Jewell Classic: Semi Final Standouts (Late Session)
The Semifinals of the Jewell Classic was full of great games throughout the entire day. Lee’s Summit West continued to look great in blowing out Raytown 64-43. The 3 games to follow couldn’t have been any better. Liberty squeaked out an overtime win against a tough Blue Springs South squad 64-61. North Kansas City entreated the 4th quarter down 7 to Blue Springs, but was able to pull it together when it counted and win the game 61-58. Did I mention that they won the game on a half court buzzer beater by Deng Bol!? Park Hill and Rockhurst continued the trend of good games. This game was back and fourth with both teams sharing the ball pretty well, but in the end Park Hill found a way to get the win with a 58-54 victory. Cecil Lee slammed a vicious dunk near the end of the game putting an exclamation point on the victory. Below are the standouts from Session 2.
Desmond Hutson – Raytown
Hutson continues to show how talented he can be when he wants to be. It wasn’t an easy task playing against the mighty Lee’s Summit West team on Friday, but Hutson shot the ball pretty well and played decent on the defensive end. He finished in double figures with 10 points.
Mason Fair – Raytown
Fair is a big body big guy who is tough to stop when he gets going. He has the ability to shoot the long ball if needed as seen on Friday when he knocked down his only 3 he shot. He did what he could to try and keep Raytown in the game, but the Titans were just too much. Fair finished with a decent game scoring 13 points and grabbing 7 boards.
Rich Johnson – Lee’s Summit West
Johnson who is one of the newcomers to this loaded Titans team didn’t have his best game on Thursday night, but he was able to put that behind him and played extremely well on Friday. He was all over the place on defense and had a great game on the offensive side. He really couldn’t be stopped and shot 11-15 finishing with a game high 26 points.
Christian Bishop – Lee’s Summit West
Bishop shows no slowing down as he proves night in and night out that he is one of the better basketball players in the area. With his lengthy frame and his ability to shoot from anywhere on the court, he is virtually unstoppable. At times he does get a little out of control by trying to do too much, but who says going coast to coast and finishing with a slam isn’t awesome? Bishop finished in double figures scoring 18 points.
Ethan Swanegan – Blue Springs South
Swanegan has been putting together quite the senior season with the Jaguars. He’s been able to use his big body frame and score with ease. His shot is looking better every time I see it, and he’s playing great defense. He kept the Jaguars in the game scoring 20 points, but his defense was pretty solid too finishing with a couple blocks and 5 rebounds.
Jared Ravencamp – Blue Springs South
There is no doubt that Ravencamp is the leader of this team. He is very vocal on the court and has total control of the offense. He’s not the fastest or quickest off the bounce, but he can score when needed. There are times where he might try to do a little much and force up a tough shot, but when it goes it, it’s can’t be that bad. If the Jaguars want to be successful this year, a lot of the weight will be on Ravencamp’s shoulders. He finished with 16 points on the night.
Jalen Lewis – Liberty
Lewis is one of those players that will be talked about when trying to figure out the player of the year in the Kansas City area. On Friday night, he didn’t shoot like he normally does, but he’s not only a shooter. He is a player that does it all, and the kid is just a winner! Jalen still finished in double figures with 13 points, but also grabbed 8 boards and dished out 4 assists.
Brock Matson – Liberty
Matson is one of the few players for Liberty who could go off for 30 on any given night. Once Matson gets hot from outside, he’s a tough player to stop. He also didn’t have his best shooting night from the field that is, but he made sure to knock down all 9 of his free throws. He led the Blue Jays 21 points, and also grabbed 11 boards.
RJ Lawrence – Blue Springs
RJ Lawrence is still one of the better guards in the area and has one of the quickest triggers around. This guy can really shoot the ball, and it doesn’t matter where he is on the court. If you don’t have a hand up, he’s pulling, and it goes in more often than not. RJ hit 5 threes on Friday night and led the Wildcats with 24 points.
Daniel Parker Jr – Blue Springs
Parker Jr is a big dude, and he knows how to use his size. He has no problem bullying and being the aggressor when needed. Drawing the tough task of guarding this guy is a straight up issue. Matchup problem for just about anyone as he can shoot the deep ball, and is virtually unstoppable if he gets the ball underneath. He hit 4 threes on Friday and finished with 18 points. He was also able to grab 8 rebounds.
Deng Bol – North Kansas City
Deng Bol, Deng Bol, Deng Bol!!! Is there anything this kid can’t do? I can tell you one thing, he can knock down half court buzzer beaters if need, I mean he did it Friday night to win the game for the Hornets. He is crazy athletic and was all over the court on Friday night. Not only is he great on the offensive end, but he’s one of the better defensive players in the Kansas City area. He shot 50% from the field Friday night, hit 8 free throws and finished with a game high 27 points. He also finished with 8 rebounds and a solid 4 blocks.
TJ Babikir – North Kansas City
TJ Babikir is that guy. What I mean is, Babikir is Mr. Reliable and seems to never have a bad game. If there is something or someone that can be counted on, it would be Babikir’s play on a nightly basis. He’s a quick and strong guard that does it all. He will bang with the big guys in the post, and he will pick your pocket if you crossover in front of him. He had a strong offensive night scoring 23 points and 8 rebounds.
Xavier Rhodes – Rockhurst
Rhodes is such an athletic and shifty guard, and I’m not sure that too many can really defend him. He has a great ball fake and likes to get to the bucket where he can finish with either hand. He’s the clear leader for this Rockhurst team, and the team goes as he goes. He finished with a team high 13 points.
Darrius Hughes – Rockhurst
Hughes can be one of the best big men around the area, that is if he wants to be. He is solid and has shown that when he has the ball in the post, it’s hard to stop him. He has great footwork and is very athletic. He can also be a great defender, but needs to be a little more patient and learn to jump after the offensive player leaves their feet. He gets a little antsy which puts him in foul trouble at times. Hughes is a great player and has a lot of potential. He finished with 11 points and 11 boards.
Park Hill’s Starting 5
Park Hill is one of the more inconsistent teams in the area. You really don’t know what you’re going to get from this team. On Friday night, you got on of their better games. Their team all shared the ball really well and all played together, and at times this season, they haven’t been able to do that. Ronnie Bell and Cecil Lee are two of Park Hill’s better players, and they came to play Friday. They did whatever they could to get their team the win. Both players finished with 10 points while Bell also grabbed 7 boards. The other 3 starters shot the ball 11-17 from the field which is fantastic! Nick Zeil led the team with 15 points, Ryan Graves was close behind with 11 points, and Haden Wallace was the only starter who didn’t finish in double figures, but still had 9 points. Park Hill’s issue on Friday was that they shot 17 less shots than Rockhurst, but playing together and playing smart is what got them the victory. They also shot 17-23 from the line, and that doesn’t hurt.