By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Highland Park boys basketball coach Michael Williams is quick to admit that the early portion of the 2020-21 season wasn’t what he expected for his Scots, who were coming off a 15-8 record and a trip to the Class 5A state tournament last season.
But after an inconsistent start, Highland Park enters this week’s Topeka Invitational Tournament at Topeka High on a high note after topping Topeka West 57-54 in overtime last Friday, with the Scots handing the Chargers their first loss.
“It was kind of getting to us mentally a little bit and we were looking around at each other and kind of questioning some things,’’ said Williams, whose team improved to 3-3 with the win over West. “I think a game like (last Friday) can kind of help our mindset and to get back on track.
“It definitely helps going into the (tournament) and it also kind of gives our guys a glimpse back to what we thought coming in and what we’re capable of doing. Now we’re a long way away from it and still have a ways to go and could bump into (West) again potentially (this week), but we’ve just got to be ready to come back and keep it going.’’
Highland Park will open its Topeka Invitational bid at 4 p.m. Thursday against Wichita Southeast in High’s auxiliary gym. Other first-round games will put Hayden (2-5) against Wichita East at 4 p.m. in the main gym while Topeka High (1-6) will take on Lansing at 6 o’clock in the auxiliary gym and Topeka West (6-1) will face Shawnee Mission North at 6 in the main gym.
Semifinal games will be played at 4 p.m. and 6 on Friday in the main gym, with the West-SMN and Hi Park-Wichita SE winners playing at 4 and the Hayden-Wichita East and High-Lansing winners playing at 6.
The tournament championship game is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Saturday, following the 2 p.m. third-place contest. Both those games will be played in The Dungeon while the fifth- and seventh-place games will be played in the auxiliary gym.
Highland Park's CJ Powell, a 6-foot-7 senior, turned in his best game of the season against West, scoring a game-high 26 points and Williams said Powell and his teammates both did a good job of getting the ball where it needed to go.
“As much as it’s (CJ's) job to make himself available, it’s our perimeter guys’ job to deliver that ball to him when he is available,’’ Williams said. “We’ve been struggling with that to this point in the season and we did a better of job with that (Friday).’’
Highland Park played the West game without junior standout Juan’Tario Roberts, but sophomore Jahmir Kingcannon came off the bench to score 15 points on 5 3-pointers for the Scots, helping open up room for Powell inside.
“We’re looking for shooting and to just stretch the floor,’’ Williams said. “(Junction City) sagged the mess out of us and to get a guy to be able to come off the bench in the way that he did and to make shots like that is huge.’’
Highland Park also got a key contribution from senior guar MuKhajhae Daniels, who came up big in OT.
“Khajhae’s another one that we just need to get him back to being the old Khajhae because he’s our general, he’s the toughness,’’ Williams said.
Topeka West lost a pair of starters, Zander Putthoff and Elijah Brooks, to injuries against Highland Park and their availability for the Topeka Invitational is uncertain.
Washburn Rural’s boys (5-2) are competing in the Basehor-Linwood Invitational and Shawnee Heights (3-3) in the McPherson Invitational this week, with both the Junior Blues and Shawnee Heights playing consolation games Wednesday (3 p.m.) and Thursday (7:30), respectively, after dropping their first-round tourney games.
Seaman (3-3) will begin competition in the Valley Center January Jam at 5:30 p.m. Thursday against Wichita Heights. The Vikings will take on Valley Center at 5:30 p.m. Friday and Wichita Northwest at 3 p.m. Saturday.
