Winfield Tournament: Thursday Standouts
Prep Hoops Missouri made the trek to Winfield, Mo. on Thursday night to take in the semifinals action at the Bank of Old Monroe BOOM Classic. Christian-O’Fallon defeated Warrenton and Fort Zumwalt East defeated Timberland to advance to Saturday’s championship game.
Here is a look at some of the standouts from Thursday’s action:
Zach Niemeyer 6’0″ Christian-O’Fallon: The 2018 point guard scored 16 points and expertly ran the show in the Eagles’ victory over Warrenton. He directs the team, plays with a lot of pace and can also knock down open 3-pointers and drop dimes. A coach from Westminster College was also in the house watching him in action.
Zach Harding 6’6″ Christian-O’Fallon: A West Point football commit, the 2018 forward scored a game-high 21 points in the Eagles victory. Harding is a versatile Stretch 4 who is an ideal pick and pop player with his perimeter shooting stroke. He also put it on the floor and got buckets on the drive, thus making him a matchup problem.
Brendan Smith 5’10” Warrenton: The stout 2018 guard scored a team-high 19 points for the Warriors against Christian-O’Fallon. He is a tough kid who willed his team back in the game in the fourth quarter when they trailed by double digits as he scored on determined drives and high-arching 3-pointers.
Trevon Payne 5’9″ Fort Zumwalt East: The 2019 guard looked very good in the first half that I watched him as he scored 11 points in the victory over Timberland. He is a knock down shooter who drilled three of his four 3-point attempts. He also scored on a nice pull up jumper in the lane. It was my first time watching him play and I must say I was impressed.
Caleb Strauss 6’8″ Warrenton: The SEMO football recruit scored 11 points for the Warriors on Thursday night. He’s a strong lefty who can operate around the basket as a post up player who can also get to the basket from the high post. He also has the ability to step out and knock down a mid-range jumper.
Sharrod Alexander 5’10” Christian-O’Fallon: A talented 2021 point guard who scored 10 points and provided some dynamic play in the transition game, including a beautiful 50 foot bounce pass that led to a teammate’s layup. He is quick, athletic and can get to the basket and finish. He’s one of the several very talented freshmen for the Eagles.
Lucas Staley 6’1″ Fort Zumwalt East: The 2019 guard did a nice job getting buckets in the first half of the victory against Timberland. He is an athletic kid who did most of his damage on offense via the dribble drive. He finished well around the basket.