Meet the 2018 Wichita Eagle's All-State Boys Basketball Team

Here is the Eagle's 2018 All-State Boys Basketball Team:

Luke Evans

Bishop Carroll Senior

Evans’ placement on the Eagle’s 2018 All-State team was not because of jaw-dropping statistics.

Evans led Carroll to its first boys basketball state championship with a 43-41 overtime victory against Salina Central in Class 5A. He had a team-high 14 points in the victory, but his leadership seemed to be the deciding factor.

Carroll’s roster was riddled with inexperience and injuries this season. Evans was the only senior. The Eagles weren’t the most talented team at the Class 5A tournament or even in the City League, but Evans orchestrated the offense in a way that got his supporting cast into roles they were comfortable with.

Evans played out of position all season. Usually a wing who can shoot threes and drive from the corner, Evans was forced to play power forward and point guard, dribbling the ball down the court, calling out plays and then directing from the post.

The Eagles started the season 4-4 but caught fire the second half of the season, winning 18 of the last 19 games. Although Evans finished third on the team in scoring at 11.9 points per game, he was a force in the state tournament.

Evans was two assists away from a triple-double in the 5A semifinal against Mill Valley and averaged 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, six assists and two steals for the tournament.

“I’ve never really talked about this, but I’ve kinda always felt like I’ve been overlooked and underrated, but that’s just me – that’s the chip on my shoulder that I play with,” Evans said. “It feels good to have this recognition, but it’s not all me that deserves this.”

Zach Harvey

Topeka Hayden Junior

He shined brightest on the biggest stage.

Harvey scored 34 points in the Class 4A-II state championship game against Holcomb, and games like that have put him on the Division I radar. He holds scholarship offers from Kansas, Ohio State, UCLA and others. But like Bishop Miege's Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, another member of this year's All-State team (see below), Harvey has another year of high school remaining.

Harvey is already above 1,000 career points despite suffering several injuries in his career at Topeka-Hayden. Just this season, Harvey struggled through an ankle injury that he never fully recovered from.

“We were talking about how many games he actually played where he felt good and was healthy,” coach Torrey Head said. “It was probably what you could count on one hand. So he remarkably fought through all that.”

Still, Harvey averaged 23.1 points this season, showcasing his explosion to the basket and ability to hit the tough shots. He has posted to single-game scoring record at Hayden, reaching 42 twice.

Although Harvey has displayed an ability to take over games, the Wildcats struggled at times this season, entering the state tournament as the No. 6 seed and a 15-7 record. But that’s when Harvey took over.

“We took that seed as motivation,” Harvey said. “We just used that with everyone thinking that we were just coming in with all this hype and we were just gonna lose. So we definitely had to show that we were really a team that could compete and win a state title.”

Joe Pleasant

Blue Valley Northwest Senior

On a team of dominance, Pleasant stood out.

Blue Valley Northwest won the Class 6A state championship in 2018 against Lawrence Free State, and Pleasant 19 points.

At 6-foot-6, Pleasant was just the latest Northwest star. He averaged 15.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, but scored 20.3 in the state tournament.

Pleasant was a rare four-year starter at Northwest. He became a leader for the Huskies. When problems arose, Pleasant was often the one to extinguish the issues.

“On different nights, different guys stepped up,” coach Ed Fritz said. “Joe was a great player, but we had about four other guys that could get it done.”

Pleasant helped lead the Huskies to back-to-back state championships and a 21-4 record in 2018; Northwest did not lose to a team in Kansas.

Pleasant has signed to play at Abilene Christian University in Texas.

Ben Pyle

McPherson Senior

At one of Kansas’ most historic basketball schools, Pyle is among the best to play.

He holds numerous McPherson records, including career points, rebounds and games played, and he saved his best for his senior season.

Pyle averaged 22.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, four assists, 2.3 steals and 1.5 blocks in 2018 and led the Bullpups back to their fifth straight Class 4A-Division I championship game.

Pyle is dominant in many facets. He was almost impossible to guard in the post, standing much taller than most high school centers. He could dribble and drive to the hoop and finish. And maybe most impressive, he could shoot.

He has the McPherson record for career three-pointers made.

McPherson lost to Miege for a third straight year, but the game featured one of the great matchups of the season: Pyle vs. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, another All-State honoree.

Both about 6-foot-8, they matched well against each other and combined for 40 points in the championship game. Still, Pyle said his best memories of McPherson will come with playing in the Roundhouse.

“The goal is always to win a state championship,” he said. “But to be named to the All-State is probably No. 2.”

Pyle has signed to play at Western Illinois University.

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl

Bishop Miege Junior

He is becoming one of Kansas’ best in recent years.

Robinson-Earl helped lead Bishop Miege to its third straight Class 4A-Division I state championship and a 22-3 record in 2018 while putting up monster numbers. He averaged 21.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks per game, which earned him high honors this year.

He was recently named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Kansas, joining the likes of Kansas State’s Dean Wade and former Kansas star Perry Ellis. He was also named the Eastern Kansas League’s most valuable player this year.

With several high-profile prospects in Kansas, Robinson-Earl might headline the group as a 6-foot-9 junior. He holds scholarship offers from Kansas, Arizona, Virginia and others. Robinson-Earl’s versatility given his size is what separates him from most. He is excellent in the post and can get to the basket and finish in many different ways. And with his length, he is one of the premier defenders in Kansas, able to guard multiple positions without sacrificing athleticism.

2018 marks the third straight season Robinson-Earl has been named to an All-State team, and with several top players returning next season, there is little reason he won’t make it four.

Ed Fritz

Blue Valley Northwest coach

Fritz has created a bit of a machine at the highest level of Kansas high school basketball.

Blue Valley Northwest won its second straight Class 6A championship in 2018. It was the Huskies’ seventh title game appearance since 2010. Fritz has won four titles at Northwest. He has more than 600 career wins.

Although the 2018 team turned out to be one of Fritz’s best, it didn’t start that way. After scheduling some of the best teams in Missouri, the Huskies started the season 4-4. They didn’t lose again, finishing the season on a 22-game win streak.

Fritz has sent numerous players to Division I programs. Three are playing in this year’s NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen. This year’s team featured four players who averaged about 10 points per game, including All-State selection Joe Pleasant.

And that is only the beginning of outstanding stats from this year’s group.

The Huskies were undefeated against sub-state finalists and champions this season. Their 31-point win against Shawnee Mission West was the second largest margin of any sub-state final in Kansas’ top four classes.

Northwest averaged the most points per game of any Kansas team while boasting the second-largest average margin of victory. Fritz said his job was just to get his players in positions to make plays.

“There’s a lot of really great coaches in this state, and just to be recognized with those other coaches is such a big honor,” he said.

This story was originally published March 21, 2018 at 2:56 PM with the headline "Meet the 2018 Wichita Eagle's All-State Boys Basketball Team."