COMMITTED🕷️‼️#ONERICHMOND @SpiderMBB @SpiderAthletics @KCRunGMC @OlatheNorthBB @PreachaZo @SamSimmonsSr

Time to build 🧱🧱🧱 #OneRichmond

Thank you to @samsimmonsjr and @Williamcooper0 for coming to Central to read to students, talk about the books, discuss the importance of being a student first and sharing the journey of winning Olathe North’s first state basketball championship. @OlatheNorthBB

Very thankful for being awarded the @KSSCentral 2026 Ad Astra Award winner for Boys Basketball. #OWE @SamSimmonsSr

🏆 Sam Simmons of Olathe North is the 2026 Ad Astra Award Winner for Boys Basketball. @samsimmonsjr

🏆 Ad Astra Award Finalists Sam Simmons — Olathe North (G) Kelan Gruver — Bonner Springs (G) Cooper Carr — Baldwin (G) Boston Ekart — Sterling (SF) Who do you think should win the Ad Astra this year?

Can we just keep celebrating this amazing team forever? 🥰❤️🏀💙

Getting to recognize this team at the @olatheschools Board of Education meeting tonight brings such joy! Can we celebrate them every week? Don’t want this season to ever end. 🥰🎉👏🏼 ❤️🏀💙

Thank you @KSSCentral for recognizing me as the 6A Player of the Year! #OWE @SamSimmonsSr @OlatheNorthBB

Sam Simmons of Olathe North is the 2026 Kansas Sports Central 6A Boys Basketball Player of the Year 🏆

Thank you to the Wichita Eagle and @tayloreldridge for awarding me the KS 6A Player of the Year and 6A First Team. #OWE @SamSimmonsSr @OlatheNorthBB

Thank you @sportsinkansas for awarding me with the Top 5 in KS award and All Classes Defensive Player of the Year! #OWE @SamSimmonsSr @OlatheNorthBB

The top boys basketball team from each state’s highest classification 👀🏀 Full list ⬇️ maxpreps.com/news/QxQRBQv_H0…

2026 Sports in Kansas Boys🏀 Defensive Player of the Year (All-Classes) Sam Simmons Jr., Olathe North Sr. Cam Love, Olathe North Sr. Leo Schoenberger, Baldwin Sr. Jack Herd, South Central Sr. Dayne Johnson, Silver Lake Sr. (Not pictured) Five of the top defenders in Kansas, representing all levels of the state while showcasing elite defensive impact regardless of class. The Defensive Player of the Year selections are not done strictly by classification. Instead, we select five players statewide as part of our All-Classes Defensive Team. Our process/criteria/guidelines guarantees representation across the state: • At least one player has to be from large schools (6A/5A) • At least one player has to be from mid-sized schools (4A/3A) • At least one player has to be from small schools (2A/1A-I/1A-II) The remaining selections are awarded to the best overall defensive players in Kansas, regardless of class. This allows us to recognize elite defensive impact at every level of the state while still honoring the very best players, no matter where they play. Full bios and interviews to follow tonight and tomorrow. #sportsinkansas Left to right: Schoenberger, Herd, Simmons, Love

Kansas’ Elite Five of 2025–2026 — Who’s the Absolute Best? KaeVon Bonner | 6'4" Guard | Seaman Kelan Gruver | 6'2" Guard | Bonner Springs Boston Ekart | 6'6" Wing | Sterling Reece Riedel | 6'4" Guard | Mill Valley Sam Simmons, Jr. | 5'10" Guard | Olathe North @BonnerKaevon33 @kelangruver45 @bostonekart @ReeceRiedel5 @samsimmonsjr @mosesk225 @SeamanBoysBball @BSHSHoops @SHSBlackBears @MVJagHoops @OlatheNorthBB tinyurl.com/7txh2e4d

Introducing the Sports in Kansas 2026 Boys Top 5 Basketball Team #sportsinkansas Sebastian Hines-Turner, Wichita Collegiate, 6’5”, Sr. Cooper Carr, Baldwin, 6’3”, Sr. Kelan Gruver, Bonner Springs, 6’3”, Sr. Reece Riedel, Mill Valley, 6’5”, Sr. Sam Simmons Jr., Olathe North, 5’11”, Sr. Boston Ekart, Sterling, 6’6”, Sr. Presented by Mammoth Watco B&D Buildings Nex-Tech Wireless Lewis Automotive Group Channel Seed Landoll Six selected due to a tie in voting.

KSHSAA Covered Boys All-State Top 15 #KSHSAACovered x @CapFed kshsaacovered.com/news/2026/…