No. 24 Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park, Kan.)Head coach: Ed Fritz
2012-13 record: 25-0, Class 6A state champions, No. 14 final Xcellent 25 national ranking
Players to watch: Clayton Custer (6-0, Sr., G, Iowa State verbal commitment),
Vince Fritz (6-2, Sr., G, Sacred Heart verbal commitment),
Kyle Harrison (5-10, Sr., G),
Ben Richardson (6-2, Sr., G),
David Salach (6-6, Sr., F)
Breaking down the HuskiesAfter three consecutive losses in the state championship game, Blue Valley Northwest broke through in a big way last March. The Huskies not only ran the table en route to the state title, but did so in dominating fashion with only three opponents all season keeping the final margin to less then 10 points.
Leading the way is a senior foursome that has been playing together since the third grade in Custer, Fritz, Harrison and Richardson.
Custer, who committed to Iowa State as a sophomore, is the headliner after posting 22.2 points per game last season en route to first team All-State and MaxPreps Junior All-American honors. The Huskies are 71-4 since he entered the program as a freshman.
Richardson (first team) and coach's kid Vince Fritz (third team) also earned All-State honors as juniors. Richardson has offers from the likes of Massachusetts, Indiana State and Richmond.
While BVN will be a heavy favorite to repeat in Kansas, the program's national fortunes will largely hang on a meeting with Tyus Jones and No. 23 Apple Valley (Minn.) at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Jan. 4.
Key datesDec. 14 – vs.
Kickapoo (Springfield, Mo.) at Ozark Mountain Shootout
Dec. 21 – vs.
Lee's Summit West (Mo.) at Hy-Vee Shootout
Jan. 4 – vs.
Apple Valley (Minn.) at Timberwolves Shootout
Jan. 23-25 – Valley Center Invitational
