The high school basketball season has finally arrived and both the boys and girls basketball teams for Lawrence High and Free State made their debuts over the last few days.


Lawrence High’s boys basketball team looked like it picked up where it left off last year, scoring 16 unanswered points to open its 63-44 rout at Emporia. The Lions, ranked No. 8 in Class 6A, lost three starters from last season but still have a lot of the same elements: good shooters, versatility in the front court and speed in transition.


Lawrence’s girls basketball team suffered a 52-43 loss at Emporia, the fourth straight season the Lions have lost in their season opener to the Spartans. The Lions certainly had their opportunities to pick up a win, but couldn’t pick up crucial stops in the fourth quarter.


Free State’s boys basketball team jumped out to a huge lead and beat AC Prep, 80-37. I don’t like to make assumptions off of one game, but the Firebirds have a good amount of shooters on the perimeter and they will be a tough team to play zone against.


The only team I didn’t see this week was Free State’s girls basketball team, which pulled away late for a 58-52 victory over Topeka High. Madison Piper, last year’s Sunflower League Player of the Year, picked up where she left off by scoring a game-high 22 points to go along with eight rebounds. The Firebirds, ranked No. 4 in Class 6A, have a talented backcourt with Cameryn Thomas, Caiti Schlesener, Jaycie Bishop, Hannah Walter and Jaelyn Two Hearts.
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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. These individual rankings are just one person’s opinion, but it’s a good way to look at how each person impacted each game.

Free State boys basketball

1. Hunter Gudde, sr. — The senior captain played his part, scoring a game-high 16 points and nearly completing a double-double with eight rebounds. As usual, Gudde played smart with the ball, knowing when he has a driving lane to the rim or when to kick out with a pass.


2. Chrision Wilburn, sr. — Wilburn went wild in the third quarter, scoring 10 points in a three-minute stretch. He nearly added two more points when he grabbed a steal and was fouled driving to the rim. He finished with 15 points, six rebounds and two steals.


3. Sloan Thomsen, jr. — Everyone who watched the Firebirds last season knows how dangerous Thomsen can be as a three-point threat. But he was just as impressive with his defense and rebounding, picking up six boards. He added five points, including the first bucket of the Free State season.


4. Shannon Cordes, jr. — Cordes hit two threes in the final 90 seconds of the first quarter, quickly finding his rhythm from deep. He also did a good job of driving through traffic for a few layups. He ended up with 10 points and four rebounds.


5. Jacob Pavylak, jr. — Pavlyak did a lot of the gritty work on Thursday, only scoring six points (four points at the free throw line), but grabbing two rebounds, three steals and dishing three assists. Once his shot starts dropping, he will only become more dangerous.


6. Kristian Rawls, sr. — The 6-foot-3 point guard played with poise in his first varsity start. He scored four points on drives to the rim and he played solid defense on the perimeter. Rawls added three rebounds, an assist and a steal compared to just one turnover.


7. Darian Lewis, sr. — Lewis couldn’t get shots to drop (1-of-5 shooting), but he cleaned up on the glass, picking up seven rebounds. His only made field goal was a buzzer-beater before halftime off an inbounds pass with 0.9 seconds left.


8. Reece White-Downing, soph. — In the fourth quarter, White-Downing scored seven points on 3-of-3 shooting. He also grabbed a rebound and a steal.


9. Jay Dineen, jr. — Dineen went scoreless, missing two shots, but he was strong defensively and helped free up some shooters and drivers with screens. He finished with two rebounds, an assist and a steal.


10. Drew Tochtrop, sr. — Tochtrop had a few turnovers, but he made up for it with 3-of-5 shooting for six points. He attacked the rim with force and he grabbed two rebounds.


11. Simon McCaffrey, soph. — Entered in the first quarter and played with four starters in the second quarter. McCaffrey played solid defense, made two free throws, grabbed two rebounds and dished one assist.


12. Jalen Robinson, soph. — Robinson dominated in the final minute. He scored on a putback, blocked a shot and scored on a layup-and-the-foul.


13. Garrett Luinstra, soph. — He had the student section chanting his name with about four minutes left. He missed a three-pointer, but he grabbed a steal and hit a free throw.


• Next up: 7 p.m. Friday vs. Mill Valley. Record: 1-0.

Lawrence High girls basketball

1. E’lease Stafford, soph. — Stafford was in foul trouble for most of the second half, but that didn’t stop her from scoring a game-high 13 points and grabbing four rebounds. In the middle of the third quarter, she scored six straight points. Stafford has an ability to score off the dribble or in catch-and-shoot situations, which makes her so tough to guard.


