Jewell Classic: Nelson Division Round 1 Standouts
Day 1 at the Jewell Classic consisted of first round games from the Nelson Division. The first round games consisted of two close games that could have gone either way and 2 blowouts. Blue Springs beat a tough Center team 74-67 followed by North Kansas City beating Truman 70-35. The last two games were similar to the first two. Park Hill survived in OT against Fort Osage while Rockhurst blew out Winnetonka 69-23. Below are some of the players that stood out on Wednesday.
Daryl Wright – Center
Wright is the go to player for Center and is much relied on. He didn’t shoot particularly well against Blue Springs on Wednesday, but still finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds. He also made 11 free throws which kept his team in the game.
Taray Winfrey – Center
Taray has the ability to shoot from deep although he only hit 1 three on Wednesday night. He helped Center out by scoring 17 points.
Daniel Parker Jr. – Blue Springs
Daniel is a beast in the paint, but can expand his game outside when needed. He is a big body and is very difficult to guard. He finished with a game high 32 points and 12 rebounds.
RJ Lawrence – Blue Springs
The offense runs through RJ Lawrence and he has a quick trigger. He isn’t only a great shooter, but can get to the bucket and finish with either hand. RJ didn’t knock down any 3’s, but still finished with 16 points.
Stepfan Black II – Blue Springs
Black has become one of the top sophomores around the area and is really making a name for himself. He has a nice stroke from the outside, but is also very quick. He finished with a quiet 15 points, but look for him to have some big games this season.
Deng Bol – North Kansas City
Deng Bol is the do it all guard. He is very patient and doesn’t force anything if it isn’t there. He didn’t score a ton on Wednesday, only finishing with 9 points, but he also had 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks. He is one of the better athletes around the area.
T.J. Babikir – North Kansas City
Babikir is the leading scorer for this strong North Kansas City team and showed why on Wednesday. He works hard to get his points and sometimes it means battling for offensive rebounds. He finished with 16 points and 7 boards.
D’Anthony Pennington – North Kansas City
Pennington was pretty big for North Kansas City off the bench although it was a blowout. He showed he has the ability to score and runs the floor well. He finished with 16 points as well.
Dez Griswold – Fort Osage
Griswold is a pretty nifty player for the Indians and will find ways to put the ball in the bucket. He played pretty well on Wednesday and kept the game close. He finished with a team high 20 points.
Ronnie Bell – Park Hill
Ronnie Bell is one of the better players in the area and he showed why on Wednesday. He does seem to try too much at times, but when the game is on the line, there is no doubt who will have the ball. Bell finished with a game high 31 points while also bringing in 6 boards.
Cecil Lee – Park Hill
Cecil Lee is a very lengthy big man for Park Hill. He doesn’t get a ton of looks down low, so he has to find other ways to put up some numbers and keep his team in the game. He finished with 13 points and 8 rebounds.
Xavier Rhodes – Rockhurst
Rhodes is probably one of the most underrated players around the area. He is a very athletic guard and can shoot from deep, but gets to the bucket with ease. He can score so easily and showed it on Wednesday. He finished with 23 points for the Hawklets.
Tyler Nelson – Rockhurst
Nelson is an up and coming guard that is very quick and athletic. He doesn’t like to force up bad shots and is very smart. He finished with 11 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds. He’s a do it all guy.