DAVID CRANE, STANTON COUNTY

Crane turned in a solid sophomore season for the Trojans last year. He averaged 12.6 points and 7.3 rebounds. He reached double figures in all but four of Stanton County’s games and put up a career-high 19 points in an early-season contest. He produced five double-doubles, highlighted by a 17-point, 14-rebound performance against Syracuse. Crane earned first-team All-Hi Plains League honors and was honorable mention All-2A by KSHSAA Covered. The Trojans are coming off a 15-6 season that ended with a loss to Sterling in sub-state.
 

MARIO DAVIS, PLEASANTON

Davis averaged 17.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.4 steals as Pleasanton finished the year with a 13-9 record. The Blu-Jays’ season ended in the sub-state semifinals with a 59-57 loss against Uniontown. With leading scorer Tony Gillespie graduated, Davis will lead a core group of juniors returning this season.
 

REID DUFF, ERIE
 
While the Red Devils will certainly miss 6-foot-8 All-2A first-team performer Ethan Dillinger and his 20 points per game from last season, the state tournament qualifiers return another proven scorer in Duff. The senior guard filled the stat sheet as well, averaging 16.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.9 steals, helping Erie knock off a pair of ranked teams in sub-state to advance. Duff’s 36 3-pointers were second on the team last season to classmate Michael Richenburg’s 49, an indicator the Red Devils may lean more on perimeter shooting this season. Duff joined Dillinger on the All-Tri-Valley League first team last winter and earned All-2A honorable mention.
 

BOSTON EKART, STERLING
 
Ekart and the Black Bears navigated through the challenging Heart of America League to win 22 games last season, finishing fourth in 2A after their title hopes were derailed by HOA counterpart and eventual champion Moundridge in the semifinals. Ekart, a 6-foot-6 junior, averaged 11.8 points and 4.3 rebounds while helping Sterling win a share of the league title and the Sterling Invitational. An All-HOA first-team selection, Ekart and fellow juniors Zane Farney, Wyatt Newberry and Blake Smith each have starting experience, a contributing factor to their No. 2 preseason ranking in the KBCA’s 2A poll behind Moundridge.
 

ROYCE EKSTRUM, VALLEY HEIGHTS

Ekstrum was definitely a bright spot for a Heights team that posted a 7-16 record last year. The 6-foot-3 guard posed a mismatch problem for many opponents and could use his size to post up inside or shoot over the top of his defender. He average 13.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, earning first-team All-Twin Valley League honors.
 

COLLIN KEARNEY, VALLEY FALLS

A transfer from Jefferson West last year, Kearney was an impact addition for the Dragons a year ago, moving into the starting lineup as a sophomore. With multi-year starter Zac Evans drawing the primary attention from opposing defenses, Kearney was able to work inside almost at will and finished the season averaging 12.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, earning first-team All-Northeast Kansas League honors. Kearney will return to his forward spot, but can stretch the floor with his shooting and ball-handling ability. He’s the Dragons’ leading returning scorer and will be joined by senior point guard Hayden Kearney as a returning double-figure scorer with Hayden averaging 10.4 points per game.
 

DRAKE MELLIES, JACKSON HEIGHTS

Athletes like Mellies haven’t come along very often at Jackson Heights with the standout having an immediate impact on both the football and basketball programs since the first day of his freshman year. Already a three-year starter at quarterback and defensive back for the football team, Mellies enters his third year starting at point guard for the basketball team. Last year, he averaged 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.7 steals in leading the Cobras to an 11-11 record. Mellies is on track to become a 1,000-point scorer as a junior and was a first-team All-Northeast Kansas League selection a year ago, earning all-league honors of some kind for the second straight year.
 

