Wicks, Cowboys Sign Kansas 5A Player of the Year

LARAMIE -- "Kelan Gruver will never have to buy another cheeseburger in Bonner Springs, Kansas again."

Those things happen to legends who do legendary things.

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KSHSAA Covered writer Scott Paske uttered those words above while discussing his favorite moments from the prep season that was. His top choice? Gruver's go-ahead triple late in the fourth quarter of the 5A state title game inside Koch Arena. That clutch shot -- from near the logo -- helped halt back-to-back champion Kapaun Mt. Carmel's 44-game winning streak and gave the Braves their first banner since 1984.

“It wasn’t a prayer,” Gruver, who scored a game-high 21 points that night in a 53-50 upset, told Paske postgame. “I’ve put in the time and work and shot tens of thousands of shots so that when that moment came, I could make it.”

Now, he's a Wyoming Cowboy.

Gruver, who averaged 18 points, five rebounds and nearly the same number of assists an outing, becomes the ninth new addition -- the fourth freshman -- to the roster this offseason.

"First off, I want to thank all my coaches and teammates I’ve played with over the years," Gruver, the Wichita Eagle's Class 5A Player of the Year, penned on X. "None of this would be possible without you. Secondly, I want to thank Coach (Sundance) Wicks and the University of Wyoming for giving me this opportunity."

He also earned First-Team honors from the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association.

Standing 6-foot-3, the senior guard sank more than 45% of his shots from beyond the arc. He capped his career two points shy of 1,500 points while playing for his father, Drew Gruver, who was named the 2026 Sports in Kansas All-Classes Coach of the Year.

“He only cares about doing what is best for the team,” Drew Gruver told KSHAA Covered. “He understands the game better than anyone I have coached. He makes his teammates better when he is on the floor.”

Gruver netted 503 points during his final season at Bonner Springs. He also hauled in 141 rebounds and dished out 129 helpers while leading his team to a 27-1 record.

Gruver joins fellow rookies Chris Pohl and Madden Smiley, who will arrive on campus this summer. Forwards Micah Curtis (North Dakota),  Linus Ruf (Germany) and Renars Sondors (Louisiana Monroe) were also signed in free agency. So were guards Mattia De Martin (Indian Hills Community College), Michael Mora (Cal State Monterey) and Parker Gerrits (Washington State).

Those new faces will join guards Naz Meyer and Khaden Bennett, who announced in April they will return to the lineup. That duo combined for nearly 24 points and 10 rebounds per game last winter. Back-up point guard Uriyah Rojas will also be back for his senior campaign. He netted 6.2 a night while averaging 16.5 minutes of court time.

Forward Gavin Gores will also be back for his sophomore season.

Five players entered the NCAA Transfer Portal in early April, headlined by guard Damarion Dennis, who will hook up with former UW head coach Jeff Linder at Texas Tech. Fellow guards Adam Harakow (Western Michigan) and Jared Harris (Prairie View A&M) also left in free agency. So did forwards Abou Magassa (UNC-Asheville) and Simm-Martin Saadi (Central Arkansas).

The Mountain West will look much different this fall with the departures of San Diego State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and defending conference champion Utah State. Those five are headed to the reimagined Pac-12. The league will now welcome Hawaii and UTEP as full-time members. Grand Canyon was inserted a year ahead of schedule and finished fourth overall with 20 wins. UC Davis' basketball programs will also enter the league this summer.

UNLV, Air Force, New Mexico, Nevada and San Jose State also remain.