photo by: Carter Gaskins

Lawerence High senior Peyton Mallory (3) goes up for a layup during a game against Wichita Southeast Saturday night at LHS on March 7, 2020.

It was a big weekend for basketball commitments in Lawrence, with three local players announcing where they will continue their playing careers.

Bishop Seabury’s Cobe Green started things off by announcing his commitment to Baker on Twitter.

The 6-foot senior guard battled back from open heart surgery in the offseason to average 11 points, 3.6 rebounds and two steals per game for the 22-2 Seahawks.

He announced his commitment with a photo of a cartoon image of him in a Baker jersey over the BU logo, with the words, “COMMITTED” and “#BleedOrange” attached to the tweet.

“We couldn’t be any happier for Cobe and his family,” Seabury coach Jonathan Raney told the Journal-World. “I could tell the first time he told me that Baker had reached out to him that he knew it would be the right fit for him. He’s a kid that has represented our school with such class on the court, in the classroom and in the community, and I know he will bring that same character to Baker.”

Not long after Green’s announcement, Lawrence High senior Peyton Mallory revealed on Twitter that he was headed to Simpson College, a Division III program in Indianola, Iowa.

Mallory’s commitment featured an image of him in his LHS jersey photoshopped into the Simpson College gymnasium, with the word “COMMITTED” plastered below the image in big, block letters.

In a note accompanying the photo, Mallory thanked his friends, family, teammates and coaches for helping him get to this point and said he was “beyond excited, humbled, and thankful” for the opportunity.

“Peyton excelled in the classroom, on the soccer field and on the court his senior year,” said LHS coach Mike Lewis. “He was a leader by example, soft spoken, but a great competitor and someone our coaching staff could count on every day.”

Mallory averaged 10 points, 2.7 rebounds and two assists for the Lions this season while also shooting 90% from the free-throw line.

He earned honorable mention All-Sunflower League honors and was the team’s Free Throw Award winner and 2020 recipient of the Red and Black Award, given annually to the LHS player who best represents the tradition of sportsmanship and courage.

Mallory’s LHS teammate Willie Dotson IV announced in a similar manner that he was headed to Ottawa University to play with Mallory’s older brother, Jackson, and for LHS graduate Aaron Siebenthall.

Dotson overcame preseason foot surgery to return to the floor in mid-January to play limited minutes for the Lions. Prior to his return, the backup guard found other ways to help his teammates and coaches.

“Whether taking stats and helping coach or playing his role on the court, Willie was always positive and put the team before himself,” Lewis said.