2. Chisom Ajekwu, fr. — In her varsity debut, Ajekwu showed a ton of potential. Her biggest impact was on the defensive end, grabbing a team-high seven rebounds and blocking three shots while affecting plenty of others with her 6-foot-3 frame. Ajekwu is still gaining experience on the offensive end, but she scored eight points setting up on the low block.


3. Alexis Boyd, sr. — Boyd scored six points on 3-of-6 shooting, scoring on back-to-back possessions in the second quarter. She added five rebounds and an assist.


4. Olivia Lemus, jr. — Lemus couldn’t get her shots to drop, shooting 0-for-6 from behind the three-point line. But that didn’t stop her from attacking the rim on drives, finishing with seven points. Lemus also had three rebounds and a steal.


5. Hannah Stewart, fr. — LHS coach Jeff Dickson said his freshman point guard was “sensational” in her varsity debut. Stewart scored five points, including a three-pointer at the beginning of the fourth quarter. She was steady with her perimeter defense, adding a rebound, an assist and a steal.


6. Asia Goodwin, soph. — When the Lions needed some scoring in the second half, Goodwin stepped up with a couple of key baskets. She finished with four points and two rebounds.


7. Talima Harjo, soph. — Harjo couldn’t find a rhythm on offense (0-for-3 shooting), but that didn’t stop her from fighting for rebounds. The 5-foot-6 sophomore guard grabbed six boards.


8. Emma Bentzinger, sr. — She played aggressive defense and grabbed three rebounds and a steal. Bentzinger missed her only shot attempt.


9. Gracie Reinsch, sr. — Reinsch didn’t shoot the ball but grabbed a rebound in the first quarter.


10. Sammy Williams, fr. — Williams played a couple of minutes in the second half. She didn’t record any stats, but played solid defense.


11. Leslie Ostronic, fr. — Played a few minutes in the fourth quarter but did not record any stats.


• Next up: 7 p.m. Monday at Barstow (Mo.). Record: 0-1.

Lawrence High boys basketball

1. Justin Roberts, sr. — There’s a new ligament in his knee, but it was the same Roberts. He scored 12 points in the first quarter with three assists, drilling three-pointers and hitting a mid-range jumper. You never know what to expect out of players in their first game back from an injury, but Roberts looked like he didn’t miss a beat, finishing with 18 points, four rebounds and five assists.


2. Anthony Harvey, sr. — Any first game jitters for the Lions disappeared when they watched Harvey score 10 points in the first four minutes. The energetic senior drilled three triples and his first miss was a 30-foot heat check. He eventually cooled off a bit, but that didn’t stop him from playing good defensel.


3. Price Morgan, sr. — Morgan scored his first points of the season in the second quarter, receiving a pass from Jackson Mallory, taking one step and finishing with a dunk. That was just his early statement. He scored 10 points in the third quarter, showing his ability to score off of the dribble or making room in the paint for a post-up. He had 18 points and four rebounds.


4. Jackson Mallory, jr. — Mallory is known as a sharpshooter, but he helped out in every other way when his shot wasn’t dropping Friday. He only scored three points, but he grabbed seven rebounds and dished five assists.


5. Fred Brou, sr. — It was tough for Brou to find a rhythm on offense, scoring three points on four shots and turning the ball over a few times. But Brou was solid defensively, using his length to grab a team-high nine rebounds, blocking one shot and taking a charge.


6. Kobe Buffalomeat, jr. — Along with Brou, Buffalomeat made a big impact on the defensive end. Buffalomeat grabbed three rebounds and blocked two shots to go along with four points on six shots. With Morgan, Brou and Buffalomeat in the frontcourt, the Lions have size and a lot of versatility.


“Those three, I think, can be solid for us this year,” LHS coach Mike Lewis said. “We like they work in practice. They work hard against each other. They’re all three team guys and they put the team first. We’re going to count on them this year.”


7. Braden Solko, jr. — Solko was the first one off of the bench for the Lions, along with Buffalomeat, but he was limited by foul trouble throughout the contest. He didn’t attempt any shots.


8. Austin Miller, jr. — Miller missed his only shot, a three-point attempt, but he did grab a steal.


9. Tayvien Robinson, sr. — A hurdler in track, Robinson scored his first varsity point in the final second of the game, knocking in a free throw.


10. Noah Butler, fr. — Entered the game in the final minute and did not record any stats.


• Next up: 5 p.m. Tuesday vs. Grandview (Mo.) at Blue Valley Shootout. Record: 1-0.
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