Here’s a feature on the Collegiate boys basketball team. Below the story will be the scores list, along with recaps and stats for Wichita-area games from tonight. I also added some scores from Saturday and Monday.
By Joanna Chadwick
With the numbers that the Wichita Collegiate boys basketball team is putting up, it’s tough not to notice the Spartans.
They’ve won their games by an average of 37.3 points, including wins of 80 and 61 points. Their closest games are a 17-point win over Andale and a 15-point victory over Pratt.
Definitely eye-catching.
Then there’s the trio of seniors Sebastian Hines-Turner and AJ Batiste, and junior Kamari Jennings — each consistently scores in double figures.
“They make it so much easier to coach,” said Nate Schmitt, Collegiate’s first-year coach. “You don’t have to coach every single thing with those guys — they go out and play, they make plays.
“… I give them a lot of freedom to play. If they’re playing their tails off defensively and working hard on that end of the floor — it’s not that I’m turning them loose completely offensively, but I don’t want them looking over their shoulders.”
Collegiate’s focus offensively is to play fast, while throwing it inside and then kicking it out for open shots.
“We put the rules and structure in, and it’s designed for them to have success,” Schmitt said. “Share the ball, trust that it will come back to you and you’ll get it in places you’ll make plays….
“They’ve been good about sharing the basketball. I still think there’s room for improvement there, but they’ve been great. They create plays and baskets for each other.”
Hines-Turner, who is coming off an achilles injury, has been key.
“He impacts the game in every single category,” Schmitt said. “It’s crazy to look at the stats after the game, the ones the coaches know about — the steals, the deflections, the vps, all those things that he does to impact a game. His stat line is crazy. It’s not uncommon to see 20 points, nine rebounds, 11 deflections, seven steals, seven assists.”
As for Batiste, Schmitt has no problem saying the senior is likely the most athletic player — not only Class 3A, but the whole state.
“He can play above the rim,” Schmitt said. “He’s really, really good. He has an excellent shot. I’m not a big fan of mid-range shots — I prefer layups and threes — but he shoots the midrange so well and he can get to the paint so well.”
Jennings is the shortest of the trio, but he’s a gym rat, constantly training and shooting. That investment and sacrifice has paid off.
“He’s a super fast point guard,” Schmitt said. “He dictates the offense, and he’s shooting well. When he gets to his spot off the bounce, we’re shocked if the ball doesn’t go in. He’s defending very well, and he’s controlling what we’re doing offensively.”
While this trio is highly skilled and talented, there’s more to Collegiate.
Schmitt rattles them off — Mason Bond, Shaad Issa, Jai Johnson, Corbin Wiley, Langdon Langston and Maddox Drumright.
Bond is shooting well and is tough defensively. Drumright, a Wichita State baseball commit, is the type to dive on the floor for a loose ball and get the offensive boards. Issa has developed into a strong big man, while Johnson, a freshman who missed two straight years due to injury, has been key defensively.
Then there’s Wiley, who provides critical minutes, and Langston, who returned Jan. 16 from a broken foot suffered during football season.
“You can’t just focus on one or even two of our guys because everyone else can play,” Schmitt said. “… The kids can play. But at the end of the day, they’re talented, play a lot of basketball, and I’m letting them play and putting them in positions where they can show their talents.”
Monday’s scores
Boys
Andale 75, Lawrence 56 — Andale had four in double figures — Caden Fowler (22), Hunter Grimes (12), Cruz Kaiser (11 with three threes) and Ashtin Harp (10).
Garden Plain 60, Rose Hill 54
Saturday’s scores
Boys
McPherson 72, Circle 47 — Eli Reasoner scored a game-high 20 points and had six rebounds, Jett Pyle scored 19, hitting three threes, and Cole Cooper had 11 points, eight rebounds. Circle was led by Keenan Bouldra, who had 16 points.
Kapaun 68, Sunrise Christian 48
Girls
McPherson 64, Circle 36 — Rylie Whitfield scored 23 points and had six rebounds to lead McPherson. Hailey Cuble and Brooklyn Patty each had six rebounds for Circle, and Brooke Smith had seven.
