Five Takeaways: Cardinal Ritter vs. Soldan
Prep Hoops Missouri was in attendance at the championship game of the inaugural Legends of Winter Basketball Classic at SLUH between Cardinal Ritter and Soldan. Here are Five Takeaways from Ritter’s victory in the championship game. Ritter’s tough scheduling…
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Continue ReadingPrep Hoops Missouri was in attendance at the championship game of the inaugural Legends of Winter Basketball Classic at SLUH between Cardinal Ritter and Soldan. Here are Five Takeaways from Ritter’s victory in the championship game.
Ritter’s tough scheduling is paying off
Cardinal Ritter opened the season with a 1-6 record as first-year head coach Ryan Johnson put together a rugged schedule which included tough road games in Chicago, Houston, Little Rock, and an opening season home game against Missouri state powerhouse Vashon. Despite the poor early season record, the Lions stayed the course and won the championship despite facing double-digit deficits throughout the tournament. They trailed Hazelwood Central by 10 points in the quarterfinals and Soldan by nine points in the finals before rallying for victories. The Lions were battled tested from the early-season slate and it showed in the toughest times of the tournament.
Soldan’s Dynamic duo in the post
Not many teams have the formidable 1-2 combination in the post that Soldan has in 6’5″ 2019 Tyon Hughes and 6’6″ 2020 Elijah Bishop. Hughes scored 14 points and Bishop added 12 points in the championship game. Hughes is a bouncy combo forward with a motor that is running hot at all times. He runs the court, rebounds and tries to dunk everything in sight. His bucket at the buzzer gave the Tigers a victory over St. Louis Christian in the quarterfinals. Bishop is a perfect compliment to Hughes with his big body and ability to score in the low post. He has a variety of moves in the blocks and an excellent tough around the basket. He is tough to handle in the post when he catches it.
The improvement of Ritter’s Gary Clark
One of the most improved players I’ve seen over the course of season has been Cardinal Ritter’s 6’6″ 2020 forward Gary Clark. He has grown about five inches since entering high school and his game continues to grow as well. He was a force in the championship game with a game-high 19 points. He is a long, rangy athlete who displayed an excellent shooting touch around the basket along with some excellent mobility. He has a very nice baseline jumper in his arsenal and he has excellent mobility.
Ritter’s dynamic backcourt
Cardinal Ritter’s standout 2019 guard Malek Davis was voted the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament with his all-around play on both ends of the floor and leadership of a young basketball team. One of those young teammates is his backcourt mate in Luther Burden, a talented 2022 player who introduced himself to the area’s basketball landscape in Saturday night’s semifinals with a dramatic baseline jumper at the buzzer to stun top-seeded CBC 58-57. These two guards are both dynamic bucket-getters who relish the big stage and the big moments.
Both teams will be a factor in Class 3
Vashon and Trinity are two teams that are capable of going all the way to win state championships in Class 3 this season, but each as a potential big obstacle in their way when the district playoffs roll around. Cardinal Ritter is in the same Class 3 district with Vashon while Soldan is in the same district with Trinity. If those two championship games come to pass in March, those gymnasiums will be on fire.