State tournament play tips off today

Today marks the 20th anniversary of what is widely considered the defining clutch shot in area high school basketball history.

On March 10, 1990, then-Shawnee Mission South High School junior Greg Gurley unleashed a dramatic three-pointer with two seconds left to play that sealed the Raiders’ 45-43 victory over two-time reigning state champion Wichita South in the Class 6A boys state title game at Emporia.

Starting today, players from nine area boys and girls teams begin their own quest to walk a mile – or at least a few feet – in those storied size 15 sneakers of Gurley’s.

State tournament play tips off this afternoon with first-round (quarterfinal) play in each of the state’s six classes save for 1A, which opened Tuesday.

At the 6A tournament at Emporia’s White Auditorium, the eighth-seeded Blue Valley High School girls (15-7) take on top-seeded Olathe South (21-1) at 3 p.m., followed by the No. 5 (19-3) SM East girls’ 4:45 p.m. meeting with No. 4 Dodge City (19-3).

In 5A, the No. 1 Bishop Miege (22-0) boys, the lone area undefeated boys or girls entrant, lock up with No. 8 Wichita Bishop Carroll (11-11) at 3 p.m. at the Topeka Expocentre.

In 3A, the No. 7 Kansas City Christian boys (17-6) look to upend No. 2 Galena (21-2) at 3 p.m. inside the Hutchinson Sports Arena.

The area’s five other representatives play their first-round games Thursday.

In 6A, the No. 7 Blue Valley Northwest boys (15-7) match with No. 2 Dodge City (19-3) at 3 p.m., followed by an all-Sun Country affair when Gurley’s alma mater, the No. 3 SM South boys (17-5), play No. 6 Blue Valley North (15-7) at 4:45 p.m.

In 5A, the No. 2 St. Thomas Aquinas girls (21-1) battle No. 7 Topeka Seaman (16-6) at 6:30 p.m., followed by the 8:15 p.m. meeting between the lone defending state champion representing our area, the No. 6 Bishop Miege girls (16-6), and No. 3 McPherson (20-2).

Semifinal play is slated for Friday, with championships settled on Saturday.

Today Gurley, a 1991 SM South graduate who went on to play in the Final Four as a member of the vaunted University of Kansas men’s program, serves as a color analyst for the Jayhawk Television Network. He resides in Leawood along with wife Amy and the couple’s two daughters.

Gurley said he still gets reminded often of his last-second heroics at state, which he noted is fine by him.

“Being from this area and living here my whole life, it (still) gets brought up all the time, which is really cool,” Gurley said. “Of all the things I’ve done, you look back at that, and it’s one of my greatest memories.”

What Gurley recalls nearly as vividly as the big shot itself was the rabid spirit of the SM South faithful during his Raiders’ run to a perfect 24-0 season. That quest remains the school’s lone boys state basketball title to date.

“We had such an incredible fan base,” Gurley said. “The student body was unreal. The caravans to and from Emporia for those three days were just wild … it was like a college atmosphere.”

Take a peek inside the school buildings this week from which any of the area qualifying teams hail, and the buzz hangs in the air like a floater in the lane.

Not surprisingly, the undefeated Miege boys occupy a front seat in terms of fan frenzy amid this year’s ride into state.

“When it’s game day, everybody will come up to you and tell you to do a good job in the game,” Stags junior forward Curtis Okafor said. “They’re asking you to dunk and stuff for them and the crowd. School spirit is real high.”

For reigning All-Sun Girls Basketball Player of the Year and state qualifier Janna Graf, a senior guard for the SM East girls, a single word – “competition” – just keeps popping up to describe the special nature of the state basketball experience.

“After months of hard work, state is the time when the best teams battle for the state championship,” Graf said. “Each game may be your last, and players, especially the seniors, are going to be playing all out.”

Gurley wishes to arm this year’s hopefuls with the following wisdom as they board buses to depart full-speed for glory this week.

“Just soak it all in,” Gurley advised. “These are going to be some of the greatest memories of your life. Just make sure you take full advantage. Make sure you don’t leave anything on the table.”

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