BARRETT MODDELMOG, MOUNDRIDGE
 
The 6-foot-3 Moddelmog is one of four returning starters for the two-time reigning 2A champion, which opens the season No. 1 in the KBCA rankings. Moddelmog has been a key part of both title runs, and averaged 14 points and 4 rebounds last season as the Wildcats completed a 23-3 season with a 58-44 victory over previously unbeaten Lyndon in the title game. Moddelmog, who shot 35% from 3-point range and 85% from the free-throw line, earned All-Heart of America first-team and All-2A third-team honors. Despite losing all-state first-team pick Kreighton Kanitz to graduation, Moddelmog leads a deep rotation that is rich with big-game experience.
 

MADDEX MORENO, WEST ELK
 
Moreno was a repeat performer on the All-South Central Border League first team last season, leading the Patriots in scoring at 16.2 points per game while adding 6 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 2.2 assists. He helped West Elk post a 13-8 record and tie for second in the SCBL after going 11-10 during Moreno’s sophomore season, when he averaged 13.8 points and 5.9 rebounds. Moreno will need help replacing the production of departed seniors Uriah Tillapaugh, who averaged 12.3 points, and Martin Shipley (9.1 ppg), the Patriots’ second and third leading scorers.
 

COLTER POWELL, UNIONTOWN
 
Powell earned all-league first-team honors in the Three Rivers League last season. He helped lead Uniontown to a 15-8 record before losing in the sub-state final against eventual 2A state runner-up Lyndon. He averaged a double-double with 18.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game for the Eagles.
 

BROGAN ROWLEY, ELL-SALINE
 
Rowley and the Cardinals continued a program resurgence last season, winning 18 games and reaching the sub-state finals. The run ended with a 22-point loss to 2A champion Moundridge, which Ell-Saline defeated last January to win the Canton-Galva Invitational. That midseason success raised expectations that Rowley and Co. carry into 2024-25 after the athletic senior averaged 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 2.7 assists. An All-2A second-team and All-Heart of America first-team performer who cleared 7 feet in the high jump last spring, Rowley and football standouts Reese Krone and Kas Kramer give Ell-Saline a solid returning core.
 

KEVEON RUIZ, MEDICINE LODGE
 
Ruiz has helped Medicine Lodge win 47 games over the past three seasons and capture third place in 2A two seasons ago. After leading the Indians to a 17-5 record last season, Ruiz enters his senior campaign as the lone returning starter. He averaged 16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals last winter to repeat on the All-Central Plains League first team and earn All-2A second-team honors. Ruiz averaged 13.3 points and 4.9 rebounds as a sophomore, landing a spot on the All-2A third team after the Indians’ run to state. Already accustomed to a leadership role as a standout quarterback in football, that element will be important as Medicine Lodge plugs in new starters around Ruiz.
 

LUKE SIEBERT, MAUR HILL

A 6-foot-3 shooting guard, Siebert helped Maur Hill to a 16-4 regular-season record and the top seed in its Class 2A sub-state. The Ravens reached the sub-state finals before falling short of a state berth, losing to Jefferson County North in the finals. Siebert, who enters his third year as a starter, averaged 14 points and 8.1 rebounds per game last year, earning first-team All-Northeast Kansas League honors. Siebert is a three-sport standout who was the Ravens’ starting quarterback the past two seasons after being an all-league receiver his sophomore season. He also was a state placer in golf, taking 13^th in Class 2A last spring.
 

LANDON SIMPSON, ELLINWOOD

Simpson took over as the Eagles’ go-to guy last season. He averaged 16.3 points as a junior. Simpson delivered seven performances with 20-plus points including 27 against Pratt-Skyline and 26 against Kinsley. He was a first-team All-Central Prairie League pick and received honorable mention on KSHSAA Covered’s All-2A team. The Eagles were 12-9 last season. 

LINCOLN WICHERT, HILLSBORO
 
The 5-foot-11 Wichert averaged 15.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists during Hillsboro’s 13-9 season in 2023-24, which ended with a loss to 2A champion Moundridge in the sub-state semifinals. A battle-tested Trojan team returns four senior starters including Wichert, an All-Central Kansas League second-team selection who also received All-2A honorable mention. A multi-sport standout, Wichert medaled at the 2A state golf tournament last May and earned All-CKL honorable mention in football at defensive back.