Show Me Showdown: Friday Night Takeaways (MICDS)
The Prep Hoops Circuit is invading St. Louis for the “Show Me Showdown” this weekend, and opening night games tipped off tonight all over the 314. I spent the evening taking in several fantastic 16U & 17U games in the…
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Continue ReadingThe Prep Hoops Circuit is invading St. Louis for the “Show Me Showdown” this weekend, and opening night games tipped off tonight all over the 314. I spent the evening taking in several fantastic 16U & 17U games in the wonderful facilities at MICDS. Here are the biggest takeaways from what I saw of tonight’s action:
Victory Ministry Orange narrowly squeaks by Tennessee Edge 75-70
The first game to tip-off and one I kept finding myself running back to was a match-up between Victory Ministry Orange and Tennessee Edge that featured some very intriguing small college prospects on each side. Tennessee Edge’s Trevor Chatman stands at 6’2 with a long and slender build, but he played much bigger and stronger and was a force in the paint. He unofficially scored a game high 31 points using an array of moves and polished footwork around the bucket and a dominant performance on the glass. His efforts were almost enough to secure a come from behind win, but Victory Ministry Orange had a dynamic duo that was too much to handle. I came away very impressed with point guard 5’11 Tariq Logan. He has a muscular frame and was one of the most explosive guards in the gym off the bounce. He proved to be very hard to keep in front, finished strong with contact, and knocked down a pair of big three pointers. He is also a menace defensively, picking up full court and harassing ballhandlers the entire game. He finished with 28 of his own. His teammate, 6’5 Michael Misner showed great versatility. He knocked down three from long range including an impressive step-back bomb from the wing in traffic. With his size and length, he is also able to score inside and factor in on the glass. He had 23 of his own in the win.
The Texas Tar Heels have a good one in point guard Jackson Flowers
The 16U Texas Tar Heels rolled to a big 63-41 opening night victory over Team Iowa that saw most of their roster find their way onto the stat sheet. The one player that stood out the most and really caught our eye was 5’8 Jackson Flowers of Flower Mound High School. He showed off an effortless stroke from beyond the arc, knocking down four three-pointers in the victory. He is ultra-smooth with the ball and when he touches it, good things happen for the Tar Heels. He has a slick handle and is a very savvy operator in their ball screen offense. There is definitely some flare to his game, as evidenced by a crowd-pleasing, no-look, one-hand, thread-the-needle dime to a streaking teammate for an easy lay-up early in the second half.
Gateway (IL) rolls with their “Fab-Five”
Over on court 4 in 17U action, Gateway (IL) tipped off against United with only five players in uniform. That proved to be more than enough as they rolled to a big double-digit victory. All five are metro-east products that make for an athletic, physical, and versatile squad. They are led in the back-court by two dynamic guards in Collinsville standout 6’1 Ray’Sean Taylor and Edwardsville’s 5’11 Ethan Young. Taylor is a tremendous ballhandler with excellent body control and carved his way through the defense right from the tip. He is extremely explosive with his first step and does not shy away from getting physical as a finisher. Couple that with a constantly improving jumper and you have one of the best point guards in the region. Young shot the ball very well, burying several threes including a one-legged runner that beat the halftime buzzer. They have a very intriguing wing in 6’4 Moory Woods who was a key part of a strong Alton High School squad. The lengthy wing looks to have added some size and strength, and it certainly has not been at the expense of his athleticism. He wow’d the crowd with an authoritative weakside block followed shortly thereafter by a transition throw down slam. He also did a very nice job of pushing the ball up the floor in transition and dropping it off to forwards 6’2 Malik Green and 6’4 Donte Williams. Green is an unsigned senior who reminds me of a mini Draymond Green. He is as strong as a bull, plays very hard on both ends, and has some offensive versatility. He showed a capable mid-range jumper, put it on the floor and took it to the rim off the bonce, and does the dirty work on the boards and around the rim for easy buckets. Williams is a physical specimen from Collinsville that was an imposing force in the lane. He was dominant on the glass, resulting in a number of put back buckets, and used his physicality to impose his will in the paint throughout the game.
If the rest of the Gateway (IL) roster is on the court the remainder of the weekend, look for them to be a darkhorse in the 17U division.
Highflyers, Hot-Shooters, and Impressive Teams to watch this weekend
- As I made my way back to the main gym from court 4 there was a lot of buzz about the athleticism of Team Ramey, who had just finished up a dominant win over Team Iowa. They are an extremely athletic group, and if you are looking to catch a few highlights they will be a team to watch over the next couple days.
- It did not appear that many sharpshooters were suffering from car-legs or jet-lag. The nets were burning up at MICDS Friday night. Here are a handful of marksmen to keep on your radar:
- Jackson Flowers (Texas TarHeels)
- Tariq Logan (Victory Ministry Orange)
- Michael Misner (Victory Ministry Orange)
- Ethan Young (Gateway IL)
- Will Henricksen (Team Iowa)
- Davian Vallejo (QC Ballers)
- Although there were only 10 games on opening night at MICDS, there were some very good teams on display. Here are a few to keep your eye on as the weekend progresses towards bracket play
- Team Ramey 17U
- Gateway IL 17U
- QC Ballers 16U
- Texas Tar Heels 16U
- Hoop Smart Basketball 16U
- Knights Basketball Academy 16U