The annual Kansas Basketball Coaches Association all-star games will return to Salina for the first time in nearly three decades.
Randy Walling, executive director of the KBCA, announced Tuesday that the 31st annual all-star games will be played at Kansas Wesleyan University's Mabee Arena on June 28. The girls contest will begin at 6 p.m., and the boys contest at 8 p.m.
The inaugural all-star game was held at the Bicentennial Center in 1984, but the games have been held in Topeka every year since.
The event was typically held in early August in conjunction with the Kansas Coaching Clinic, and the games were played in the middle of the week. The change in location also comes with a change in the calendar, as this year's games will be played on a Saturday night.
"One of the reasons for moving to Salina is we are trying to get more centrally located in the state," Walling said. "We're looking at Salina to be the home for this event. Salina and Kansas Wesleyan have been very gracious in working with us.
"We want our coaches and players out there that are having good seasons and have an opportunity to be in the all-star game to leave this time of year open next season."
Rosters for the KBCA all-star games will include many of the state's top players who were seniors during the 2013-14 season. Walling said when the games are played in early August, some of the state's best players are already focused on their collegiate careers and pass on the opportunity to play in the KBCA contests.
"We haven't been getting all of our top selections," Walling said. "Our original list would be quite different by the time we get to August.
"Some of our top selections are thinking about heading off to college or trying to get a vacation in, so we're hoping more of our top selections from the original list will play if it is earlier."
Among the players invited to participate in this year's contest are recent Salina Central graduates Shaelyn Martin and Emily Wood. Both players earned Class 5A all-state recognition after helping the Mustangs reach the 5A state title game.
Also announced Tuesday were individuals and teams selected for induction into the KBCA Hall of Fame. That list includes former Beloit High School standout Gary Schoen, an all-state player for the Trojans in the mid-1960s.
Also selected for induction is Little River girls coach Shane Cordell, the Little River girls basketball teams from 1995 through 1998, and the Moundridge boys basketball teams from 1990 through 1993.
KBCA Coach of the Year recipients were also announced. Among those selected were Hoxie's Shelly Hoyt in girls 1A Division I, St. John's Beloit-Tipton's Lance Bergmann in boys 1A Division II, and McPherson's Kurt Kinnamon in boys 4A Division I. McPherson's Tyler Brown was also selected boys junior high Coach of the Year.
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