If there was any question whether Lawrence High’s boys basketball team was ready to play in the postseason, the Lions answered that in the first few minutes.


The Lions scored on their first eight possessions in their sub-state opener against Shawnee Mission Northwest on Wednesday, and they never really slowed down. Mix in some tough defense that forced steals, which turned into transition points, and you have the formula for their 79-45 victory at home.

The Cougars were focused on stopping senior Anthony Bonner and junior Justin Roberts, but no matter how successful they were, it doesn’t matter when the rest of the Lions are playing at such a high level. As a team, they shot 65 percent from the floor (31-for-48). Six different players had at least eight points: Roberts, Bonner, John Barbee, Price Morgan, Ben Rajewski and Anthony Harvey.


As Tom Keegan wrote in his latest column, all of the players off of the bench looked comfortable and were ready to play. Now the only question is whether the Lions can keep it up and earn their first trip to state since 2008.


Free State’s boys basketball season ended with a 50-26 loss to Shawnee Mission North on Wednesday. Though it was a loss in the first-round of sub-state, I think it’s safe to say that the Firebirds exceeded most expectations this season with such an inexperienced team. They showed great growth throughout the year, and I think they were one of the last teams anybody wanted to catch at the end of the year in the Sunflower League.


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.

Lawrence High boys basketball

1. John Barbee, sr. — Barbee has pieced together some nice games lately, but I think this was his best one yet. The 6-foot-2 senior was a force on offense, driving for layups and scoring on putbacks. He attacked the glass hard for rebounds and was deflecting passes left and right on defense. He finished with 15 points, six rebounds, three blocks, two steals and an assist.


2. Anthony Bonner, sr. — Despite being face-guarded for the majority of the game, that wasn’t going to stop Bonner from dropping a few three-pointers. When defenders began guarding the three-point line, he drove past and had some acrobatic layups and a nice one-handed dunk. He had 12 points and three assists, but it looked like he got banged up a little in the third quarter trying to chase down a long pass.


3. Justin Roberts, jr. — Roberts was quiet for the first half because of foul trouble, though he knocked down a three in the first quarter. But the third quarter was mostly all Roberts, who was drilling shots, making nice passes for assists and he grabbed a steal to set up a layup for Barbee. The Lions’ point guard scored a team-high 16 points to go along with five assists, four rebounds and two steals.


4. Ben Rajewski, sr. — After scoring 18 points against the Cougars in their regular season meeting, Rajewski was ready to show them that it was no fluke. He knocked down two threes on his way to eight points. His three-pointer in the second quarter started a 16-2 run that put the game away. He also played solid defense, grabbing two steals. It’s impressive how he always keeps his man in front of him.


5. Price Morgan, jr. — Along with Barbee, Morgan was the beneficiary of the Cougars focusing on Roberts and Bonner. He knocked down a couple of mid-range jumpers and attacked the basket for layups. He had eight points, four rebounds and a beautiful assist to Applegate on a high-low pass from the free throw line.


6. Logan Applegate, sr. — Applegate shot 3-for-4 from the field, his only miss coming on a baseline jumper. He also grabbed four rebounds and a steal. He was focused, and matched up well against SMNW’s height.


7. Anthony Harvey, jr. — The 5-foot-10 point guard took control of the offense when Roberts was plagued with foul trouble in the second quarter, scoring on a layup-and-the-foul. In the second half, he found his offensive rhythm and finished with eight points.


8. Fred Brou, jr. — Brou hustled everywhere on the court, stealing entry passes to the post on defense despite playing behind the post player. He finished with two steals and three points. He also went hard into the stands for a loose ball in the first half, and was shaken up briefly.


9. Kyle Hoffman, sr. — Hoffman was just messing with his defenders, throwing up shot fakes before dribbling past them and passing the ball. He knocked down a triple for the Lions’ final points of the game.


10. Tae Shorter, sr. — The 5-foot-11 star in the triple jump (4th at state last year) had no problems bringing the ball up the court but missed on his only three-point attempt.


11. Jackson Mallory, so. — Mallory didn’t attempt a shot when he entered in the fourth quarter, but kept the ball moving on offense.


12. Kobe Buffalomeat, so. — First time I’ve seen him pick up varsity minutes this year. He entered in the final minutes, but didn’t throw up a shot.


• Next up: 7 p.m. Friday vs. SM East. Record: 20-1.
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