FIVE TAKEAWAYS: Blue Valley Northwest (Kan.)-Lee’s Summit West (Mo.)
FIVE TAKEAWAYS: Blue Valley Northwest (Kan.)-Lee’s Summit West (Mo.)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One of Missouri’s premier Class 5 teams, Lee’s Summit West, held off one of the premier teams from Kansas on Saturday, defeating Blue Valley Northwest, 57-52, as part of the two-day Cable Dahmer Shootout held at Avila University in Kansas City.
Here, Prep Hoops takes a look at five things that stood out in the contest.
Titans front line is huge
There won’t be many bigger, more athletic front lines across Missouri or Kansas this season than the one posed by Lee’s Summit West. Already in the fold was 6’8 2018 forward Christian Bishop, an athletic forward/wing type who can do a lot of different things. Bishop is an above-the-rim player at both ends of the court and is a tough match-up for most teams. But add to him transfer Yor Anei, a 6’10 2018 center who has committed to play at Oklahoma State and most ordinary teams are going to struggle against them, especially around the basket. Bishop showed off his versatility as a player on Saturday, scoring 11 pojnts and adding four rebounds, three assists, five blocks and four steals.
BVNW no ordinary front line either
Blue Valley Northwest is no ordinary team and its front line is talented as well, and on Saturday, Joe Pleasant and Parker Braun outplayed Anei and Bishop and different times throughout the game. Pleasant went for 22 points and 13 rebounds and Braun added nine points and 13 rebounds. Pleasant isa. 6’6 2018 forward who has signed to play at Abilene Christian, while Braun is a 6’8 2018 foreward who holds offers from SEMO and Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
LSW guards are talented
The combination of Mario Goodrich, Phillip Brooks and Rich Johnson are going to be a handful for a lot of teams this season. Goodrich and Brooks especially are elite athletes that can go a lot of different things at both ends of the floor, while Johnson (see below) is a terrific scorer.
THE name to know in Kansas City
Rich Johnson. Rich Johnson. Rich Johnson. If you have heard this name before … you will. A 6’0 2019 guard, Johnson is physically imposing, but man he can play. He can knock down outside shots, handle the ball and is a shot creator off the bounce. Johnson is really tough to contain off the bounce and just gets buckets — of all kinds. He went for 20 points on Saturday and showed off a well-rounded offensive game.
Sam Ward continues to impress
Ward can cough up the ball in the backcourt on occasion, but overall, he is a terrific point guard with good size and athleticism. He can really shoot it, is a creative player and can put points on the board. He scored 14 points on Saturday and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers.