photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Free State guard Morgan McClorey steals the ball in a summer league game at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School on Monday, June 10, 2024.

Shawnee — The high school basketball season is over five months away, but the Lawrence High School and Free State High School girls basketball teams are laying the groundwork for their upcoming seasons.

The two teams compete weekly in the Three KC Summer League at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School. For both squads, the summer league games are an opportunity for young players to get early experience.

For the Lions, that means getting used to the speed and intensity of the varsity level. So far, assistant coach Jeff Colter likes what he’s seen from the group.

“We’re young, so we’re trying to build some experience and development and see who meshes well with different lineups,” Colter said. “I’ve liked everything. We’ve got a lot of young and inexperienced (players), so we’re trying to get them developed like we need to.”

Colter’s daughter, Jayla Colter, is one of the team’s young guards making the most of her summer league minutes. As an incoming freshman, the game’s speed has been an adjustment, but she’s made an early impact.

“It’s fun playing with (the Lions) on the court — it’s a lot faster,” she said. “(I’m trying) to be loud and get to know my teammates and bond with them.”

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence guard Jayla Colter defends the ball handler in a summer league game at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School on Monday, June 10, 2024.

In the team’s two games on Monday, the Lions got off to slow starts offensively but found a little more rhythm from scoring at the rim. The Lions have solid size, which can be an offensive starting spot for the young group.

Defense stands out for the Lions as a building block through the first few weeks of summer training. Colter said that the team has a solid defense to build on.

“We’re going to be quick; we’re going to be scrappy,” he said. “We’ve got some size. We’ve got some length. We just need to put it all together.”

Free State played its two games after Lawrence and fared a little better. In the first game, the Firebirds lost after a slow start offensively. They outscored Blue Valley West 20-6 in the second half but still lost by seven points.

The Firebirds held the lead for most of their later contest, but Bonner Springs gained momentum late in the third quarter and took the lead in the game’s final minutes.

The Firebirds trailed by three points in the final minute before coach Summer Frantz called a timeout to draw up a play. The team got an open look on a potentially game-tying 3-point shot that fell to the right of the rim.

“We have a lot of young kids playing with us right now, so it’s good for them to get that experience,” Frantz said. “We haven’t had a ton of game situations, so it’s good to have something like that.”

While the shot didn’t go in, the team gained some experience running a play at a critical point. For younger girls new to high school or the varsity level, that experience is essential to gain as early as possible.

Frantz said she’s pushing her team to start their offense through the defense this summer. With younger players, it’s a strong starting point for their offensive attack, which Frantz has seen the team improve upon in each game.

There are two weeks left in the particular summer league tournament, but the offseason is still in its early stages — there is a lot of time left for these teams to put it all together before games start to count. But both teams are setting the season’s foundation early and getting a head start on learning what works for their groups.