Most Intriguing 8 Prospects from St. Paul’s vs. Karr (Video)
St. Paul’s took care of business as expected posting a 58-47 road win in what as the season opener for both teams on Tuesday (Nov. 14). The Wolves have a core group of seniors that have played big roles in their success over the last two seasons in particular (57-10 record) and they appear poised to have another strong year.
Meanwhile, Karr is still missing 5-6 rotation players to the football team, which advanced to the Class 4A Quarterfinals this past Friday. The Cougars were a bit thin as a result and St. Paul’s took advantage early on building a 24-8 lead midway through the second quarter.
The Wolves maintained a double-digit lead throughout the rest of the game but Karr was able to put a bit of pressure on them in the fourth quarter closing the gap to 47-37 with 5:29 left. A seasoned St. Paul’s team locked in once again, though, and put Karr away down the stretch for a comfortable win.
The Wolves won’t suit up again until Thursday in the Rumble on the Ridge Tournament in Arkansas and Karr rebounded with a 56-37 win over Carver on Thursday. Here’s a look at the top players from the matchup and the impacts they could have on their teams going forward.
Parker Edwards — St. Paul’s 6’3” 2018 G/W
Edwards is a flat out scorer who gets it done in any setting. He’s a confident, knock-down shooter with a quick release from deep and he’s never hesitant to get his shots up. Edwards is also really effective from the wing using pump fakes and his feel for the game to get to the rim and he’s able to draw fouls and convert at the free throw line.
The 6-foot-3 guard went 7-of-8 from the stripe against Karr and sunk three 3-pointers en route to a game-high 26-point performance. Edwards also had the game-high in rebounds with eight and he could be up for a big season as the go-to scorer with former point guard T.J. Bedford now in the college football ranks at Texas State.
Chandler Owenby — St. Paul’s 2018 6’8” F
Owenby has a lot of upside and has the skill and size of a prototypical stretch-4 on the college level. He’s a good athlete who can run the floor and finish above the rim and also has a sweet shooting stroke out to the 3-point line. The 6-foot-8 prospect didn’t get to show much of the latter in Tuesday’s opener but had three big dunks that really swung the momentum and got the Wolves going.
He finished with nine points, five rebounds and a couple of big blocks, and also kept Karr’s big men in check for much of the game.
Devonte Allen — St. Paul’s 2018 6’5” F
Allen was a steady presence for St. Paul’s making all the small plays that go unnoticed in the box score. He was on the floor for loose balls, active on defense with two steals and two blocks, and efficient offensively capitalizing on his chances around the rim and at the free throw line. The 6-foot-5 forward was St. Paul’s’ second leading scorer with 13 points and also pulled down six boards.
Bill Leahy — St. Paul’s 2020 5’11” PG
Leahy is an interesting prospect who excels in his role as a ball-distributing point guard who can also defend at a high level. He orchestrated the Wolves’ offense beautifully finding Edwards and other teammates in spots where they could be effective and was a pest on defense all game long. Leahy finished with 2 points and had a game-high 6 assists while blocking three shots with some tight on-ball defense.
Marc Bowie — Karr 2018 6’2” G
Bowie was once again the steadiest hand for Karr leading the team in scoring with 13 points, 7 of which came in the fourth quarter. He certainly could have had an even bigger night missing some easy opportunities around the rim but those should fall as the season progresses and he gets into more of a rhythm. The Arkansas Fort-Smith signee showed some fight for Karr never allowing the Cougars to give up, and his dunk early in the fourth quarter forced a St. Paul’s timeout after the score was cut to 47-37.
De’Antray Hughes — Karr 2019 6’5 F
After breakout showings in the Prep Hoops LA Top 250 Expo and the jamboree against West Jeff, Hughes had a bit of a letdown. He isn’t great at creating his own shot with a post-up or face-up game off the dribble and is largely reliant on transition opportunities, put-backs and finishes after penetration from one of his guards.
Those chances were few and far between for Hughes as the Wolves set the tone and pace of the game from the opening tap. He only had 2 points with 2 rebounds at halftime but showed some mental toughness battling back in the second half to finish with 8 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. Hughes also showed off his incredible athleticism in the game with an offensive rebound and a dunk from a stand still.
Reynaud Shields — Karr 2020 5’8” PG
Shields is a confident ball handler and shooter and both of those attributes should come in handy for the Cougars throughout the season. He takes pressure off of Bowie splitting duties as the primary ball handler and his shooting ability gives Karr some much-needed space as teams crowd Bowie. Shields is aggressive on the offensive end and could end up with some big nights scoring the ball as he gets more comfortable throughout the season. He finished with 10 points against St. Paul’s and a couple of his 3’s were right on line but missed the mark.
Jordan Garnett — Karr 2018 6’5” F
Garnett was a bit of a surprise stealing the role of Karr’s most productive big man in the game. He had 12 points with 10 of those coming in the second half and knocked down a couple of midrange jumpers with a big one-handed dunk late in the game. Garnett and Hughes should be a formidable front line for the Cougars that will get even deeper with the return of a few football players.