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By VINCE LOVERGINE

TopSports.news

There’s no question that over the last few years, Silver Lake girls basketball has been one of the best programs in Class 3A.

In 2025, the Eagles were the state runnerups. In 2024, they won it all, in 2023 they took fourth, in 2022, they took third and in 2021 they made an appearance as well. 

Two-time All-Shawnee County Top 10 pick Kailyn Hanni is back for her senior season for perennial Class 3A contender Silver Lake. [File photo/TSN]

It’s Year 6 for coach Kyle Porter and he’s just as excited to begin another journey and make a run to the state tournament once again.

The Eagles have a sign in the old gymnasium that says 'Championship Habits, Championship Communication, Championship Shape,' that helps lay the foundation in the first week of practices on who Silver Lake want to be. 

“We’re not a team that is openly vocal, we struggle to communicate at times with our teammates and we have to constantly reinforce and require them to use their voice, to use their body language to create energy themselves because in times of adversity, it’s easy to go silent, easy to get siloed up and we have to come together as a team,” Porter said.

“We’re going to be pretty similar to how we’ve been in years past. We want to get easy baskets in transition when we can. We want to attack through the paint… and we want to do the opposite on defense.” 

Star senior guard Kailyn Hanni has been a focal point of this program for several years now and stepping into her final season, Porter can’t wait to see what this year can bring for her.

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Created: 24 November 2025

By RICK PETERSON             

TopSports.news

Jalen Aldridge, Topeka High

JALEN ALDRIDGE, Topeka High

Aldridge, a 6-foot-1 senior, averaged a team-high 12.3 points for Topeka High last season, earning TopSports.news All-Shawnee County honorable mention. Aldridge shot 43 percent on two-point field goal attempts and connected on 26 3-pointers while averaging 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals and shooting 70 percent from the free throw line.    

JA'VEON ALSTON, Shawnee Heights

A 5-10 senior point guard, Alston received All-Shawnee County and United Kansas Conference honorable mention last season after helping Shawnee Heights post a 19-4 record en route to a second straight trip to the Class 5A state tournament. A standout defender, Alston averaged 2.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists for the T-Birds as a junior.  

Mason Becker, Hayden

MASON BECKER, Hayden

A 5-11 junior guard, Becker was named to the TSN All-Shawnee County Second 10 last season after averaging 10.1 points with 36 3-pointers, while shooting 36 percent from outside the arc. Becker also averaged 2.8 rebounds for the Wildcats. Becker will get a late start on preseason basketball practice after helping lead the Wildcats football team to their third straight Class 3A state championship game Saturday in Hutchinson.

KaeVon Bonner, Seaman

KAEVON BONNER, Seaman

Bonner, a 6-4 senior, is a two-time All-Shawnee County and All-United Kansas Conference first-team pick after being named the Shawnee County co-newcomer of the year and receiving honorable mention as a freshman. Bonner averaged 19 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.9 steals this past season for the 13-8 Vikings while hitting 49 3-pointers and shooting 77 percent from the free throw line.

CALEB CLEVERDON, Cair Paravel Latin

A senior, Cleverdon will be counted on heavily this winter as Cair Paravel looks to improve on last season's 10-11 record. Cleverson averaged 7.6 points last season while connecting on 33 3-pointers and shooting 35 percent from outside the arc. Cleverdon also averaged 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals as a junior. 

JAI'MARION COOK, Shawnee Heights

Cook, a 5-9 senior guard, averaged 5.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists last season while helping Shawnee Heights post an 19-4 record and advance to the Class 5A state tournament for the second straight season. Cook connected on 30 3-pointers as a junior while shooting 38 percent from outside the 3-point line. 

Jack Donovan, Rossville

JACK DONOVAN, Rossville

A 5-11 senior, Donovan made the All-Shawnee County Top 10 for the second straight season after averaging 18.7 points with 62 3-pointers while shooting 40 percent from 3-point range and 78.4 percent from the free throw line. Donovan helped lead the Bulldawgs to a 16-8 record and a Class 2A state tournament berth last season. Donovan, a first-team All-Big East League pick, is also a standout in golf and football, helping Rossville reach the Class 1A state football title game on Friday in Hutchinson.

Malakyah Duncan, Topeka West

MALAKYAH DUNCAN, Topeka West

Duncan, a 6-4 senior, received second-team All-Shawnee County and All-United Kansas Conference recognition last season after helping lead the Chargers to the Class 5A state tournament, where West lost in the quarterfinals to state champ Kapaun Mt. Carmel. Duncan averaged 11.3 points, 3.0 assists and 1.8 steals as a junior while shooting 55 percent on two-point field goal attempts. 

