CLASS 5A BOYS STATE QUARTERFINAL PREVIEW
 
KAPAUN MT. CARMEL CRUSADERS (1: 25-0) VS. SHAWNEE HEIGHTS THUNDERBIRDS (8: 17-8)
 
6 p.m. Tuesday, Koch Arena, Wichita
 
STATE TOURNAMENT HISTORY
 
State championships – Shawnee Heights: 5 (1988, 1989, 2000, 2002, 2017; Kapaun: 6 (1978, 1980, 1981, 2012, 2024, 2025).
 
State tournament appearances – Shawnee Heights: 15 (last appearance: 2025); Kapaun: 29 (last appearance: 2025).
 
TOP PLAYERS
 
Shawnee Heights: Quincy Dixon, 6-1, fr., G (12.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.8 apg, 2.0 spg); Cam Ross, 6-4, jr., F (17.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.8 spg); JaiMarion Cook, 5-9, sr., G, 12.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.2 spg); Ja’Veon Alston, 5-9, sr., G (10.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.9 apg, 2.4 spg); Aiden Scott, 6-5, sr., C (5.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.2 spg).
 
Kapaun: Blaise Dalian, 6-4, jr., F (15.3 ppg, 41% 3-pt FG); Rocco Keller, 6-6, sr., F (13.6 ppg); Jude Porter, 6-1, sr., G (11.2 ppg, 3.8 spg); Cole Rapp, 6-0, jr., G (10.2 ppg, 42% 3-pt FG).
 
HOW THEY GOT HERE
 
Shawnee Heights: beat De Soto, 49-37; beat Leavenworth, 66-56.
 
Kapaun: beat Arkansas City, 70-31; beat Salina South, 61-33.
 
TEAM TIDBITS
 
Shawnee Heights: Ross is a first-team All-United Kansas Conference selection. Dixon earned second team. … T-Birds defeated Leavenworth for third time this season in sub-state final. … T-Birds have lost to Piper in quarterfinals each of the last two seasons. … Coach Ken Darting will retire after this season. He is 619-285 in his career, 115-64 at Heights. … Darting looking for sixth state title after winning four at Highland Park and one at Silver Lake.
 
Kapaun: Crusaders bring a 42-game winning streak into the state tournament. ... Kapaun allows 38.4 points per game and held last four opponents to 35 points or less. … Crusaders’ nine-player rotation features two seniors and seven juniors. … Kapaun beat 3A No. 1 Wichita Collegiate 79-55 in Feb. 16 battle of unbeatens. … Kapaun is 110-10 under coach Steve Eck. … Kapaun looking to become first to win three straight 5A titles since Darting led Highland Park to trio from 2007-09.
 

MAIZE SOUTH MAVERICKS (4: 21-4) VS. SEAMAN VIKINGS (5: 21-4)
 
8 p.m. Tuesday, Koch Arena, Wichita
 
STATE TOURNAMENT HISTORY
 
State championships -- Seaman: 1 (2022); Maize South: 0.
 
State tournament appearances – Seaman: 10 (last appearance: 2022); Maize South: 4 (last appearance: 2024).
 
TOP PLAYERS
 
Seaman: KaeVon Bonner, 6-4, sr., G (23.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 5.5 apg, 2.6 spg); Griffin Zuniga, 6-6, sr., F, (11.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.3 spg); Landon Wiltz, 6-2, sr., G, (10.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.6 spg); Cameron Brian, 6-0, sr., F, (6.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.1 spg); Matthew McConnaughey, 6-3, sr., F (4.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg).
 
Maize South: Cy Stucky, 6-7, sr., F-C (14.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 64% FG); Jalen Batiste, 6-4, jr., G (14.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 5.0 apg, 37 3s); Stratten Ebers, 6-1, jr., G-F (7.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 40% 3-pt FG); Paxton Scott, 6-1, jr. G (9.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.6 apg); Reece Pauly, 6-0, sr., F (4.0 ppg, 2.3 apg).
 
HOW THEY GOT HERE
 
Seaman: beat Valley Center, 73-51; beat Hays, 52-46.
 
Maize South: beat Andover Central, 80-46; beat Emporia, 74-61.
 
TEAM TIDBITS
 
Seaman: Bonner has 1,452 career points (17.1 ppg) and 323 assists (3.3 apg). … Bonner scored 15 points and Brian had 12 in sub-state final win over Hays. … Seaman’s lone state title came in last appearance, when Vikings beat De Soto 66-47 in 2022 5A final. … Coach Craig Cox is making his eighth state appearance, winning 5A titles at Shawnee Heights (2000, 2002) in addition to Seaman’s title four years ago. … Vikings’ only other state win came in fourth-place finish in 1941.
 
