Will Lee’s Summit MO be a GREAT 8 team by the 2025’s season end?

When their junior post player wasn’t on hand on Friday and Saturday, they were still good. When LANDON VAN PELT 2026 6’8” 270 showed up on Sunday, they were EXCELLENT. The senior leadership on this squad with JAYLEN LOCKHART 2025 6’5”, DEANTHONY CARTER 2025 6’4”, and CAMERON YOWS 2025 6’4” is good. Balance and good skills are their calling card. When LVP shows up, it takes their rotation to another level.

Is the Northwest Huskies dynasty over with in KS in 2025?

Summer basketball is an opportunity to find out who can do what, find your strengths and weaknesses, and see who has worked hard so far this spring. No ANDREW BABALOLA 2025 6’8” 280, he had football. No TREVOR GARLINGTON 2025 6’1 probable starting point guard during last weekend. The Huskies got smacked around against some good competition. I wouldn’t say the ‘dynasty’ is over with … yet. They just need all their dudes!

Will the Staley Falcon’s backcourt be able to carry the load in 2025?

When you have the ‘S’ on your chest, you are everybody’s target. Knocking off the Falcons even in June on their home floor gives your Summer a boost. And they got knocked off some. AVIAN WEBB 2025 5’10” is the leader of the pack. His underclass support is young and very talented, JAKOBE HICKS 2026 6’4” and TRA MOORE 2027 6’1”.  It is a good group to work with. Yet this backcourt needs to learn how to play together and guard the way their coaching staff wants them to guard. Needless to say, Staley will win a slew of games this season. Work in progress for right now.

Does Shawnee Heights have enough firepower to contend for a 5A title?

They were missing a key piece, DEACON POMEROY 2025 6’4” catcher heading to Oklahoma State, perhaps a Top 100 player in America at baseball. He plays baseball in June and July. And the rest of the pieces are pretty good and in place.  JARET SANCHEZ 2025 6’5”, ONTARIOUS EMMOT 2026 6’3”, and KAMRON ROSS 2027 6’2” happen to be those other pieces. All the area coaches know the scouting report on Sanchez. If you don’t get up in his grill and make him put it on the floor, it can be a long night. I saw him score 7 treys in one half over at SM West. He’s the KEY piece.

Can Blue Springs South contend for a league championship?

SULLY MOHAMED 2025 6’7” is the shot blocker/scorer in the paint, and CHRIS ELLIS 2026 6’1” and BLAYNE MARSHALL 2026 6’0” play suffocating defense in the back court and for 95 feet. Both recent transfers to South, both athletic and physical. This group is on the rise. They also happened to have the best JV team in this event talent-wise. Maksim Hymiller 2026 6’1” and BEN ARCHER 2026 6’0” were EXCELLENT JV guards and they had a 6’6” shot blocker behind them. This JV group could end up helping BS South to title contending, sooner than later.

Will the new head coach at Bonner Springs change the culture?

The Braves didn’t go too far down the road on I-70 to connect with Chapman High School head coach Drew Gruver as their new boys basketball coach. And as fate would have it, he brings with him a new shooting guard for the Braves program, KELAN GRUVER 2026 6’3”.  Kelan is fundamentally sound, long and gangly, and can REALLY shoot the basketball. He’ll probably end up at 6’6” I would say. This head coach’s son will carry himself with class and dignity in every situation, on and off the court. Dad will have it no other way.

Can Winnetonka shed the ‘little brother’ rep in northern Kansas City?

In the same district with Staley, Oak Park, and NKC and athletically, they seem to live in their shadows as well. Welcome to 2024! Three really nice pieces to the story start with seniors RYAN BARNHART 2025 6’3” and JOHN WYATT 2025 6’6”. Ryan shoots it well/scores it. John is long and bouncy, dunks it well. Then ANTONIO FOWLER 2026 6’4” plays both basketball and football to a scholarship level. He’s an explosive playmaker with skills. The Griffins could jump up and surprise folks in 2025.

Is Highland Park finally a championship contender in Kansas?

The ‘dynamic duo’ comes back for another run at a 5A state title. JACOREY ROBINSON 2025 6’6” and MIKEY WILLIAMS 2025 6’2” (no relation) are as good as the state of Kansas can offer in any one class. If they both go the JC route to start out with, they’ll both end up D1 players two years later. The Portal is their worst enemy!  Williams shoots it well and is quick to the rim. Robinson owns the paint, explosive second jumper. He gets to the basketball.  Both their sophomore and their junior years, they made it to the state 5A tournament. Both years ended up in disappointment for the Scots. If the supporting cast is good enough, another run is inevitable.