Buzzer beaters: With coach departing and seven seniors departing, future is now for SM East girls

No one can pinpoint the precise moment this season when the Shawnee Mission East High School girls basketball squad morphed into a scene from a departure gate up at KCI.

But facts are facts.

That 800-pound gorilla in the corner of the room is a thing called “urgency.”

The furry guy is deep into his stretching routine as the 19-3 and fouth-seeded Lancers step onto the court at Emporia’s White Auditorium at 4:45 p.m. today in the opening round of the Class 6A state tournament.

They take on Dodge City, the fifth seed, which sports an identical 19-3 record.

Whether this season for the SM East girls ultimately ends in a victorious midcourt clump Saturday or sometime earlier, rest assured someone prone to sentimentality will be on the third box of Kleenex by then.

“We don’t talk about that,” said sixth-year SM East coach Rick Rhoades said after his team handled SM North 51-46 Friday in the championship game of Tournament “A” of the SM Northwest Sub-state.

“We talk about the next play, the next game,” Rhoades said. “We don’t look into the future much.”

Good thing, too, because the not-too-distant future for these Lancers holds in it a few firm handshakes and a whole lot of goodbye, good-luck hugs.

Coach Rhoades, who has compiled a superb 95-33 coaching record in six seasons at the SM East helm heading into state, will depart following the season for his next girls head coaching position at brand new Blue Valley Southwest, which opens in the autumn.

One of the Lancers’ all-time greats, 5-11 senior guard Janna Graf, graduates and heads for the Ivy League and the Yale University women’s basketball program.

Graf will tote along this season’s latest eye-popping numbers – 21 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, to go along with 3.9 steals, 2.3 assists and an even dozen double-doubles.

A two-time Sunflower League Player of the Year now is as many seasons, she has been nominated for McDonald’s All-American status as well as Gatorade Player of the Year.

Then there is the not-so-small point of her 4.8 grade-point average in class.

“You only get one of these in a lifetime,” Rhoades said.

Another 5-11 senior guard, Alison Stephens, also eyes a college hoops career and is looking toward the NCAA Division III level.

The five other seniors are calling it a wrap in terms of hoops following the season.

So you will not look up to find Rhoades shouting the directive to “focus!” at his troops any time soon.

There simply is no need. To a player, these Lancers veteran and young get it.

The big picture?

Why, it is far more pleasant than all the impending goodbyes. It is more inviting and suitable for framing.

For starters, these spunky Lancers make a fun living off of their defense, defense and defense – did we mention defense? – paired with smart and timely execution on offense.

They press you from approximately the time you leave middle school.

And it works.

They ride a 12-game win streak into state.

After seeing SM West put an end to each of their past three seasons, twice in the sub-state final and then last year in the quarterfinal round at state, the Vikings are no longer in the scenery.

The Lancers took SM West out twice this season, then saw the Vikings fall to Lawrence Free State at sub-state Friday just prior to the Lancers’ win over SM North.

“Right now our goal is to get past where we were last year,” Graf said. “There are so many good teams at state, you don’t know what will happen. I mean, it’s a goal (to win), but I’ll be happy however it works out because we’ve worked hard all season.”

For certain, this large senior cast scores points for unselfishness.

The group is, as much as anything, about the furthering of the SM East program after their. That also rang true with plenty of unselfish seniors before them.

“We got to see our seniors and juniors,” Stephens said. “That motivation and spark from your leaders passes down.

“Then when (this year’s underclassmen) become leaders next year, they are going to remember us and they are going to follow our path.

“We are going to be good role models,” Stephens noted,” and I think that tradition can definitely carry.”

Rhoades’ subjects earned a share of the Sunflower League crown with Olathe South for the second time in three seasons this year, finishing 10-1.

He is confident his girls will play looser this time on the state’s biggest stage.

“(Last year) was the first time we’d been since 1990,” Rhoades said. “When we walked into the place, their eyes bugged open ... we were very tight.

This year’s Lancers have a veteran calm about them, having pulled off the rare and impressive feat of finishing undefeated in road games this season, going 9-0.

Not an easy task, given the Sunflower League’s talent.

So now at state, “I think when we step on the court this year on Wednesday, our kids are going to be pumping, and they’re going to be hitting it, and they’re going to go hard and not going to feel that nervous since they’ve been there,” Rhoades predicted. “All of these kids played last year.”

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