Kevin Brown Memorial TOC: Tuesday Notebook
PrepHoops is covering the Kevin Brown Memorial Tournament of Champions all day today in Washington, Illinois. Four games to tip off this week long tournament. We will break down all four games, top prospects, and more right here! Desmet…
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Continue ReadingPrepHoops is covering the Kevin Brown Memorial Tournament of Champions all day today in Washington, Illinois. Four games to tip off this week long tournament. We will break down all four games, top prospects, and more right here!
Desmet over Lake Forest Academy 59-41
In the first game of the day at the TOC it was Desmet out of St. Louis against Lake Forest Academy. Desmet controlled this one most of the way as the veteran group won 59-41 led by their guards and big man inside. Let’s start with 2021 center Yaya Keita. The physical five man is a four star national prospect because of his strength, size, mobility, and ability to board. He dominated the glass in stretches snatching them out of the air with his strong hands. Got to the line throughout the night. Even showed a little face up game taking his man on a drive from the perimeter. Most spectacular play for him was a steal that he took the other way coast to coast for a dunk. Went for 11 points. The guard play was outstanding for Desmet. Jeremiah Walker is a 6’2” 2021 that lived in the lane all night with runners and floaters. Several acrobatic layups too. Recorded 15 points. Thomas Redmond was a lights out 6’4” shooting guard that drilled triples en route to 13 points. Senior Michael Skoff brought shooting and toughness on the wing for 10 points. Brian Taylor is one to watch long term as the 6’3” sophomore flashed with his projectability as a two way wing. For Lake Forest Academy it was all about Xavier Adams. The 6’0” senior played so hard all game long even with his team down big. He is athletic and got to the rim at a high rate. Converted several difficult layups and made a pair of threes including banking one in for 22 points. Small colleges should put him on their radars. Junior post Jake Wolf was solid with his passing out of the post and hit a three from the top of the key. His brother Danny Wolf didn’t score, but we like the athletic pop he has and rebounded ok for a sophomore. Nigel Hylton was the marquee prospect coming in as the newly minted #3 sophomore in Illinois played his first game with his new squad after moving in from Canada. The power forward played mostly on the perimeter hitting a mid-range jumper once. Was average on the boards, but seemed to drift at times. We are still huge fans of his ceiling as a prospect and this team going forward. First game for a team that has four sophomores who are key players. They should grow throughout the week in Washington.
Culvers Academies over Rock Island 63-53
The second game of the day was a good one. Culvers out of Indiana features Hoosiers signee Trey Galloway. Rock Island is a deep squad with a lot of players that will continue on at the next level. In this game Galloway was just too much! He played both on and off the ball effectively, but was probably best with the rock in his hands. He was a playmaker both dishing and scoring. So crafty and skilled in the lane being able to get buckets in the paint. Did it with an array of spins, runners, and layups at the cup. Also mixed in a three and showed off his hops with a pair of dunks. Underrated as a passer and hit the glass at a nice clip. Scored 35 points in the most impressive performance I have seen out of him. Deonte Craig is an Iowa football commit that on the hardwood showcased a versatile game as a combo forward. Strong kid that boards and has mobility. Recorded 14 points. Rock Island 2021 point guard Jordan Rice is small, but this kid can flat out go! Shifty ball handler that jukes and jives all over the floor getting where he wants on the floor to do damage. Smart player that has vision as a distributor. Shot it well from deep with a trio of DEEP threes! He had 13 points. Unsigned senior combo forward Taurean Holtam has size at 6’5” with broad shoulders. Inside-outside game where he can score on the block with quick moves and rebound. From the perimeter he is capable of shooting it from three and putting it on the deck a couple dribbles. He had 9 points. Amarion Nimmers is a sophomore point guard to track. The 6’1” guard has a clean looking shooting stroke from the land of three. Went for 8 points. Quincy commit Solomon Gustafson is a big body at 6’8”. Had a tip dunk and got on the glass multiple times en route to his 6 points.
Washington defeats Porta 59-35
On their home floor Washington is one of the toughest teams to beat in the state. They came out ready to play jumping out to a 12-2 lead in the opening minutes. Washington had a comfortable lead all game long winning 59-35. The best player on the floor in this one was Washington 2021 combo forward Devon Vanderheydt. The 6’6” forward has a ton of momentum after a breakout summer with Peoria Area Elite. The junior is a strong kid that can really stretch the floor. Excellent three point shooter especially off the catch. Spots up and flairs in pick/pop situations. Quick and concise release. He also had a sweet pick/roll finish and a nice transition dunk. Went for 21 points. Rickey Woods is another junior on the rise. He burst on our radar at the Spartz Fall Showcase. Power wing with strength that attacks downhill with force getting fouled. In this game he drilled a pair of threes showing confidence on his shot. Love what he brings defensively with his in your face mentality. Got steals and blocked a shot. Finished with 10 points. Andrew Lewis is a 2022 we are intrigued by. At 6’1” he has nice length and the lefty is an excellent passer. Only scored 4 points, but had a significant impact on the game. Ethan Mountz was another quality shooter for this group from three. On the Porta side 2021 6’1” shooting guard Brayden Pettit had a strong first half. Tough kid that finished inside, competed on the glass, and got to the line on his way to 13 points. Minnesota State commit Mason Muller popped right before the early signing period. He exploded for a big third quarter ripping off nine quick points. Skilled post with fundamentally sound footwork and a soft touch. Worked well in the high/low and made assertive moves when he got the ball. He had 15 points.
Springfield Lanphier knocks off Belleville West 55-44
The last game of the night featured a young team in Springfield Lanphier against a squad that only returns one player that played meaningful minutes on the 4A state champs in Belleville West. As you might expect it was a little sloppy at times with turnovers and forced shots. Lanphier extended the lead slowly in the second half to win after it was tied at intermission. Let’s start off with the debut of the hyped freshman Tevonta Jackson. The 6’2” point guard didn’t have any nerves as he banged home his first three in the opening minute. The rangy and athletic Jackson used his speed throughout the night in the open floor and was extremely active defensively. He had 11 points. KJ Debrick is a 6’8” center that was extremely raw last year, but the 2021 post has greatly improved. He was a wall inside blocking everything that came near him. Offensively he made power moves and even hit a three. High level rebounder that was a major stock booster! He had 11 points. Sophomore point guard Mekhi Phillips is a big time perimeter shooter to watch. The lefty drained three triples for 9 points. Top 10 sophomore Tye Banks scored his six points on an array of drives. The x-factors for this team are going to be TJ Price and Michael Ousley. Price hit a pair of threes for 8 points. Ousley was very good defensively. For Belleville West they had the debut of their transfer Greg Wells from Althoff. The lefty 6’2” shooting guard was silky smooth scoring in the lane. He was aggressive all night for his 17 points. Keli’I Price and J’Laun Patterson both emerged with their play. Price is a sound spot up shooter who netted 9 points. Patterson is a lengthy wing who is best in transition. It was a quiet game for the Maroons top prospect 2021 shooting guard Tommie Williams. His only bucket came on an and-1 late in the third quarter.