Top high school players honored on the 2023 Wichita Eagle boys basketball All-Metro team
The Wichita Eagle announced its 19th annual All-Metro boys basketball team on Wednesday, recognizing some of the best high school players in the state of Kansas from the 2022-23 season.
The All-Metro team features the top players and the top coach from Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties based on statistics, team success, postseason recognition and area coaches’ feedback. Andover senior Eli Shetlar was named the Player of the Year after leading the Trojans to the first state championship in school history with a run through the Class 5A state tournament.
Here is the full look at the 2023 Wichita Eagle All-Metro boys basketball team:
Will Anciaux, Kapaun Mt. Carmel senior
Better known as a future Division I football player, Anciaux proved he could be a force on the basketball court as the go-to player on a Kapaun Mt. Carmel team that reached the Class 5A state championship game. The Crusaders ran their offense through the 6-foot-6 senior in the post and he responded with averages of 15.1 points and 7.6 rebounds, which helped the team to a 23-2 record and a share of the City League title. Anciaux, who also earned all-class, all-state honors from The Eagle, is signed to play tight end on the Kansas State football team next season.
Kapaun Mt. Carmel coach Steve Eck on Anciaux: “Will is such a team player. He could have averaged more than 20 points this season if he wanted to, but he was always looking to kick out to his teammates and help them get wide-open looks. He’s a good basketball player and a great guy. He’s pretty skilled around the basket. He can use his left or right hand to score and he shot 70% from the free throw line, so he was pretty tough to slow down. He just had a high basketball IQ and was a great teammate.”
Anciaux on his favorite memory: “All of the friendships that I made with my teammates throughout the years. We had a close, tight-knit group this year and I had a lot of fun, whether it was team dinners or going out to the lake with the guys or just messing around after practice. We were super tight and it was very memorable to be able to play at a high level with those guys. We made a nic run this year and that’s something I’ll never forget.”
Isaiah Atwater, Maize South senior
Atwater was the do-everything point guard who led Maize South to just its second appearance at the state tournament in school history. The 5-foot-10 senior, who is signed to play Division II basketball at Missouri Southern State, averaged 12.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.1 steals this season, as the Mavericks finished with a 19-4 record. The floor general ended his career as the all-time leader in Maize South history in assists, as well as setting the single-season record for assists this season.
Maize South coach Joe Jackson on Atwater: “Isaiah is a special, special kid and his work ethic is second to none. He puts in the hard work and he stands for the right things on and off the court, which make him such a joy to coach. I’ve coached a lot of really good guards and Isaiah’s court vision is the best of any kid I’ve ever coached. His IQ and just the amount of time he puts into studying the game is the best I’ve ever been around. He was making next-level ball-screen reads as a sophomore. Most kids are just reading the first level, but he was already reading the hedge, reading his defender, reading where the tag was coming from. It’s like he has eyes in the back of his head. He’s always making the right reads and giving us the advantage every time down.”
Atwater on his favorite memory: “Definitely getting Maize South to state. It was only the second time in school history that happened, so it was pretty special to be able to be a part of that and make history for our school.”
Kaeson Fisher-Brown, Derby senior
Fisher-Brown blossomed into a full-fledged star in his senior season, averaging 16.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.7 steals. The 6-foot-2 guard, who is signed to play Division II basketball at Newman, came through in the clutch time and time again for an 18-7 Derby team that finished third in Class 6A after Fisher-Brown drilled a game-winner in overtime of his last high school game. It was the first win at the state tournament since 2018 for Derby, as Fisher-Brown earned first team all-state Class 6A honors.
Derby coach Brett Flory on Fisher-Brown: “Kaeson is the hardest worker I’ve ever coached and he is as good of a leader as I’ve ever had. It was great to see the year end so well for him. We would have loved to be in the state championship game, but to be able to hit a game-winner in his last game was very fitting. I’m very proud of him and he set a great example for our kids coming through our program. His legacy will definitely be one that is remembered around here for a long time.
“He was just a complete guard for us this year. He could score the ball, he could create for others, he could shoot it with range, get to the basket and he had a nice mid-range game. I think he was pretty under-rated defensively, too.”
Fisher-Brown on his favorite memory: “Being able to turn around the culture is the main thing. The past few years we’ve had all of the talent, but we haven’t been able to put it together. It was just a lot of individual stuff and being able to turn things around as a leader and do a complete 180 was awesome. We didn’t win it all, which sucks, but at the same time we still took home some hardware and that’s something we can all be proud of.”
Eli Shetlar, Andover senior
One of the state’s top sharpshooters who led Andover to the first state championship in school history. Shetlar averaged 17.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists for the Trojans, which finished with a 23-2 record and won the Class 5A state title by knocking off the top two-ranked teams in the state. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard is signed to play Division I basketball at Indiana State and was named the AV-CTL Div. II Player of the Year this season, as well as a top-five all-class, all-state player by The Eagle.
Andover coach Martin Shetlar on his son: “I was so proud of all of our kids for the way they stepped up in big games. I think there was a point early in the season where they just decided, ‘We can do this. We’re going to do this.’ Once they determined that was going to happen, we were a whole new team.
