Battle for the Arch Standouts
The highlight game of last weekend’s Battle for the Arch Tournament at Whitfield was a showdown between the host St. Louis Eagles 16U and 17U teams that were both coming off playing the Nike EYBL Peach Jam. A packed gym, which…
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Continue ReadingThe highlight game of last weekend’s Battle for the Arch Tournament at Whitfield was a showdown between the host St. Louis Eagles 16U and 17U teams that were both coming off playing the Nike EYBL Peach Jam. A packed gym, which included a full row of collegiate coaches watched a great game as the Eagles 17U defeated the 16U 84-79 in an overtime thriller.
Here are some of the standouts from that championship game:
Fred Thatch, Jr. 6’3″ Eagles 16U (Sikeston, ’18): The powerful swingman was the best player on the floor as he scored 26 points and 12 rebounds. Thatch also drained the 3-pointer at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime. Thatch was a force on the boards as he converted many offensive put-backs. His motor and energy were one notch above everyone else in the game and he maintained it throughout the contest. Fred has continued to improve his guard skills throughout the summer.
Jericole Hellems 6’7″ Eagles 17U (Chaminade, ’18): He led the winning 17U team with 20 points and he did it in a workmanlike manner. He displayed some knockdown shooting ability from 15 feet and also from 3-point range off the catch. He scored big at the beginning of the game and also in the late stages of regulation.
Brandon McKissic 6’2″ Eagles 17U (SLUH, ’17): Scored 17 points with 13 of them coming in the second half. McKissic continued to be a force when he was able to drive to the basket. He continued to attack the basket in the second half and could not be stopped as he produced bucket after bucket.
Karrington Davis 6’5″ Eagles 16U (Chaminade, ’18): The smooth swingman is one of the best perimeter shooters on the 16U team, but he did most of his damage on the bounce in this game. He broke out with a couple of beautiful spin moves in the open court that led to buckets. He’s rounding into an excellent Division I prospect with his size and overall offensive game.
Marcedus Leech 6’5″ Eagles 17U (Poplar Bluff, ’19): The slender shooter displayed some slick handles and the ability to create separation for his feathery jumpers. He nailed the game-deciding 3-pointer in overtime to give the 17U the lead to stay.