Kapaun Mount Carmel’s Zoey Franklin-Buckner – Winning Edge Player of the Month – Presented by Visit Salina
By Blake Chadwick After helping Wichita Independent capture a state championship in 2023-24, Zoey Buckner-Franklin is ready for year two at Kapaun Mt. Carmel, where she will reunite with Coach Taylor Mires, her assistant coach from that title-winning season. “I am in the 11th grade and I play the position of a point guard,” Buckner-Franklin […]
Wichita Heights – Basketball Preview – Presented by Andre Hale State Farm
League: GWAL BOYS Head Coach: Gary Thomason Last Five Seasons: 2025 – 21-4 2024 – 23-2 2023 – 22-3 2022 – 23-2 2021 – 15-8 Key Returning Players: Jalihn Timmons, 6-1, sr., G; Tyson Phillips, 6-7, jr., F; Jorelle Hadley, 6-2, sr., G; Ah’Jaylyn Walker, 6-4, so., G; Jordan Timmons, 6-2, jr., G Coach Thomason […]
Eisenhower’s Payton Blue – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Alexandria Johnson Shelter Insurance
By Blake Chadwick Coming off a strong junior season, Eisenhower senior Payton Blue will be one of, if not the Tigers’ key leader and top scorer heading into her final year. Blue averaged 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and shot 85 percent from the free-throw line last season which helped her earn second team all-league and all-state […]
Lansing’s Rylee Frederick – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Preferred Physical Therapy
Photo by Jason Pollard By Angela Brunk Lansing High School senior Rylee Frederick enters her final basketball season with a mindset centered on positivity, growth, and team unity. As a dependable small forward, Frederick brings toughness to the court, defensive energy, and a calming presence that her teammates look to in big moments. For Frederick, […]
Maize South’s Ali Singhateh – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Alexandria Johnson Shelter Insurance
By Blake Chadwick Coming off a 19-4 season and a second-place finish in AVCTL play, the Maize South Mavericks are once again loaded with talent and leadership heading into this season. At the heart of it all is senior Ali Singhateh. Singhateh is a senior and Swiss Army Knife, who brings a combination of athleticism, toughness, […]
Hutchinson’s Kohlbie Craft – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Hutchinson Clinic
By Blake Chadwick Coming off a strong 15-7 season, the Hutchinson Salthawks girls’ basketball team will look to make another deep run behind senior leader Kohlbie Craft, who has been a consistent force in the paint since she first put on a Hutch jersey. Craft has been playing basketball for 12 years, and her experience […]
Andover’s Bella Bouddhara – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Jodi Ocadiz Shelter Insurance
By Blake Chadwick Coming off a 23-2 season, Andover junior Bella Bouddhara has solidified herself as one of the top guards in Kansas. The returning AVCTL Division II MVP and first team all-state selection has been a driving force behind the Trojans’ success, averaging 17 points, four rebounds, three assists, and 2.5 steals per game […]
Maize South’s Jaela Thompson – Prep Performance of the Month – Presented by Hog Wild Pit BBQ
Coming off another strong season, Maize South junior Jaela Thompson has solidified herself as one of the top guards in Class 5A — and one of the main reasons the Mavericks are considered among the best teams in Kansas. The smooth guard averaged 10.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 3.9 steals per game last […]
Andover’s Walker McClellan – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Jodi Ocadiz Shelter Insurance
By Matt Browning Andover’s Walker McClellan and his teammates have been going the extra mile in preparations for the upcoming season. “Our team has been lifting together in the mornings at 6:15 am,” McClelland said. “I’ve also been doing trainings and shooting outside of that. I just went to UChicago for a basketball camp and had […]
Ark City’s Maliyah Bell – Athlete Spotlight – Presented by Friendly Ford
By Blake Chadwick Coming off a 19-3 season, Arkansas City junior Maliyah Bell is ready to help lead the Bulldogs back to the top. The versatile power forward has become a cornerstone of the program. “My biggest strengths are my leadership and communication skills, which allow me to support my teammates and coaches both on […]