One of the main things that impresses me about Lawrence High’s boys basketball team is how its weaknesses are turned into strengths.


The Lions don’t have much size inside, but that means they can motor up and down the court at a very quick speed. Wyandotte tried to drive inside on them throughout Thursday’s game in the Blue Valley Shootout, but the Lions forced them to play on the perimeter by packing the paint, then turned their missed jump shots into easy points in a 75-44 victory by racing down the court.


Lawrence High’s girls basketball team improved one of its weaknesses from its season opener, by limiting three-pointers on Tuesday. But then the Lions fouled too much and just couldn’t get into a rhythm offensively or defensively in the second half in a 57-44 loss to Blue Valley Southwest. The Lions were also outrebounded 42-28.


The girls’ team is a work in progress with so many young players, but it’ll be interesting to see how much they improve throughout the season.


In case you missed it, we’re copying one of the popular features of KUsports.com, “Keegan’s Ratings,” where Sports Editor Tom Keegan ranks KU football and men’s basketball players after every game he attends and I’m bringing back the high school ratings for this basketball season. These individual rankings are just one person’s opinion, but it’s a good way to look at how each person impacted each game.


I covered Lawrence High’s girls basketball on Tuesday and the boys basketball team in the first round of the Blue Valley Shootout today. The player rankings are below:

Lawrence High boys basketball

1. Anthony Bonner, sr. — Facing an AAU teammate he’s played with since the sixth grade for the first time ever (Deionta Nunnally), the Colorado State signee was dominant on both sides of the ball. Bonner scored 14 points (all in the first half), while grabbing four rebounds and dishing three assists. I heard a few fans from Blue Valley talking about how fast he moves down the court in transition.


2. John Barbee, sr. — The Lions played well defensively, and it all started with Barbee. He had a team-high four steals by closing the passing lanes. He had one play where a Wyandotte player tossed it in the air, and Barbee, with his back turned, just reached up and snagged it for a steal. He also had 14 points, six rebounds, two assists and one ferocious dunk.


3. Justin Roberts, jr. — Roberts has a great sense of knowing when the offense is a little stagnant and finding ways to take charge. LHS missed four of its first six shots, then Roberts put his head down on a drive and earned a trip to the free throw line. The Lions then made six of their next eight shots. He went 10-for-10 from the charity stripe, picking up a game-high 16 points.


4. Fred Brou, jr. — Brou came off of the bench and provided a lift throughout the game. He had six points, two blocks, and had his first dunk of the season in the third quarter. Bonner said that dunk, along with a three at the end of the first half by Anthony Harvey, really boosted the team: “Those are big momentum plays that we need from players like them. I love having them out there and playing with them.”


5. Ben Rajewski, sr. — He only made 2 of his 6 threes, but he played well defensively, especially on the help side. Rajewski also grabbed two rebounds.


6. Anthony Harvey, sr. — LHS coach Mike Lewis said he looked comfortable on the court throughout the game. He was one of the first players off of the bench and drilled a three near the end of the first half. He also had two rebounds and did a good job at point guard against a full-court press.


7. Price Morgan, jr. — Morgan didn’t have his best day shooting the ball (3 of 6), missing a few shots in the paint. But he didn’t let that affect him on the glass, grabbing six boards and he even dished an assist with some nice inside-out passing.


8. Logan Applegate, sr. — He made some enemies with his ability to grab offensive rebounds. Applegate had five boards throughout the game and scored six points.


9. Kyle Hoffman, sr. — He didn’t have any students chanting his name this game, but he drilled a three-pointer midway through the third quarter. He also had a nice assist, setting up a layup for Applegate.


10. Tae Shorter, sr. — He grabbed two steals, and turned one of them into an assist, finding Bonner for a layup in transition. Shorter missed his two shots.


11. Jackson Mallory, so. — Played a few minutes, but missed his only shot (a putback attempt). Mallory also had two rebounds.

• Next up: 6:45 p.m. Friday vs. Highland Park in the Blue Valley Shootout. Record: 2-0.

Lawrence High girls basketball

1. E’lease Stafford, fr. — She was limited by four first half fouls, but Stafford shined when she was on the court. Scored seven points, but her best sequence was in the second quarter when she assisted a layup by Devon Spoonhunter, then grabbed a rebound on defense and took it coast-to-coast for layup.


2. Marissa Pope, sr. — Had an off night driving and shooting the ball (0 for 8 from the field, 4 for 10 from the free throw line), but credit to her for not letting that affect her defense. Pope had three steals and caused two BVSW offensive fouls, pestering the T-Wolves’ point guards all game.


3. Skylar Drum, so. — Drum scored five points and added three rebounds, while playing solid defense. She still needs to work on some of her passing (four turnovers), but she provides good stability on the court on both ends of the floor.


4. Devon Spoonhunter, jr. — She always seemed to be in the right place on the offensive end, as her teammates found her for layups. Spoonhunter had a team-high nine points, but she needs to work on hitting the glass harder for rebounds and avoiding fouls on the defensive end.


5. Alexis Boyd, jr. — She shot the ball better than her season debut, scoring eight points (4 of 9 shooting). Boyd also had a block, but needs to work on rebounding, grabbing just three boards.


6. Madison McKinney, so. — She fits the glue player role well for this team. She had a team-best seven rebounds and scored four points, but also needs to take care of the ball a little better with six turnovers. She also dished an assist and grabbed a steal.


7. Talima Harjo, fr. — Harjo scored five points, but didn’t seem to have the same attacking mindset that she had in the first game of the year. She also grabbed a rebound and missed her only free throw attempt. She should wind up as one of the top shooters on the team with good form on her jumper.


8. Olivia Lemus, so. — Provided some nice energy off of the bench with three rebounds. She made a layup at the end of the game, but missed two three pointers.


9. Gracie Reinsch, jr. — Entered the game in the final minutes, and blocked a layup. She also missed her only shot.


10. Matia Finley, sr. — Picked up a foul in limited minutes but didn’t shoot the ball or grab any rebounds.


• Next up: 7 p.m. Friday vs. Shawnee Heights. Record: 0-2.
*
As always, feel free to comment, email me, or find me on Twitter @nightengalejr.