5 Stars: Sikeston vs Fort Zumwalt North (FZN Invite Title Game)
The championship game of the Fort Zumwalt North Invitational paired the host Panthers and the #1 ranked Sikeston Bulldogs, who came in as defending champs of this event four years running. It was a track meet from the start and…
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Continue ReadingThe championship game of the Fort Zumwalt North Invitational paired the host Panthers and the #1 ranked Sikeston Bulldogs, who came in as defending champs of this event four years running. It was a track meet from the start and FZN was giving Sikeston all they wanted and some early on. They kept pace throughout the first half and at the 6 minute mark of the third quarter the game was tied 40-40. From there, Sikeston did what Sikeston does and wore down the Panthers. Eventually, they imposed their will and cruised to a 75-55 win and claimed their fifth consecutive tournament title. Prep Hoops was in the house for this fast-paced, exciting game. Here are our “5 Stars” from the title tilt.
1 Star: The Sikeston Fans
The Bulldog faithful have to get a shoutout from us. They rolled deep into FZN and if not for the paint on the floors it’d be fair to assume it was a Sikeston home game. They were loud and proud and brought great energy into the gym as they supported their undefeated squad. Special props to whoever it was that went into full bulldog bark mode during timeouts. Well done sir.
2 Stars: Battle of the Bigs
This game featured a match-up between two very intriguing forwards in FZN’s 6’6 Jr Mujtaba Alkhaldi and Sikeston’s 6’7 Sr Trey Jenkins. We came away very impressed with Jenkins, who finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the championship win and was also named to the All-Tournament Team. He is very mobile, very athletic, and has a versatile skill set that makes him a match-up nightmare for opponents. He is an accomplished rim runner in transition that finished over several dimes and can flush it home with the best of them. He can post and score or face up and attack and literally rebounds everything. We love his defensive versatility. He protects the rim and can also defend the perimeter, jump passing lanes, and is a factor in the run and jump. Mujtaba held his own very well. He had some big blocks and rebounds that kept Sikeston at bay in the first half and had back to back post up scores to close the first half that kept the Panthers within 5. He averages 10 points and 5 boards per game as the key cog in the middle for FZN.
3 Stars: Fort Zumwalt North Backcourt
Taking on the hectic, aggressive, Sikeston defense is a tall order for any back-court. For nearly three quarters, FZN did a solid job of not allowing the pressure to overwhelm them. They had a huge performance from 6’4 So KJ Lee who is a lethal sharpshooter at 48% from beyond the arc this season. He had 20 points on 6 made threes. When he got lost in transition he was a guaranteed bucket. While he filled it up from range, it was 6’0 Sr Kyle Bampton who drove by the pressure and effectively attacked the rim for the Panthers. He had 13 points that all came from tough drives and finishes and back-door cuts to counteract the aggressive D. 5’7 Jr Grant Rapplean is actually the leading scorer for FZN. He did bury a three but was mostly kept at bay from a scoring standpoint. What he did do is handle the ball against Sikeston’s havoc and maintain poise and control which kept things close for quite some time.
4 Stars: The Bulldog Backcourt
WOW! There is really no other word I can use to fairly describe Sikeston’s guard-play. If you haven’t watched them yet, they will remind you of a mini version of Golden State. They are very unselfish, always moving without the ball, and they have several guys capable of going off on any given night. Take yesterday for example. Stud point guard 5’11 Sr Kevin Jones was saddled with foul trouble and played about 10 minutes. Granted, his strong drives and acrobatic finishes in a 7 point 4th quarter helped seal the game, but for the most part the Bulldogs had to do it without him. 6’2 Sr Owen Long went off for 23 points on 5 made threes and the lefty really stood out. He is so tough to guard thanks to his slick handles, hesitation dribble, and quick trigger. He is a threat to pull-up and drill one at any point and if you overplay it he is quick enough to drive right by you and get in the lane. He hit a number of ridiculous step backs and transition pull-ups that caught our eye and the entire gym’s. He was named Tournament MVP. 6’2 Sr Parker Long also came up big in the championship win. He had 13 points mostly off straight line drives and scores.
5 Stars: Sikeston’s Tempo and Defense
The Bulldogs play fast and aggressive on both ends. While FZN handled it very well in the first half, you always had the feeling that eventually they would wear down and #1 ranked Sikeston would pull away. They kept up the intensity on the defensive end throughout with aggressive pressing and traps that led to 27 Panther turnovers and a ton of transition points. Even in the half-court offensively, they consistently stayed in attack mode making it virtually impossible for FZN to catch their breath unless there was a stoppage in play. Sikeston is extremely talented, well-coached, unselfish, and are a legit state title contender.