By NICK SLOAN,
NJSloan212@gmail.com
When assessing this year's race for the Kaw Valley League's boys baskeball player of the year, there are six candidates that I believe should get more looks than the rest of the league.
How did I get there?
Of course, the first consideration is performance during the season, especially in big games and games that mattered in the league race or just metro-wide.
Unfairly, another consideration is how the team is.
My first two years of covering high school basketball here, I honestly believed Trinity Hall was the best pure talent in Wyandotte County.
The former Wyandotte Bulldog forward was a flat-out stud, and it's unfortunate he was not on a team that could take advantage of him. He was 6'7", could rebound with the best of them and could shoot the ball very well for someone his size.
I honestly believe that if Hall played on a better structured team with better coaching, Hall could have snuck into a lower-tier Big 12 school.
Ask UMKC how well he's doing at the college level and what type of player he is.
However, Wyandotte won seven games in both years I covered Trinity.
That doesn't take away from the player he was, but it's hard to justify giving the player of the year award to someone on a seven-win team. A bit unfair, but that's realistic. There have been countless players overlooked and not even considered for Heisman status because of the team they played on.
This means that I can't really consider someone from Turner, Bishop Ward and Piper. That doesn't take away from the individuals on that team. Turner's Will McKnight would probably be my choice as Freshman of the Year, though Colton Beebe from Piper and Dionte Nunnally have time to make up for it.
I have tremendous respect for C.J. Vallejo from Bishop Ward, but his team has only won two games.
When you consider a player's value, don't you have to consider the wins and losses associated with his team?
Anyway, with that little spiel out of the way, here are my six candidates for the KVL boys player of the year, listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Dane Erickson, Tonganoxie - Again, I have not seen him in person. However, when I read the
Tonganoxie Mirror's recap of the games out there, it seems like Erickson's name always jumps out to me. He has a handful of 20-point games and he's really helped Tonganoxie stay around .500 all year. Erickson's scoring ability should be respected and he deserves consideration for helping Tonganoxie become one of the more improved teams in the league.
Izaiah Grice, Lansing - His 12 point, 3.4 rebound average will not blow anyone away statistically. However, Grice is unquestionably Lansing's leader and Grice has been clutch throughout the year. His three-point shooting is near 50 percent this month and his game against Basehor was outstanding. His game-winning three at Basehor likely clinched a share of the league title. Despite Lansing's depth, Grice has to be considered the leader on that team. Grice's next few games will be criticial in terms of his ability to steal the award.
Colin Murphy, Basehor-Linwood - Murphy put on one of the greatest shooting displays I've ever seen in person, nailing five threes in the first half against Sumner Academy to help Basehor jump out to a big lead on the road. Murphy also had a monster game against Lansing, scoring 27 points. Murphy's had several 20 point games this season and is a great player from all places on the court. He's been doing more work inside lately, but you better keep track of him everywhere.
Ryan Murphy, Basehor-Linwood - When I've covered Basehor, I've always felt like Ryan was the better post-player than his brother, though that's not trying to rip apart Colin's game. Ryan is polished inside and picked apart some of the best teams in the metro area. His 31-point performance against Bonner Springs was excellent and like Colin, he's been in the high-teens and 20's a lot this year. It's hard picking one Murphy over the other. Feel free to debate that amongst yourselves.
Nathan Stacy, Mill Valley - Stacy is the Branden Roark of Johnson County and the Kaw Valley League. His stats have been down-right scary this year during some games. He had 37 points against Gardner-Edgerton, a team that held Benny Parker to under 20. Holding Benny Parker under 20 is not easy. Parker's the better player obviously, but a 37-point game against Gardner is unreal, even in double-overtime. He scored 32 points in a recent victory against Turner. Stacy has a game against Basehor and one against Lansing to perhaps pad his resume a bit. He struggled against Basehor earlier this year, scoring just 10 points. Bonner Springs held him to just 11 last week. But make no mistake, Stacy deserves a lot of run for the award.
B.J. Watson, Bonner Springs - Watson is a little like Izaiah Grice. Bonner is a pretty deep team, but Watson's definitely the leader of the team. He averages 14 points, 3.4 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.6 rebounds a game. Again, like Grice, not a stat-line that might make you say wow. But Watson is more than just about the stats. He's a guard who's not afraid to get inside and draw contact. Watson's defense is pretty darn good, or at least it has been in the games I've covered involving Bonner Springs. Watson has busted out of the shadow of his older brother the past two seasons.
