis'], 5'7", PG, Wichita Heights, 2025 - With Heights it was hard to pick just one player because at different stints in the game [player_tooltip player_id='335922' first='KaMyra' last='Barber'], [player_tooltip player_id='398375' first='Kennadi' last='Jackson'] and Ellis just looked dominant. But had to go with the girl who hit the 30'+ bomb as time expired in overtime to send the Falcons to the semi-finals.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Second Team</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='349453' first='Aubrey' last='Shaw'], 6'1", PG, Blue Valley North, 2025   [player_tooltip player_id='885517' first='Siaunna' last='Carter'], 5'6", PG, Derby, 2028   DaLiyah Williams, 5'7", PG, Olathe North, 2028   [player_tooltip player_id='350247' first='Emma' last='Sales'], 5'10", Olathe West, CG, 2025   [player_tooltip player_id='616734' first='Kate' last='Hinck'], 5'4", PG, Washburn Rural, 2025   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Honorable Mention</h2>   Aysianae Sayarath-Fox, 5'8", CG, Derby, 2028   Heylei Davis, 5'6", PG, Wichita East, 2025   [player_tooltip player_id='881009' first='Macy' last='Price'], 5'5", PG Olathe South, 2026   [player_tooltip player_id='335922' first='KaMyra' last='Barber'], 5'9", CG, Wichita Heights, 2025   [player_tooltip player_id='398375' first='Kennadi' last='Jackson'], 5'9", CG, Wichita Heights, 2025   [player_tooltip player_id='536974' first='Jessica' last='Borders'], 5'11", SF, Wichita West, 2026

A great day of basketball in Charles Koch Arena found me courtside for all four class 6A quarterfinal games. Typically state basketball all-tournament teams include players from the final four. I do not play that way. Many great players and performances never make it out of the first round but should be considered anyway. So, my all-quarterfinals teams were born. Now, I am not a statistics driven. I look at skill sets, future skills sets and game impact. Seriously, who had the better game: a player who scores 15 and gives up 20 points or a player who scored 5, held a major scorer to single digits and gathered several assists and steals? I am the kind of guy who thought the entire Philadelphia Eagles defensive line should have been the MVPs of the Super Bowl, not Jalen Hurts. So agree or disagree, here are my all-tournament teams. A couple of quick notes and comments. Yes, I have 6 players on my first team. Also, a shot clock was not used in the post-season and the impact of it missing was dramatic. Substantially more fouling to lengthen games was the result. Teams started fouling far earlier in the fourth quarter to attempt to get ball possessions from free throw situations because they could not get them from shot clock violations. It led to Olathe North shooting 35 free throws to Olathe South's 5. A foul count of 26-10 difference. Late in regulation Olathe West turned several additional possessions into points to erase a 8 point deficit against Heights when the Falcons pulled it out and run time off. The Owls nearly pulled out a win in regulation because of it and it enabled Heights, when behind in overtime, to get a couple extra possessions.