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Women's Volleyball
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Three Kansas Signees Named Gatorade State Players of the Year
3/13/2025 1:35:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Three members of the Kansas women's basketball's highly-touted recruiting class were named Gatorade State Players of the Year on Thursday, as Libby Fandel (Iowa), Jaliya Davis (Kansas) and Keeley Parks (Oklahoma) brought home the honors for their home states.Â
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The Gatorade State Player of the Year award was established in 1985 to recognize the nation's most elite high school student athletes for their athletic excellence, academic achievement, and exemplary character.
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"We are all super proud of Libby, Jaliya and Keeley," Kansas coach Brandon Schneider said of the honors. "They have all had incredibly accomplished seasons and are well deserving of the many honors coming their way. Our staff is greatly looking forward to their arrival on campus in June."
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Fandel, a 6-1 guard from Xavier HS in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, averaged 26.3 points, 10.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game as a senior. She led her team to the Class 4A state title and was the captain of the All-Tournament team after setting an Iowa 4A postseason record by scoring 94 points, an average of 31.3 per game. Rated a four-star prospect and the No. 44 player in the class by ESPNW, Fandel was also named the all-class Miss Iowa Basketball. She has maintained a 3.97 grade point average throughout her prep career.
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Davis, a 6-2 forward from Blue Valley North HS, is averaging 25.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 2.1 assists per game entering the Kansas Class 6A state tournament. She led Blue Valley North to the 2023 Class 6A State Championship and a third-place finish in 2024. Davis is the top prospect in the state of Kansas, rated a five-star and the No. 17 recruit in the country by ESPNW. In January, Davis was selected to participate in the 2025 McDonald's All-America game, becoming the third McDonald's All-American in Kansas women's basketball history and the second to sign with the Jayhawks out of high school. She also becomes the first Gatorade Player of the Year from the state of Kansas to sign with KU since Natalie Knight in 2011. Davis holds a 4.31 weighted grade point average during high school.
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Parks, a 5-11 guard from Norman, Oklahoma, is a repeat selection as the Gatorade State Player of the Year in Oklahoma. She is averaging 25.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.2 steals and 3.8 assists per game at the time of her selection, which comes while her team is competing in the Oklahoma Class 6A state tournament. In the opening round of the tournament, Parks hit the game-winning shot to advance Norman high school to the state semifinals. Rated a five-star prospect by both 247Sports and ESPNW, Parks is the No. 29 ranked player in the country by ESPNW. She broke her high school's career scoring record for boys and girls, entering the state tournament with 1,838 career points. She has maintained a 3.82 grade point average while at Norman high school.
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The trio highlights Kansas' four-player recruiting class of 2025, which is ranked No. 6 in the country by ESPNW. Davis becomes the highest-ranked player that Kansas has signed during Schneider's tenure and the class is his best, topping the class of 2023, which was ranked No. 24. The fourth member of the recruiting class is four-star prospect Tatyonna Brown, a 6-2 forward from Air Academy high school in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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In each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, one Gatorade State Player of the Year is awarded in 12 sports. From this pool of state winners, 12 Gatorade National Players of the Year are then selected. The award holds athletes to the highest standard by recognizing the nation's most outstanding high school student-athletes for accomplishments on the field of play and beyond. The committee carefully analyzes all candidates by weighing the three pillars of the program: athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character.
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The Gatorade State Player of the Year award was established in 1985 to recognize the nation's most elite high school student athletes for their athletic excellence, academic achievement, and exemplary character.
Â
"We are all super proud of Libby, Jaliya and Keeley," Kansas coach Brandon Schneider said of the honors. "They have all had incredibly accomplished seasons and are well deserving of the many honors coming their way. Our staff is greatly looking forward to their arrival on campus in June."
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Fandel, a 6-1 guard from Xavier HS in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, averaged 26.3 points, 10.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game as a senior. She led her team to the Class 4A state title and was the captain of the All-Tournament team after setting an Iowa 4A postseason record by scoring 94 points, an average of 31.3 per game. Rated a four-star prospect and the No. 44 player in the class by ESPNW, Fandel was also named the all-class Miss Iowa Basketball. She has maintained a 3.97 grade point average throughout her prep career.
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ÂCONGRATS to @LibbyFandel on being named Miss Iowa Basketball 2025 ??#RockChalk ???? pic.twitter.com/GEGqlELeZP
— Kansas Women's Basketball (@KUWBball) March 11, 2025
Davis, a 6-2 forward from Blue Valley North HS, is averaging 25.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 2.1 assists per game entering the Kansas Class 6A state tournament. She led Blue Valley North to the 2023 Class 6A State Championship and a third-place finish in 2024. Davis is the top prospect in the state of Kansas, rated a five-star and the No. 17 recruit in the country by ESPNW. In January, Davis was selected to participate in the 2025 McDonald's All-America game, becoming the third McDonald's All-American in Kansas women's basketball history and the second to sign with the Jayhawks out of high school. She also becomes the first Gatorade Player of the Year from the state of Kansas to sign with KU since Natalie Knight in 2011. Davis holds a 4.31 weighted grade point average during high school.
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ÂOur McDonald's All-American, @Jaliya_Davis_ ??
— Kansas Women's Basketball (@KUWBball) January 27, 2025
Big congrats to the future Jayhawk ????
??? https://t.co/JM7OnCsPvQ pic.twitter.com/rC7ciQfMQU
Parks, a 5-11 guard from Norman, Oklahoma, is a repeat selection as the Gatorade State Player of the Year in Oklahoma. She is averaging 25.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.2 steals and 3.8 assists per game at the time of her selection, which comes while her team is competing in the Oklahoma Class 6A state tournament. In the opening round of the tournament, Parks hit the game-winning shot to advance Norman high school to the state semifinals. Rated a five-star prospect by both 247Sports and ESPNW, Parks is the No. 29 ranked player in the country by ESPNW. She broke her high school's career scoring record for boys and girls, entering the state tournament with 1,838 career points. She has maintained a 3.82 grade point average while at Norman high school.
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ÂKEELEY PARKS GAME WINNER ?? @KeeleyParks04 hits the game winning three to advance to the OSSAA Class 6A State Tournament Semifinals
— Kansas Women's Basketball (@KUWBball) March 11, 2025
??: @OKHoopsReport pic.twitter.com/QoK3rC7Vlu
The trio highlights Kansas' four-player recruiting class of 2025, which is ranked No. 6 in the country by ESPNW. Davis becomes the highest-ranked player that Kansas has signed during Schneider's tenure and the class is his best, topping the class of 2023, which was ranked No. 24. The fourth member of the recruiting class is four-star prospect Tatyonna Brown, a 6-2 forward from Air Academy high school in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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In each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, one Gatorade State Player of the Year is awarded in 12 sports. From this pool of state winners, 12 Gatorade National Players of the Year are then selected. The award holds athletes to the highest standard by recognizing the nation's most outstanding high school student-athletes for accomplishments on the field of play and beyond. The committee carefully analyzes all candidates by weighing the three pillars of the program: athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character.
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Get to Know - Tatyonna Brown
Wednesday, July 09
2025-26 WBB Season Hype
Tuesday, July 08
Get to Know - Libby Fandel
Wednesday, July 02
Get to Know - Keeley Parks
Wednesday, June 25