Lawrence High set two state records for three-point shooting last year when the Lions’ boys launched 720 treys and made 222.

LHS will put up its share of perimeter shots again this winter, but coach Chris Davis expects a more balanced offense with 6-foot-6 senior Tony Anderson in the post.

“He looks good right now,” Davis said of the center, who averaged 3.9 points and 5.2 rebounds as a junior. “We’re awfully pleased. He ended the season strong last year. We hope he picks it up from there. He’s got extremely soft hands and has great touch around the basket. We have high hopes.”

Anderson will be backed up by senior Ian Handshy (6-2, 210 pounds), a second-team All-Sunflower League linebacker.

“When Tony comes out of games, we get to put in Ian Handshy. Wow, there’s no dropoff there,” Davis said. “He’s as strong and powerful as anybody in league. He’s so explosive and physically strong. I’m really happy with what we have inside. … We have enough height that we can do things in the middle. Both Tony and Ian are very strong, and we’ll have four guys on the perimeter who can shoot it and will have the green light.”

LHS must replace four key graduates from last year’s trigger-happy team — Taylor Parker (Johnson County Community College), Alex Ayre (Kansas City Community College), Joe Crane and Will Thomas. Parker and Crane each averaged more than 11 points a game, and Parker led the team with 112 assists.

Davis, who rotated players often and shuffled his lineup last year, still has six players returning with starting experience. In addition to Anderson and Handshy in the post, junior Kristian Pope, senior Brennan Bechard, senior David Freeman and junior Tyler Knight return in the backcourt.

Freeman, a two-year starter, led LHS with an average of 12.2 points per game last season.

“David has the most experience of anyone on our team,” Davis said. “He definitely controls the pulse of the team. He’s as intense of a basketball player as I’ve had at Lawrence High. We look to him for a lot of leadership.”

City boys basketball players, from left, Lawrence High's Tony Anderson, Free State's Brady Morningstar, Seabury's Matt Parker and Veritas' Mark Randtke, have their eyes on the start of the season. Seabury and Veritas will open Thursday; LHS and FSHS will have to wait until Friday.

Davis, who will start his fifth year at LHS with Friday’s game at Kansas City Wyandotte, said the Lions likely would not press as much as they did a year ago because his team isn’t as deep.

Free State

Without much size inside, Free State once again will use a six-guard rotation. While unconventional, FSHS posted a 15-7 record with an undersized squad last year.

“We have to use our athleticism and quickness to make up for what we lack in height,” Free State coach Jack Schreiner said.

Two senior starters return — all-league selection Brady Morningstar guard Sam Buhler.

6Sports video: Lions renew commitment to defense

“I think Brady will have a breakout senior year,” Schreiner said. “He gets everybody involved. He’s our best passer.”

Opponents can’t ignore Buhler, who made 60 percent of his shots last season.

“I don’t think people realize how good he is and how much he means to our team with his defensive leadership,” Schreiner said.

Three other senior guards — Matt Green, Danny Pike and Bobby Underwood — will start when the Firebirds open the season Friday at Washburn Rural.

Junior guards Scott Heitshusen and Nick Ayre also are expected to contribute, along with sophomore guard Damien Dillon. Free State could add some needed size if sophomore Christian Ballard (6-5) plays his way into the rotation.

Seabury Academy

The Seahawks will start the season without point guard Adam Davis. The junior, who led Seabury with an average of 14 points a game last year, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during a summer basketball tournament and won’t return to the court until February.

“To make up for the points we’re missing without Adam, we’ll need some second, third and fourth scoring options to step up,” coach Marcus Heckman said. “I think they will.”

Five other players with starting experience return, including senior guard Matt Parker. Parker, who has missed parts of the last two seasons because of injuries, will fill in for Davis.

Other returning starters are senior post Steven King, junior forward Paul Bireta, junior forward Grayson Dillon and sophomore guard Scott King.

“It’s the most experienced team we’ve had,” said Heckman, whose team was 3-13 last year in its second season as a Kansas State High School Activities Assn. member and fourth against varsity competition.

Senior Gary Gardner and sophomore Max Cannon will be the first players off the bench for Seabury, which faces Kansas School for the Deaf at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Burlingame tournament.

Veritas

Four players with starting experience — junior post Mark Randtke, junior guard Casey Woods, senior guard Matt Steinle and junior guard-forward Andrew Bartlow — are back for Veritas, which was 9-14 a year ago. But not all four of those players will be in the starting lineup when the Eagles open the season Thursday at the Flint Hills Tournament.

Randtke and Woods will start along with three seniors who are new to the program — guards Derek Shapiro and Noah Barclay and forward Paul Kempf. Shapiro replaces Kirk Long at the point. Long, the team’s second-leading scorer last year, moved before the school year.

Steinle, Bartlow and freshman Michael Kay will be the Eagles’ top reserves.

Veritas will play St. Marys at 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Manhattan.

“That’s probably as tough a draw as you can get in a first-round game,” Veritas coach Doug Bennett said. “We lost to them twice last year, once in overtime. We can definitely compete with them.”