CLASS 2A BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2025-26
 

 
BRADY BETTEGA, ST. MARY’S COLGAN

The 6-foot-1 guard is a two-year starter for the Panthers after averaging 13 points and 7 rebounds per game last winter. A unanimous CNC first-team selection and 2A honorable mention all-state pick, Bettega was a key piece in Colgan’s run to a sub-state championship and state tournament berth, where the Panthers fell in the opening round to Moundridge. A standout three-sport starter, Bettega brings experience to a Colgan squad ranked No. 5 in the preseason. 
 

 
HEATH CHURCHILL, MOUNDRIDGE
 
The 6-foot-4 Churchill is one of two returning starters for Moundridge, which followed up its 2023 and 2024 state championship seasons with an unbeaten run to last season’s Class 2A title game before falling to Sterling. Churchill averaged 10 points and 5 rebounds in his junior campaign, earning honorable mention on the Heart of America and Class 2A all-state teams. With All-2A performers Bear Moddelmog and Henry Hecox graduated, Churchill’s spotlight gets a little brighter, though the Wildcats figure to be strong again with Churchill’s classmate, Kaizer Kanitz, and Hillsboro transfer Easton Shahan among those chipping in.
 

DAVID CRANE, STANTON COUNTY

Crane averaged a double-double to help the Trojans finish 18-5 last season. They reached the sub-state title game before falling to eventual Class 2A champion Sterling. Crane put up 19.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. He scored in double-digits in every game including a season-high 31 points against Elkhart. Crane earned first-team All-Hi-Plains League honors and a third-team spot on the All-2A team. 
 

MARIO DAVIS, PLEASANTON

Davis was a big piece of the Blu-Jays' run to the sub-state championship last season. The 6-foot playmaker has raised his scoring average from 10.5 as a freshman to 15.7 as a sophomore to 17.9 points per game last season, helping power the Jays to a 17–6 record and a sub-state runner-up finish. With all that success, the Pleasanton guard earned first team All-Three Rivers League honors and all-state honorable mention as a junior. 
 

 
BEN DEVADER, ST. MARYS
 
DeVader teamed with Brady Hurla to give St. Marys a pair of guards that could light it up from the outside. He drained 69 3-pointers on the season, shooting 41% from long range. With Hurla gone after leading the Bears in scoring, DeVader will be the go-to guy this season. Last year, the 5-foo-10 point guard poured in 14 points per game on his way to earning first-team All-Big East League honors. The Bears will drop back to Class 2A this season where they were back-to-back state qualifiers in 2022 and 2023, taking second in 2022.
 

 
JACK DONOVAN, ROSSVILLE
 
When it comes to 3-point shooting nobody in Rossville history has ever done it better than Donovan. He’s already far and away the Bulldawgs’ all-time leader in 3-pointers made, already sinking 170 in his career, to break the old mark of 118. Donovan led the Bulldawgs in scoring a year ago at 18.3 points per game and helped Rossville return to the Class 2A state tournament for the first time since 2011. The trip ended with a 82-78 shootout loss to Ell-Saline, but Donovan scored 25 in the contest. He earned first-team All-Big East League and second-team All-Class 2A honors last year.
 

  
BOSTON EKART, STERLING
 
Ekart and the Black Bears go from being the hunters to the hunted this season after completing a 23-3 season with their second Class 2A championship in school history. The 6-foot-6 Ekart was a big reason, averaging 19.8 points and 7.5 rebounds. He was the lone underclassman on KSHSAA Covered’s All-2A first team and a repeat All-Heart of America first-team choice. Ekart averaged 11.8 points and 4.3 rebounds as a sophomore as Sterling shared the HOA title and finished fourth at state. With most of the regular contributors back from the title team, Ekart and the Black Bears opened the season No. 1 in the KBCA’s 2A rankings.
 

JONATHAN FROESE, SUBLETTE

Froese is a key returner on a Sublette team that went 9-12 last season. He earned second-team All-Hi Plains League honors for the Larks a year ago. Froese is averaging 12 points and 8 rebounds through Sublette’s first three games this season.
 

ISAIAH GARRETT, BENNINGTON
 
Garrett, a 6-foot-2 senior, is the lone returning starter from a Bulldog team that went 15-8 with a heartbreaking loss to Heart of America League counterpart Ell-Saline in the Class 2A sub-state finals. He averaged 14 points and 7 rebounds to earn All-Class 2A third-team and All-HOA first-team recognition. The lanky guard shot 57% from the field last season. He is Bennington’s school record holder in the triple jump and was part of Bennington’s state champion 400-meter relay team.
 

