Goddard girls! and new poll

Our senior contributing editor, Ted Hayes, has written a column to be published in the February edition of the magazine about the need for a Grand State Basketball Tournament in Kansas. His position is that there are too many classes in Kansas for the number of schools in the state, thus the six state titles handed out for both girls and boys do not mean as much as they should. He makes his case for downsizing from six classes to four and holding a Grand State Tournament between the winners of the class titles. His points are succinct and well-founded. I'm curious as to our readers' opinions on this topic.

On a more immediate note, I got to watch the Derby-Goddard girls game last night. Bob Hovey ranked Derby No. 2 in Class 6A at the beginning of the week, and Goddard No. 9. After watching them go head-to-head last night, Goddard clearly seems to be the better squad. I understood the rankings going into the ballgame, since Goddard lost earlier in the season to Maize, a team Derby destroyed last week. Goddard is putting it together, however.

The Lady Lions carried a 10-point lead throughout much of the game, eventually winning 66-55. Their starting five is so strong, and each excels in a different way. Alysia Hart sees the pass ahead on the fastbreak and uses the jump-stop and up-fakes to her advantage in the half-court. Lindsey Keller seals very well on the low block and has touch off the bank. Samantha Soyez, a sophomore transfer from Hillsboro, last season's 3A state champ, makes unlikely passes from all angles (she's deceptive as most lefties are). Katie Porter and Kelsey Frey are very feisty on defense, and though she wasn't hot from three-point range last night, I watched her drain four or five of them at sub-state last season.

Goddard is a team to watch, but I don't think they can beat Wichita Heights, which has their showdown against Bishop Carroll on Friday. By the way, Heights beat Northwest 78-32 last night. That's astounding, considering Northwest upset Kapaun over the weekend - Kapaun, a team Bob Hovey ranks in the top 10 in Class 5A. Heights will be rolling by playoffs; they're already gaining momentum after a close call on November 30 against Wichita South to open the season.

I also watched the Belle Plaine boys last night against Garden Plain. They crushed the Owls, as they have to be one of the tallest teams in Class 3A. Bryce Gooch is listed as 6-6 (a stretch, he's 6-4), and he is dominant at this level in the post. He scores back to basket from eight to ten feet and can face up and hit the 10- to 12-footer. He's a nice player and will ensure that Belle Plaine competes with Wichita Collegiate at sub-state. So far, I've got Belle Plaine and Trinity being able to compete with the Spartans.

Don't forget to vote on the new poll regarding a Grand State Basketball Tournament in Kansas! Also, let me know who you're watching. I'm looking for talent, and I need your feedback, so I know where to go on Tuesdays and Fridays.