Show Me Showdown: Saturday’s 17U Takeaways (Missouri)
Saturday was the second day of the Show Me Showdown in St. Louis and Prep Hoops was staggered throughout the area for wall to wall coverage of the action. Center St. Louis was host to a majority of the 17U…
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Continue ReadingSaturday was the second day of the Show Me Showdown in St. Louis and Prep Hoops was staggered throughout the area for wall to wall coverage of the action. Center St. Louis was host to a majority of the 17U action, and it did not disappoint. Neither did the home state talent. Here is a look at Saturday’s takeaways from the state of Missouri in the 17U division:
Gateway has eyes on tomorrow’s championship
Gateway was absolutely dominant in a pair of games today and certainly woke up anyone who is asleep on St. Louis basketball. They drubbed Full-Package Walker 85-33 this afternoon and followed that up with an impressive 56-36 win over a talented Michigan Tranzition team. They are anchored by the twin towers 6’9 Yaya Keita and 6’10 Sekou Gassama, who are by far the most imposing front-court in the tournament field. Both are high-motor, already skilled 2021 forwards who are just scratching the surface of their potential, which quite honestly should be terrifying for opponents. Each did an excellent job protecting the rim, cleaning up the glass, and they both play extremely hard. Not to mention, they put together a highlight reel’s worth of dunks.
Speaking of size, Gateway has another impressive pair on the wing in 6’6 Brevin Mcmullen and 6’7 Kobe Clark. Mcmullen is an excellent shooter and is capable of taking over a game offensively. Clark can play inside-out and punish mismatches with his blend of strength and athleticism.
Jeremiah Johnson is the perfect point guard for this team. He is unselfish, distributes well, knocks down open jumpers, and locks down defensively. Add him with sharpshooter JJ Schwepker and you have all the makings of a team more than capable of capturing the Show Me Showdown crown.
Ultra-Talented Team Ramey takes care of business
Team Ramey 17U is another squad from the 314 who took care of business and earned a spot in the quarterfinals on Championship Sunday. They notched a pair of 20-point victories over Tulsa Hawks Elite and the Indiana Legends today. 6’1 Jaylen Boyd runs the show for Team Ramey and was very impressive today. Every time I see him, he improves. He is nearly impossible to keep in front and has developed into a versatile finisher on his drives. He is joined in the back-court by a strong, crafty guard in Granite City’s Zidane Moore. He can really get downhill and finish strong with contact. Both are streaky, but very capable three point shooters.
Team Ramey is certainly not lacking in the size and athleticism department either. 6’7 Lamontay Daugherty from Mehlville showed flashes of why he hold numerous D-1 offers with his ability to score inside-out, off the bounce, in the paint, or from beyond the arc. 6’7 Gary Clark is a big-time high flyer with elite athleticism that had some impressive throw-downs. His jumper looks to be continually improving as well. He can defend the perimeter or post defensively, cleans up the glass, and is an excellent weakside shot blocker. They are anchored by bruising 6’6 Elijah Bishop who was especially dominant in the nightcap. He has a tremendous back to the basket game. He can use his size and strength to position himself almost any time he wants, but he also has a wide array of moves and great footwork. He reads his defenders lean very well and loves to spin opposite and lose his man with an up and under.
A Gateway vs Ramey 17U championship would be VERY fun to watch if it were to play out that way tomorrow.
Carroll Go L1ve has a tremendous trio on the perimeter
Team Carroll went 2-0 today, but is competing in the Gold Bracket after losing their opener Friday to top-ranked Peoria Area Elite in a tight game. They had a pair of 30+ point victories today over St. Louis Cobras Elite and the Clarksville Snipers.
They are led by an impressive trio of guards. Gavyn Elkamil is the straw that stirs the drink. The combo guard already hold a number of D-1 offers and showed off his complete skill-set on Saturday. He has a college body already and is a strong ballhandler with great body control to finish his drives. He got loose multiple times against the Snipers and threw down some eye-opening dunks, showing off his elite athleticism. For the icing on the cake, he caught fire from three in the first half and effectively put the game away himself. He finished with a staggering 40 points on 9 made three-pointers
Speaking of shooters, insert Quenton Shelton of Lebanon into the equation. He has a strong-built frame and is an absolute marksman from beyond the arc. That is not the extent of his game, so do not be fooled. He does a very nice job of taking advantage of defenders overplaying his shot and proved to be able to put the ball on the floor and make plays.
Evan Guillory of Joplin rounds out the trio. He is an elite athlete. Built like an NFL running back, he can jump out of the gym. I watched him win the dunk contest at the Neosho Holiday Classic in December, and he is noticeably more bouncy now than he was then. He had a number of emphatic dunks and aside from that is a very effective and physical slasher that is a match-up nightmare for opponents.
Other Missouri ballers of note:
- 6’1 Zachary Patterson (Missouri Elite): Talented lead guard with excellent slashing ability and plus vision. When he gets in the lane, good things happen. Threads the needle with the best of them in the field
- 6’0 Aaron Norman (St. Louis Cobras): Although they had a tough day, Aaron caught our eye with his three point shooting ability. He caught fire in the second half against the Illinois Bears and sparked a mini run for his team.
- 6’1 Rashad Weekly-McDaniels (SW IL Jets): Thick, strong, and hard to guard. Rashad possesses such a unique combination of strength and athleticism as a lead guard. He had 21 points, including 3 three-pointers, against a very good Peoria Area Elite squad.
- Victory Ministry Blue: The one team I really want/need to see that I haven’t yet. They have run the table so far and have a date with a stout KC Pacers White team tomorrow at 10:10am in Platinum Bracket play. See you there!