 
KELLEN GREEN, OXFORD
 
The lone returning starter from Oxford’s 17-5 team last season, Green opened the 2025-26 campaign with seven 3-pointers and 30 points in a victory over Fairfield. Green, a four-year starter, averaged 14.7 points and 8.3 rebounds last season as the Wildcats won their second consecutive South Central Border League title – sharing it with Central-Burden – and advanced to the Class 1A Division I sub-state finals, where they fell to Little River. Green, who is closing in on 1,000 career points, was a repeat selection on the All-SCBL first team last season and also earned All-1A Division I third-team honors. 
 

 
WYATT GRIFFIN, CHASE COUNTY
 
Griffin helped Chase County end a 30-plus year state tournament drought last year as the Bulldogs qualified for the first time since 1993. A three-year starter at guard, the 6-foot-3 Griffin has upped his production each of his first three seasons, going from averaging 4 points per game off the bench as a freshman to 11.6 points per game as a sophomore and then 15.4 points last year as a junior. Griffin also added 4.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game last year on his way to earning first-team All-Flint Hills League and second team All-Class 2A honors. Griffin was a one-man stat machine for the Bulldog football team this fall as injuries took their toll on his surrounding cast and could do the same in basketball early on as the Bulldogs graduated seven seniors off last year’s state team and the only other returner, Guthrie Danford, is coming off a football injury.
 

 
NOAH HINES, SACRED HEART
 
Hines was part of a strong sophomore class that helped Sacred Heart fill some big voids after graduation claimed all five starters off the Knights’ third-place team in 2024. The 6-foot-1 junior guard was one of three Knights to earn first-team All-North Central Activities Association honors and finished as their second-leading scorer at 12.1 points per game. Hines’ ability to stretch a defense was evident by his 42% accuracy behind the 3-point line.
 

 
KAIZER KANITZ, MOUNDRIDGE
 
After dealing with a knee injury that sidelined him for part of the football season, Kanitz is back on the court to try to help the Wildcats reclaim the Class 2A title this winter. The senior guard averaged 7 points and 5 assists last season as Moundridge won its first 25 games before falling to Sterling in the Class 2A title game. Kanitz, a second-team All-Heart of America selection, set the school record for assists and will continue to facilitate for proven scorers like Heath Churchill and Easton Shahan.
 

  
COLLIN KEARNEY, VALLEY FALLS
 
Kearney has been a big addition since transferring in from Jefferson West ahead of his sophomore season. He earned first-team All-Northeast Kansas League honors his first year with the Dragons, but last year became a dominant force in helping Valley Falls finish fourth at the Class 2A state tournament. Kearney averaged 14.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game last year as a complementary weapon to leading scorer Trenton VanHoutan, who has graduated. Kearney repeated his first-team all-league honors and was honorable mention All-Class 2A. He’ll team with returning double-figure scorer Damian Cervantez to give the Dragons a strong 1-2 punch and enters his senior season just 326 points away from 1,000 in his career.
 

 
CHARLIE KELLER, SYRACUSE

Keller helped the Bulldogs reach the Class 2A state tournament last season. Syracuse beat Plainville 58-54 in the sub-state final before finishing its season with a 58-54 loss to Valley Falls in the state quarterfinals. The Bulldogs lost three all-league players to graduation but returned a key piece in Keller. He was honorable mention All-2A and a second-team All-Hi Plains League selection last season as a sophomore.
 

 
JAMES MARCOTTE, LYNDON
 
With Lyndon in somewhat of a rebuilding mode last year after finishing as Class 2A state runner-up in 2024, Marcotte stood out as a bright spot on the Tigers’ 3-17 team a year ago. A career-high 34-point night highlighted a junior season that saw Marcotte average 14 points and 4 rebounds per game. The lone holdover from that runner-up team two years ago, Marcotte was honorable mention All-Flint Hills League and All-Class 2A last year and this fall helped Lyndon to a 9-1 record.
 

 
DRAKE MELLIES, JACKSON HEIGHTS
 
Mellies is a four-year starter for the Cobras in both football and basketball during his career becoming one of the most decorated athletes in school history. An ankle suffered late in the football season a year ago hampered Mellies early in the season, but he averaged better than 16 points per game after the Christmas break when he got healthy and finished the season with a 13.7 per game scoring average.  He also added 4.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3 steals per game and earned first-team All-Northeast Kansas League honors for the second straight year. Mellies has 777 career points and likely will hit 1,000 career points at some point this season. 
 

 
CAMERON MILLER, ROSSVILLE
 
Rossville ended a lengthy state tournament drought last year and Miller’s presence inside was a big key to the Bulldawgs’ success. With leading scorer Jack Donovan knocking down 3-pointers at a record pace, Miller had plenty of room to operate inside and took advantage. He averaged 12.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game on his way to second-team All-Big East League and honorable mention All-Class 2A honors. Miller is one of four returning starters for the Bulldawgs as they look to make it two straight trips to state this year. 
 

