Highland Park hopes to bounce back after last season's championship game loss and win it all in 2013-14.
Photo by Kendall Shaw
MaxPreps 2013-14 Kansas Boys Basketball Preseason Fab 5 presented by the Army National Guard
Click here to see the boys basketball preseason Fab 5 from every state1. Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park)Head coach: Ed Fritz
2012-13 finish: 25-0, 6A State Champions
After guiding his program to the last four Kansas 6A state championship basketball contests, Ed Fritz's Huskies have dethroned Wichita Heights as the state's top program. Heights upended the Huskies in three straight title matches before Blue Valley Northwest took home top honors a year ago with a 46-29 win over Eastern Kansas League foe Blue Valley West. Look for the Sunflower State power to find its way back into the championship game with the return of Iowa State recruit
Clayton Custer (6-0 Sr. G), who scored 19 points a game a year ago and dished out more than four assists as a junior.
Kyle Harrison (5-10 G), who has received D-II offers, and
Ben Richardson (6-3 G), a Loyola-Chicago pledge, return after notching all-league and all-state honors a year ago.
Vince Fritz (6-3 G), the coaches son who recently committed to playing at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn., returns after scoring 12 points a contest, while Washburn University signee
David Salach (6-6 Sr.) is back after scoring seven points a game.
2. South (Shawnee Mission)Head coach: Brett McFall
2012-13 finish: 25-0, 5A State Champions
The last seven boys basketball seasons at Shawnee Mission South have ended with mixed results. Last season, however, marked the first time in several years that the Raiders scored back-to-back winning seasons. It also carried McFall's program to the top of the Kansas 5A heap, ending with a 46-40 win over Lansing in the 5A title game. Back to make another title run is
Dainan Swoope (6-1 Jr. G), who netted first team all-Sunflower League and All-State honors a year ago. After just two seasons, Swoope ranks 11th on Shawnee Mission Souths all-time scoring charts.
Devin Newsome (5-9 Sr. PG) was named to the second team all-conference and all-state honor rolls last season after averaging 10 points a game and scoring the Sunflower League schools second highest free throw shooting percentage, in a season, by making 89-percent of his attempts at the charity stripe.
DeAngelo Bruster (6-0 Jr. SG) and
Rakeim Abdul (6-2 Sr. SF) return after scoring nearly 15 points a game collectively a season ago, while
Nick Oliver(6-6 Sr. C) is back after tallying two points and 2.3 boards a contest for McFall last season.
3. Highland Park (Topeka)Head coach: Ken Darting
2012-13 finish: 24-1, Lost to Ottawa 54-45 in the 4A Championship Game
No stranger to deep playoff runs, Highland Park almost knocked off Duke freshman Semi Ojeleye and Ottawa in the 4A state title game a year ago before falling by nine points. The Scots won the 5A championship in 2009 and lost to Kansas City-Harmon 54-46 in the 5A quarterfinals in 2012. But coming close isn't good enough in the minds of Scot fans. They want championships. Back to give Highland Park fans what they want are first team All-Centennial league performers
Shaffee Carr and
Jahmal McMurray. Carr tallied 41 points in last seasons state tournament run, while McMurray posted 54 points in the three games.
Eddie Hunt and
Kameron Clark were also fortunate to place their names in the state tournament-scoring book.
Jahil Osby,
Abel Sanchez and
Daniel Kingcannon also return for Darting, who is reportedly coaching in his final season with the Scots.
4. Blue Valley West (Stilwell)Head coach: Donnie Campbell
2012-13 finish: 15-10, Class 6A Runner-up
At season's end, Campbell's squad was playing with and knocking off some of the best basketball teams in the Sunflower State, stunning No. 2 seed Wichita North and No. 3 seed Shawnee Mission East in the first two rounds of the Kansas State Basketball Tournament before bowing to tournament favorite and No. 1 seed Blue Valley Northwest. This season Blue Valley West won't sneak up on people. The Jaguars do lose Joey Lillis and Conley Wilkins, but bring back a state tournament tested group that is wanting more in 2013-14. It all begins with
Connor Kaiser (6-2 Jr.) and
Blaise Gammon (6-8 Jr.), both honorable mention all-state selections a year ago. Seniors
Ryan Ralston (6-4) and
Parker Roy (6-2) return as well.
5. North (Wichita)Head coach: Gary Squires
2012-13 finish: 20-3, Lost to Blue Valley West 41-35 in the 6A quarterfinals
Conner Frankamp is off and running for Kansas Coach Bill Self at Allen Fieldhouse, leaving a huge void for Squires to fill, especially on offense where the former standout guard averaged more than 31 points an outing. But the cupboard isn't bare for the Redskins either. Four starters return for Squires, many of whom are multi-year regulars.
Zach Beard (6-0 Sr.) is Squires' leading returning scorer after he ripped the cords for 212 points a year ago, or 9.2 points per game.
Tarius Williams (6-0 Sr.) was good for 8.5 points per contest, while
Sean Bernard (6-3 Sr.) and
Tristyn Villa (5-5 Sr.) scored 6.3 points and 4.5 points respectively in helping the Redskins to the Wichita City League title in 2012-13.
John Bogle (6-2 Sr.) and
Beau Shockley (6-7 Sr.) also saw game in action in nearly every contest a year ago.