ONTARIUS EMMOT, Shawnee Heights

Emmot, a 6-4 senior forward, received TSN All-Shawnee County and All-United Kansas Conference honorable mention last season after helping Shawnee Heights post a 19-4 record and advance to the Class 5A state tournament for the second straight season. Emmot averaged 7.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists as a junior while draining 29 treys on the season.

Elisha Guest, Topeka High

ELISHA GUEST, Topeka High

A 5-7 senior, Guest received All-Shawnee County honorable mention last season after averaging 11.6 points while connecting on 49 3-pointers and shooting 36 percent from outside the arc. Guest also averaged 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals for the Trojans last season. 

Connor Hanika, Hayden

CONNOR HANIKA, Hayden

Hanika, a 6-5 senior, received All-Shawnee County second-team honors last season after averaging 10.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals while shooting 48 percent on two-point field goals. Hanika is Hayden's starting quarterback in football, helping the Wildcats reach their third straight Class 3A state championship game.

John Hoytal, Washburn Rural 

JOHN HOYTAL, Washburn Rural

A 6-foot-2 senior forward, Hoytal received All-Shawnee County and All-Centennial League honorable mention last season after helping the 18-5 Junior Blues win the Centennial League title and advance to the Class 6A state tournament. Hoytal averaged 9.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals last season while shooting 57 percent on two-point field goals and 73 percent from the free throw line. 

Dayne Johnson, Silver Lake

DAYNE JOHNSON, Silver Lake

Johnson, a 6-2 senior, helped lead the Eagles to a 20-6 record and a third-place finish in the Class 3A state tournament in 2024-2025. A first-team All-Big East League selection, Johnson moved up to the TSN All-Shawnee County Top 10 last season after being a Second 10 pick as a sophomore. Johnson is a multi-sport standout for the Eagles, earning All-Shawnee County Top 22 honors as a junior.

Lucas Marichal, Cair Paravel

LUCAS MARICHAL, Cair Paravel

A senior, Marichal is a key returner for Cair Paravel Latin, which will by looking to improve on last season's 10-11 record. Marichal averaged 9.0 points a year ago while connecting on 28 3-pointers and shooting 80 percent from the free throw line. 

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By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

No. 2-ranked Washburn University men's basketball returns to Lee Arena on Tuesday night to face Friends at 7 p.m. in the Ichabods' final game before the Thanksgiving break.

Washburn is 6-0 after a 90-54 win over William Jewell on Saturday in Liberty, Mo., with the 36-point win one shy of the largest win in the series history with the Cardinals.

 

Brett Ballard climbed to No. 2 on Washburn's career win list with Saturday's 90-54 road win at William Jewell. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]  

 In the win over William Jewell, Ichabod coach Brett Ballard moved into second place on the all-time win chart at Washburn, passing Glenn Cafer with his 173rd win on the Ichabod bench. Ballard is 173-79 in his ninth season, while Cafer was 172-145 in 12 seasons at Washburn.

 

Freshman Amalachi Wilkins led the Ichabods off the bench against William Jewell with 13 points on five of five shooting with four boards and two steals in 16 minutes of play. 

Friends is 5-2 on the season after defeating York, Neb., 77-55, last time out on the road.

 

The Falcons have the distinction of being the only team to defeat the Ichabods in a home opener in Lee Arena.

 

Friends topped the Ichabods, 89-88, on Nov. 16, 1990. Since then the Ichabods have won 36 consecutive home openers and Washburn is 40-1 overall in home openers after last Wednesday's 85-81 win over Rockhurst.

 

The Ichabods are fifth in scoring margin in the NCAA D2 ranks at plus 27.2 and fourth in field goal percentage at 54.4 percent.

 

Topekan Jack Bachelor is fifth in the nation in 3-pointers made with 18 while leading the MIAA and Dillon Claussen is eighth in the nation in double-doubles with two. Claussen is also 11th in the nation in field goal percentage at 73.3 and 17th in total rebounds with 45.

 

Jeremiah Jones is second in the nation in total steals with 19 and is ranked 13th in steals per game at 3.17 per contest.

 

Brady Christiansen (1) is set to play in his 100th career game for Washburn Tuesday night against Friends. [File photo/TSN]

Bachelor will be making his 50th consecutive start on Tuesday against Friends while Brady Christiansen will play in his 100th game as an Ichabod.

Washburn has a 17-game home court winning streak, which is tied for the fifth-longest in the D-II ranks.

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