10 Best: Ozark Mountain Shootout
The Ozark Mountain Shootout featured some of the top talent that Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Illinois, and Texas had to offer and there were several memorable performances throughout the 12 game slate. Check out the “10 Best” from this loaded event.…
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Continue ReadingThe Ozark Mountain Shootout featured some of the top talent that Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Illinois, and Texas had to offer and there were several memorable performances throughout the 12 game slate. Check out the “10 Best” from this loaded event.
Most Valuable Player
6’6 Jr Chris Moore – West Memphis
There were some BIG TIME performances throughout the weekend, but it’s hard to argue with this selection. The Blue Devil power forward posted two double-doubles in a pair of wins including a 16 point/16 rebound performance against Parkview followed up by a 31 point/14 rebound domination of Putnam City North. He was a walking highlight throughout the weekend and it comes as no surprise that Chris is a hot commodity for high major programs across the country.
Best Offensive Performance
6’0 Sr Micah Thomas – Putnam City North
Although it was in a losing effort, the SIU-E commit put on a show against one of the best teams in all of Arkansas. He finished with a tournament high 36 points and every one of them was impressive in its own way. He was nearly impossible to contain off the dribble and weaved his way through the West Memphis defense with ease throughout the game. He showed shades of James Harden with numerous step back triples and his range is unlimited. Cougar fans will love watching him over the next 4 years.
*Honorable Mention – Anton Brookshire (Kickapoo)/Grant Dyer (Eminence)
Best Defensive Performance
6’6 Sr Isaiah Crawford – North Crowley
Isaiah is one of the more gifted defenders on a team that locked up and had the most impressive defensive performance of the shootout. They held a talented Kankakee team scoreless until the final horn of the first quarter. Isaiah is long, strong, athletic, and takes pride in sitting down and guarding. He can defend all 5 positions. He is a tough, physical on ball defender. He is strong enough to bang inside. He gets on the boards. Solid overall performance.
*Honorable Mention – Jordan Fortune (KC Central)
Sharpshooter
6’1 So Anton Brookshire – Kickapoo
In one of the more memorable individual performances of the tournament the talented guard hit 6 threes in the opener against North Little Rock and followed it up with 3 more triples against Tulsa Memorial. He can drill it catch and shoot, pull-up off the dribble, and if you relax at all defending him he is hand-down-man-down from beyond the arc.
*Honorable Mention – Nakai Johnson (Parkview)
Best Playmaker
6’7 Sr Keylan Boone – Tulsa Memorial
When you are committed to Oklahoma State, chances are you can play. Keylan continued to prove that with a 24 point performance against Republic. He can create offense in every way. He drilled back to back threes in the first quarter. He can pull-up on a dime and drill the mid-range. He has handles like a point guard and uses his length very well to get to the rim and finish. He also posted and scored a number of times. On a team loaded with talent, Tulsa Memorial can’t go wrong putting the ball in Keylan’s hands when they need a bucket.
*Honorable Mention – Anton Brookshire (Kickapoo)
Rim-Rocker
6’6 Jr Chris Moore – West Memphis
Chris opened up the festivities with a monster two-handed alley-oop slam off the tip Friday night and he continued to rattle the rim the entire weekend. Several guys can throw it down impressively on the break, but Chris was a threat to throw down every time he touched the ball in the paint. He does not hesitate to try and catch a body and if you help off him on a drive look-out because you might find yourself on a poster.
*Honorable Mention – Kalib Boone (Tulsa Memorial)
Paint Patrol
6’9 Sr Kalib Boone – Tulsa Memorial
Another Oklahoma State commit, Kalib put the lane on lockdown from both ends of the floor throughout the weekend. Being 6’9 and freakishly athletic certainly helps, but he showed off very impressive footwork and fundamentals in the post which makes him a complete nightmare to guard on the block. He is a threat to dunk everything and has good touch over either shoulder. On the other end he blocked and altered anything he could get close too and pulled down a number of big boards.
*Honorable Mention – Chris Moore (West Memphis)/Dylan Massey (Mountain Grove)/David Senn (Kickapoo)
Glass Cleaner
6’6 Jr Chris Moore – West Memphis
With 30 rebound over two games, this was another easy decision. Moore was a force on the glass on both ends. His combination of strength and athleticism was unmatched by the competition and there’s no doubt he will continue to clean up on the boards throughout the season.
*Honorable Mention – Tavon Graham (Confluence)/Dylan Massey (Mountain Grove)
Dimer
5’5 Sr Cavin Paige – West Memphis
The Blue Devil’s dynamic point guard amassed 22 assists through two games and was a huge part of back to back victories for his team. Every time he got in the lane (which was pretty much whenever he wanted to) good things happened. He fed his big man throughout the weekend with drop offs, wrap around dimes, and lobs and always kicked to open shooters for triples.
* Honorable Mention – Dontae Taylor (Parkview)
Swiss Army Knife
6’6 Sr Tyem Freeman – Parkview
One of the main things we love about Tyem is his ability to impact the game in so many different ways. His size combined with his guard skills make him one of the more versatile players in the state. He can shoot it, slash, pull-up, and post and score and is a huge mismatch problem for most defenses. He is a strong defender that can guard multiple positions and rebounds on both ends. He is a big piece to an impressive class being put together at Missouri State.
*Honorable Mention – Isaiah Ervin (Hazelwood Central)