COLTER POWELL, UNIONTOWN

Powell enters his final season as one of the top returning players in the Three Rivers League and the clear focal point for the Eagles. He is coming off a dominant junior campaign in which he averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds per game, earning unanimous first-team All-TRL honors and all-state honorable mention recognition. Powell begins the year with more than 900 career points, putting him within reach of becoming the second all-time leading scorer in school history if he stays healthy. His production and leadership will be crucial for a Uniontown squad that saw fellow all-league performer Dredyn Marlow transfer to Fort Scott. 
 

 GERARDO ROBLES, STANTON COUNTY

Robles and David Crane formed a strong 1-2 punch for the Trojans last season. Robles was the team’s second-leading scorer behind Crane, averaging nearly 15 points per game in his junior season. He added 4.9 rebounds and 2.7 steals per contest. Robles scored a season-high 25 points against Syracuse. He was a second-team All-Hi-Plains League pick last season and was honorable mention All-2A. Stanton County is aiming for a state tournament berth after falling to the eventual champion Sterling in the sub-state finals last season.
 

TY SCHMEIDLER, TMP-MARIAN

A standout pitcher who has committed to the University of Kentucky, Schmeidler produced a solid sophomore season for the Monarchs on the court last year. He averaged 12.9 points per game for the Monarchs, who return a solid core from last season’s 12-10 team. Schmeidler was a first-team All-Mid Continent League pick and received honorable mention All-2A honors. Schmeidler’s younger sister, Jenna, is a standout basketball player for Hays High.
 

 
BLAKE SMITH, STERLING
 
Smith, a senior, helped set the tone for a banner 2025 calendar year for Sterling by averaging 13.5 points last winter during the Black Bears’ run to the Class 2A championship. His production complemented All-2A first-team performer Boston Ekart and helped Sterling post a 23-3 record. Smith scored 15 points in the title-game victory over HOA rival Moundridge, hitting 9 of 11 free throws. The 6-foot Smith was an All-2A second-team selection and joined Ekart on the All-HOA first team.
 

 
WILL TUTTLE, SACRED HEART
 
Biding his time behind a senior class that included his older brother, Walker, Will got his chance to be a leading figure on last year’s Sacred Heart time and made the most of it. The 6-foot-4 senior forward showed he could score from anywhere on the floor, shooting 48% beyond the arc while also converting at the rim. The result was a team-high 20.6 scoring average that ranked among the best marks in Class 2A. Tuttle also added 6.8 rebounds per game and was a first-team All-North Central Activities Association pick and second-team All-Class 2A selection. He helped lead the Knights to a 20-1 mark and with four starters back overall the Knights should be one of the top teams in 2A this season.
 
 

TYLER WARNER, SOUTHEAST-CHEROKEE

Warner has already been a cornerstone for the Lancers, and this winter he’ll take on an even bigger role. A three-year starter, Warner helped Southeast reach the sub-state championship game last season while finishing 16-6, but the program believes its ceiling rises even higher with him steering the team, as he will make the move from center to point guard this season. Warner has been one of the most productive underclassmen in the Three Rivers League, averaging 9.9 points and 9.2 rebounds as a freshman before elevating to 13.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.2 steals and 2.8 blocks as a sophomore. His standout season earned him first-team All-Three Rivers League and honorable mention all-state honors. 
 

 
MADDOX WELLS, SACRED HEART
 
Like teammates Will Tuttle and Noah Hines, Wells stepped into a starting role last year, taking over at the point for the Knights. He helped them to a 20-1 mark, though the season ended with an upset loss to Bennington in the sub-state semifinals. Wells finished the season averaging 8.2 points and 4 assists per game, earning first-team All-North Central Activities Association honors. He also quarterbacked Sacred Heart to its best season in more than a decade this fall.
 

 
TREY WILLIAMS, ELL-SALINE
 
Williams and the Cardinals showed the depth of talent in the Heart of America League last season, rallying past Bennington in the sub-state finals to earn their first state berth in 13 years, then bouncing back from a Class 2A semifinal loss to Sterling to earn third place behind the HOA’s Black Bears and Moundridge. Williams, now a senior, led Ell-Saline’s balanced scoring attack at 11.6 points per game and joined now-graduated teammate Brogan Rowley on the all-league first team while also earning All-2A honorable mention. With football standouts Kas Kramer and Reese Krone also key contributors in basketball, Williams is part of a core group that will try to build on a 22-4 campaign.
 

COOPER WOODROW, NORTHERN HEIGHTS
 
Woodrow more than doubled his scoring average from his freshman season last year as a sophomore, upping his scoring to 13.6 points per game on his way to earning second-team All-Lyon County League honors. He also added 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game. He’ll team with returning senior Kelton Bish, who averaged 9.4 points per game last year, to give the Wildcats a pair of proven scorers going into this season.