Maize South: Mavericks’ best state finish came in first appearance, taking second in 5A in 2015. … Maize South overcame 15-point first-half deficit to edge Derby 60-59 on Feb. 20 and won outright Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail I title. … Batiste set school record in assists this season with 125. … Stucky has signed to play at Washburn. … Mavs played in Hoopin’ on the Hill tournament in early December in Fayetteville, Ark., going 1-2 against ranked teams from Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. … Coach Joe Jackson earned 200^th career win earlier this season.
 
 
BONNER SPRINGS BRAVES (2: 24-1) VS. KC WASHINGTON WILDCATS (7: 17-8)
 
6 p.m. Tuesday, Kansas City Kansas Community College
 
STATE TOURNAMENT HISTORY
 
State championships – KC Washington: 0; Bonner Springs: 1 (1984).
 
State tournament appearances – KC Washington: 20 (last appearance: 2021); Bonner Springs 15 (last appearance: 2025).
 
TOP PLAYERS
 
KC Washington: Jamari Williams, 6-3, sr., G (13.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.3 apg, 3.6 spg); Elliott Berry Jr., 6-0, sr., G (14.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.3 apg); Jayden Boggess, 6-2, sr., G (9.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.5 spg)
 
Bonner Springs: Kelan Gruver, 6-3, sr., G (18.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.8 apg, 1.5 spg); Jaiden Jones, 6-5, so., F (15.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg); Jason Jones, 6-3, sr., G (11.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg, , 2.3 apg); Nate Ferrell, 6-2, sr., G (10.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.0 apg); Prince Donnell, 5-10, jr., G (5.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.2 apg).
 
HOW THEY GOT HERE
 
KC Washington: beat Highland Park, 68-38; beat Basehor-Linwood, 51-45.
 
Bonner Springs: beat KC Schlagle, 79-26; beat Blue Valley Southwest, 82-67.
 
TEAM TIDBITS
 
KC Washington: Wildcats finished runner-up in Meadowlark Conference with only two losses in league play coming to 4A unbeaten Atchison. ... Two other loses came to Olathe East and two more to out-of-state schools..
 
Bonner Springs: Braves’ 24 victories are a school record. … Gruver surpassed 1,400 career points this season and scored 27 in sub-state final victory over Blue Valley Southwest. … Braves average 20 assists per game. … Bonner Springs’ lone loss was 54-52 in overtime to Baldwin in regular-season finale. … Braves scored 70 or more in 16 games with season high of 90 against KC Harmon.
 
 
TOPEKA WEST CHARGERS (3: 22-3) VS. PIPER PIRATES (6: 18-7)
 
8 p.m. Tuesday, White Auditorium, Emporia
 
STATE TOURNAMENT HISTORY
 
State championships -- Piper: 1 (2019); Topeka West: 0.
 
State tournament appearances – Piper: 12 (last appearance: 2025); Topeka West: 13 (last appearance: 2025).
 
TOP PLAYERS
 
Piper: DJ Jackson, 6-2, sr., G (19.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.2 spg); Alamar Brooks, 6-0, sr., G (12.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.8 spg); Cooper Crawford, 6-7, sr., F (11.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.9 apg).
 
Topeka West: Malakyah Duncan, 6-4, sr., G (14.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.3 apg); Keimani Paul, 6-6, sr., F (14.7 ppg, 5 rpg, 2.9 apg); Prince Lassiter, 6-6, jr., C (13.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg); Gad Munganga, 6-0, sr., G (9.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg); Jay'Veon Traylor, 6-1, sr., G (9.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.5 apg, 2 spg).
 
HOW THEY GOT HERE
 
Piper: beat St. Thomas Aquinas, 78-44; beat Lansing, 58-51.
 
Topeka West: beat Hutchinson, 55-32; beat Bishop Carroll, 60-46.
 
TEAM TIDBITS
 
Piper: Jackson, a McDonald’s All-American nominee, has surpassed 1,000 career points. He is committed to UMKC. … Jackson scored 40 points in the Pirates’ December victory over Shawnee Heights. … Pirates finished second in 5A in 2024 and third a year ago. … Piper has won 13 of its last 16 games. … Crawford and Brooks are college football commits, Crawford to South Dakota and Brooks to William Jewell.
 
Topeka West: Chargers making fourth state appearance in last six years. ... Previous two trips ended in quarterfinals, including as the tourney's top seed in 2022, but Chargers were state runners-up to Maize in 2021. ... West captured United Kansas Conference title for the first time in program history, finishing tied atop the standings with fellow 5A qualifier Seaman with 14-2 records, but earning the tiebreaker. ... West split with quarterfinal foe Piper, winning 72-62 in mid-December and falling 61-57 in early February. ... Only other losses came to Seaman and Free State. ... Chargers won title at the Topeka Invitational Tournament. ... 20-win season is first in program history. ... Paul shoots 40% from 3-point range while Munganga shoots 39%.