Top Unsigned 2020s : The Bigs
As Kansas heads to the midway point of the regular season Prep Girls Hoops Kansas is taking a look at players by position who have not yet committed to play at the next level. Thus far 46 players have announced…
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Continue ReadingAs Kansas heads to the midway point of the regular season Prep Girls Hoops Kansas is taking a look at players by position who have not yet committed to play at the next level. Thus far 46 players have announced commitments while another nine have committed for other sports. This first post in a series of four takes a look at the ten top 2020 bigs who are still available.
#24 Delaney Barnes, 6’1″, PF/C, Baxter Springs, Wheat State Elite – Barnes was a Kansas Basketball Coaches Association (KBCA) 3A honorable mention all-state selection last season. She is quick on the catch and shoot with inside, mid-range, and three point shots. Barnes describes herself as a versatile player who is a force inside and can step out and knock down threes. She has shown 25′ range. This past fall Barnes was a Kansas Volleyball Association 3A second team all-state selection. Interest has come from NCAA D I and II levels.
Precision Athletics’ Molly Kaemmer follows through on a freethrow.#25 Molly Kaemmer, 6’0″, F, Olathe East, Precision Athletics – Kaemmer was a KBCA 6A honorable mention all-state selection last season as she averaged 11.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. PGH’s Mason Asher reported from the Be The Best tournament this past summer that she was “…playing tough inside the paint. Not afraid of contact and has the ability to score a ton inside. Mobile player wants the ball all the time in the post and when she gets, she’s probably going to score. Solid rebounding player too.”
#38 Mia Vallery, 5’11”, PF, Gardner-Edgerton, Pride Elite – Vallery is solid on both ends of the floor. She has consistent 10′-12′ range with the ability to play back-to-basket. She runs well, can finish in transition, and has shot blocking ability.
#40 Ayreona Carter – 6’0″, PF, Piper, SHOtime Basketball – Carter has a very active offensive game. She is a athletic from back-to-basket with a good frame and good strength. Carter has a good motor, is a good free throw shooter, has solid 12′ range, and has the handles to lead the break end-to-end off the rebound. She needs to be more consistent on boxing out and to continue to work on her face-up and off-the-dribble game. Interest from NJCAA D I schools.
Valley Center’s Kassie Kinniburgh works for an inside post up against a Wellington defender.#59 Kassie Kinniburgh, 6’1″, C, Valley Center, Wheat State Elite – A year ago Kinniburgh was a Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Div II second team selection. She has good hands, is a strong offensive rebounder, and has solid enough ball skills to help guards handle back court pressure. She also is 80% free throw shooter. The biggest leaks in her game have been defensive rebounding positioning especially boxing out on the weak side, perimeter shooting, and her vertical. Her inside post play is good but continued work will make her an even bigger threat.
#70 Maddie Garretson, 5’10”, F, Blue Valley Southwest – Garretson was a KBCA 5A honorable mention selection last season. In June PGH’s Israel Potoczny wrote that Garretson is “…an athletic power forward who looks to contribute across the boards in every way she can. She can score well around the basket and is good at cleaning up plays in transition. She is also a fundamentally sound defender and can block shots and use her speed to jump passing lanes and finish plays on the other side.”
Chapman’s Peyton Suther (left) and Makenna Kirkpatrick (right) work a screen and roll against Nickerson at Hutchinson Community College’s team camp, June 2019.#73 Makenna Kirkpatrick, 5’10”, F, Chapman, Wheat State Elite – Kirkpatrick was a KBCA 4A honorable mention selection last season. In June PGH’s Israel Potoczny wrote that “She has good size and a solid frame for the block. She can shoot from outside and can bring the ball up the floor if she needs to and operate on the wing at times. She is a solid defensive player who can block shots and send it into the stands. She plays hard and competes with an edge.”
#94 Braden Hanf, 5’11”, PF, Paola – A year ago Hanf was a Frontier League honorable mention selection while averaging 14 points and 6 rebounds per game. With good size and strength she is not someone who can be easily moved. Opponents often think twice about stepping in to draw a charge. Hanf has good off-ball anticipation and awareness, sees the floor well, passes well, and has the ability to go end-to-end with the ball. Offensively she has good quickness in her back-to-basket game. She can shoot quickly from the perimeter and has the ability to shoot off the step-back and as a jump shooter. Hanf is able to finish through contact and uses a variety of shots to score around the basket. On the defensive end she is a quality shot blocker.
#96 Karsyn Youngblood, 5’11”, C, Columbus – Youngblood was a CNC League first team selection a year ago. The Topeka Capital Journal selected her as 3A third team all state a year ago and second team all-state Class 4A Div II in 2018. She lead the state in rebounding with 14.3 and averaged 15.7 points. She has good ball handling ability to help guards in the back court against pressure. She has also shown the ability to score from her face-up and back-to-basket games. She has a tendency to not follow her shot well off the 10′ jumper and needs to improve from the free throw line. Improvement in quickness, transition speed, and vertical will make her especially difficult to defend. Through December 2019 she is averaging 15 points and 14 rebounds per game through six games.
#97 Lauren Mathews, 6’1″, C, Trinity Academy – Matthews has good size and transition speed. She keeps the ball high when working inside and uses a one dribble power move effectively.
Others currently outside the top ten are Olathe South’s Mandy Truitt, Basehor-Linwood’s Lucy Lally, and Oakley’s Jordyn Lowrie.
Featured image: Columbus’ Karsyn Youngblood shoots a perimeter jumper against Cheney during the 3A state tournament at the Hutchinson Sports Arena, March 2019.