“What I’ve always liked about Eli is the way he understands the game of basketball. He’s just a smart player who wants to win. He knows how to get his points, but he also knows how to get his teammates involved and get them in the right positions to give the team the best chance to win.”
Shetlar on his favorite memory: “The obvious answer is winning the state championship, but really the whole state tournament was super fun. And to do it all with the friends I grew up with was so awesome. I’m glad that we were able to go out like that.”
Kobe Smith, Andover Central senior
Not only did Smith maintain the scoring prowess that made him arguably the most dangerous scorer in the area, but he also increased his production in every other statistical category as a senior. The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 19.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.0 steals this season for the Jaguars, which finished with a 17-5 record and reached a sub-state final. Few players in the state could control the game quite like Smith at the Class 5A level, as he applied tremendous pressure on defenses as a three-level scorer with the ability to set up teammates for easy baskets as well. Smith remains one of the top uncommitted players in Kansas in the class of 2023.
Andover Central coach Tyler Richardson on Smith: “Kobe has a work ethic that you will see from very few kids. I always compare him to Perry Ellis when I was at Heights. He wants to come to the gym before school and after practice. He just loves basketball. He is a very talented scorer, but if you look at his stats, he increased in all categories this year. He can put the ball in the hole and he takes great pride in what he does defensively. I’m sure every team we played had him at the top of their scouting report and their mindset was to do everything they could to stop Kobe.
“But honestly when I talk about Kobe, basketball is one of the last things that I usually talk about. He goes about his business the absolute best way you can imagine. He’s been a tremendous leader and mentor these last two years. He’s nearly a 4.0 student. He’s respected by all of his peers and his teachers. He helps the managers carry water bottles and bags and things like that. He’s just a phenomenal young man.”
Smith on his favorite memory: “Honestly, it was coming to Andover Central as a transfer at the start of my junior year. I got accepted at the school very quickly and not a lot of players can expect that. So that was definitely a highlight for me, even though that’s kind of outside of basketball. But that was really a highlight for me to form that connection with those guys.”
T.J. Williams, Heights junior
After helping Heights win the Class 6A state championship last season, Williams became the leading scorer for the Falcons as a junior in another season that ended in the state finals. The Falcons settled for a runner-up finish, but still finished with a 22-3 record and a share of the City League championship. The 6-foot-3 guard is already attracting high-major Division I attention as a class of 2024 prospect after averaging 16.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks this season. He is currently on pace to finish his career with more than 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists and 100 blocks, which would be a first in program history.
Heights coach Joe Auer on Williams: “T.J. is a big, strong kid who is a great ball handler, a great passer and can finish through contact. He can score it at three different levels and is just a handful for opponents because he’s so multi-dimensional. You can’t really take away his offense because he can score in so many different ways, and then he also protects the rim for us and grabs rebounds. He’s just a winner and he wants to leave a mark as one of the greatest winners and if you can do that in our program, then that says a lot about you.
Williams on his favorite memory: “Being able to come back to Heights and just the moment with my friends and family.”
Garrett Roth, Hesston coach
Hesston had plenty to prove after losing a historic senior class as well as long-time coach Greg Raleigh, who helped the program win back-to-back Class 3A state championships. Guided by Roth, a first-year coach and Hesston graduate, a new cast of Hesston players kept the streak going with a 25-1 season that ended in a third straight 3A title. After losing the first game of the season, the Swathers won 25 straight behind the play of Jake Proctor, who was named 3A Player of the Year, and fellow seniors Micah Dahlsten, Lane McGill, Eric Schmidt, Isaac Sanchez, Colton Diller and Tyler Rewerts.
Hesston coach Garrett Roth on his team: “We lost a really good group of seniors last year and we had another group coming into their senior year that really didn’t have much experience on the varsity floor. But all of those guys stepped up so much this year and really filled the roles that we needed around Jake. Most importantly, these kids all really liked each other and they played for each other and that was just awesome to see them get it done on the biggest stage.”
All-Metro second team
Andrell Burton Jr., Campus junior
Trevor Cowman, Circle senior
Conar Harris, Independent senior
Sebastian Hines-Turner, Collegiate freshman
Jake Proctor, Hesston senior
B.J. Redic, Andover senior
Kellan Simoneau, Rose Hill senior
William Thengvall, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior
Tasean Williams, Northwest junior
Marcus Zeigler, Heights senior
Martin Shetlar, Andover coach
All-Metro third team
Kaiden Abasolo, Mulvane junior
Mikey Brand, Bishop Carroll junior
Jordy Dolloff, Classical senior
Chris Harris, Andover senior
Corbin Johnson, Kapaun Mt. Carmel sophomore
Michael Kates, Maize South junior
Kaden McDaniel, Augusta senior
Dallas Metzger, Derby junior
Jaden Parker, Collegiate freshman
Brian Perry, Andover Central senior
Jaden Roth, Eisenhower senior
Wyatt Spexarth, Andale senior
Jack Voth, Cheney junior
Amalachi Wilkins, Heights sophomore
Tyler Keim, Independent coach
This story was originally published April 5, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
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