Class of 2024 All-Deck Team: 10 All-Star Worthy Athletes

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the conclusion of the seven Kansas State Championship Tournaments, it is time to put a bow on the gift that was the 2023-2024 girls' basketball season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I would like to conclude the season by putting together an All-Star squad for each of the four high school classes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I use old-fashioned John Madden rules and only included players who I saw play in person. I also keyed in on the skills of each player and did not rely on stats, and I did not consider the Prep Girls Hoops player rankings at all. There will be plenty of time after the season to go back and digest the stats of hundreds of Kansas athletes and many opportunities for senior scout Robert Kelly to update future rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As an ex-coach these are 10 athletes I would like to mold into a team of my own and how I intend to utilize each one of them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Congratulations to the teams that won state titles and congratulations to these players who have played their last game in their respective high school basketball jerseys.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stay tuned to PGH Kansas for the next three days for the publication of my All-Deck Teams for the classes of 2025-2027.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='231285' first='Addie' last='Kirmer'], </strong>5'7”<strong>, </strong>PG, Emporia</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kirmer would get my vote for Player of the Year in the Kansas Class of 2024. I saw her play multiple times this season and I just love her grit. She can shoot jumpers or create her shots off the dribble.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='231259' first='Brooke' last='Walker']</strong>, 5'8”, CG, Andover</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Walker is a three-level scorer who I saw play multiple times this season. She loves to drive the ball and score in transition. She has one of the best stop-and-pop mid-ranger jumpers in the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='300795' first='Lauren' last='Sandstrom']</strong>, 6'1”, CG, Hayden</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sandstrom is one of the more athletic tall players in this class. She is also a solid passer and will work as the small forward in this lineup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='396405' first='Alana' last='Shetlar']</strong>, 6'1”, PF, Andover</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shetlar in the same lineup with Sandstrom gives me goosebumps. Shetlar can score at will when she decides she needs to change the momentum of the game. The fact that she is super comfortable playing with Walker adds to the appeal of having her in the starting five.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='815507' first='Rachel' last='Swift']</strong>, 6'1”, C, Shawnee Heights</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Swift is an underrated post who would get completely lost in the lineup and get a ton of cheap wide-open shots. She would be counted on to be my shut-down glass-cleaner in this lineup, but none of the five are afraid to crash the boards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='265120' first='Ava' last='Howie']</strong>, 5'10”, PF, Maize South</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first two players off my bench had the most physical confrontation I have seen on a basketball court this season. Maize South's Howie and fellow forward [player_tooltip player_id='347854' first='Tatum' last='Grimes'] absolutely worked each other over during the first round of the Class 5A state tournament. Howie would be one of only three “true bigs” who could score from the paint.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='347854' first='Tatum' last='Grimes']</strong>, 5'10”, PF, St. Thomas Aquinas</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grimes is going to play college volleyball after graduation, but this young lady could play college basketball as well. Watching her and Howie work against each other on the court was like watching Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed trade blows. Our style of play with these two in the lineup would be like coaching a completely different second team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='265128' first='Ashley' last='Singhateh']</strong>, 5'8”, PG, Maize South</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Singhateh is dangerous with the ball in her hands. She is one of the most athletic guards I saw during the entire season and she will be able to help push the pace of play when I have her in the lineup. Or just feed the physical posts on this squad. She could run three pick-and-rolls in one set if Howie, Grimes, and Swift are all in the lineup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='398990' first='Keegan' last='Yarick']</strong>, 5'8”, SG, Fort Scott</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yarick would be my grinding guard off the bench that would complement the other guards on this team. She has the scoring ability to take over a game coming off the bench. A small lineup with her Singhateh, Walker, Kirmer, and Sandstrom, could press all day and run teams out of the gym.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jalyiah Manuel</strong>,  6'0”, PF, Wichita Heights</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Manuel is going to be my Dennis Rodman-type reserve who will come into the game and do the dirty work. Arguably she is the best defender on this roster, so she could get an occasional start with the assignment of shutting down the opponent's top scorer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Honorable Mention: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='231272' first='Karter' last='Alvord']</strong>, McPherson; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='453763' first='Teegan' last='Baker']</strong>, Emporia; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='192821' first='Zoe' last='Canfield']</strong>, Washburn Rural; <strong>Ashley Chaput</strong>, Blue Valley Southwest; &nbsp;<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='810175' first='Azura' last='Clark']</strong>, Lawrence; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='743327' first='Violet' last='Conley']</strong>, De Soto; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='265127' first='Carly' last='Dameron']</strong>, Eisenhower; <strong>Kyler Demel, </strong>Derby; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='669096' first='Lexsey' last='DeWitt']</strong>, Emporia;<strong> Reanna Eilrich</strong>, McPherson; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='265114' first='Elizabeth' last='Tjaden']</strong>, Clearwater; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='810184' first='Mia' last='Ernzen']</strong>, Pleasant Ridge; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='302142' first='Avery' last='Grunert']</strong>, Hayden; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='862396' first='Callan' last='Hall']</strong>, <strong>Reagan Huscher</strong>, Hayden; Salina Central; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='265119' first='Mya' last='Mayberry']</strong>, Wichita Heights,<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='606251' first='Jayla' last='McLeod'], </strong>McPherson; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='265118' first='Jamya' last='McPherson']</strong>, St. Thomas Aquinas; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='231288' first='Foster' last='Nichols']</strong>, Ottawa; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='817382' first='Destiny' last='Ochs']</strong>, Washburn Rural; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='453759' first='Ryan' last='Peak']</strong>, Emporia; <strong>Kelsey Schenk</strong>, St. Thomas Aquinas; <strong>Alexa Shively</strong>, Emporia;<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='862393' first='Audrey' last='Schulte']</strong>, Shawnee Heights; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='198606' first='Destiny' last='Smith']</strong>, Derby; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='668859' first='Addison' last='Tower']</strong>, De Soto; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='606261' first='Tyler' last='Vidricksen']</strong>, Salina Central; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='192778' first='Jaden' last='Wilson']</strong>, Derby.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->