10 Best: Webb City vs. Lamar

On paper this was a football matchup made in heaven, but both teams boast quite a bit of basketball talent. Webb City took care of business in a 78-46 season-opening rout of Lamar. The Cardinals received 19 points from juniors Alex Pickett and Grant Ellis. The Cardinals had five players score at least eight points. Lamar was led by Ian Moore’s 10 points. Tuesday was the Tigers first loss after winning the Lockwood Tournament last weekend. <strong>MVP: Grant Ellis (Webb City)</strong> Ellis is the younger brother of Preston Ellis, who helped guide Webb City to a district championship last year. But, little bro’s game and swag is much different. The younger Ellis isn’t quite as big (6-foot-3) but the junior is highly skilled. His 19 points were efficent, showing his ability to score at every level and create for himself and others. He had no problem attacking the rim and Lamar’s big/athletic frontline. As his frame continues to fill out he will be a guy to keep an eye on. <strong>Play of the game: The opening tip</strong> Lamar won the opening tip and it seemed like they’d take an early lead, but freshman Terrel Kabala erased the game’s first shot attempt at the top of the square. It was the first of several “did you see that” plays the freshman made in his first game. <strong>Best offensive performance: Alex Pickett (Webb City)</strong> Pickett was a matchup nightmare for the Tigers. He’s 6-foot-5 but loves to play on the perimeter and his ability to attack off the bounce and score in transition kept Lamar’s bigs off balance. He scored eight of his 19 points in the first quarter and helped set the tone early on for Webb City. <strong>Best defensive performance: Terrel Kabala (Webb City)</strong> If you’ve ever seen him on a football field then you already know that his athleticism is freakish. On a basketball court it’s even more impressive. Kabala blocked four shots (he’s a 6-foot guard) and had several steals. He was able to successfully gamble in Webb City’s run-and-jump press and get the Cardinals in transition. His instincts and ball skills are unreal. He was also reason why Lamar’s standout junior Ian Moore scored just 10 points. <strong>Best guy off the bench: Kyle Nichols (Webb City)</strong> Starting point guard Alex Gaskill battled foul trouble all night and Nichols did a tremendous job of providing Webb City with a little bit of everything. He was able to run the offense and allow the Cardinals to live in transition by pushing the ball on makes or misses and kicking it up the floor early. Nichols also knocked down a pair of 3s. He gives Webb City even more diversity with his ability to play on or off the ball. <strong>Best intangibles: Trey Gibson (Webb City)</strong> Being the only senior on a team full of underclassmen isn’t easy, but Gibson was able to be a calming presence for Webb City tonight. Lamar made a push late in the second to cut Webb’s lead to just six at the break. But Gibson scored eight of his 14 points in the 3rd quarter, helping Webb City outscore Lamar 21-7 in the frame. Gibson is only 6-foot-1, but his build allows him to play inside or out and defend multiple positions. <strong>Best under-the-radar performance: Sam Timmons (Lamar)</strong> Timmons’ six points were a season-low and this will likely be the worst game he plays all year. But - in his defense - he was hit was a pair of bogus foul calls early that sent him to the bench for most of the first half. Timmons did hit a 3 late and looked fluid doing so. Many people see him as a back-to-the-basket big but that’s not the case because of his athleticism and face-up game. I would be curious to see what he could have done had he not gotten in foul trouble. He scored on his first post touch and I think Webb’s bigs would have struggled with him on the block. <strong>Best underclassmen: Terrel Kabala (Webb City)</strong> This isn’t even a real question. Kabala was easily the most physically gifted player on the court. At times he played like a freshman with a few silly fouls and turnovers, but he never looked like a freshman. His frame is already advanced and his athleticism is truly elite. Late in the second half he split the seams of Lamar’s press and took off from just inside the foul line. He was fouled, but the lift he got was impressive. He hit a 3 in the first quarter and you can see the mechanics on his jumper are fine. The sky's the limit for this kid - he could develop into a high-major prospect. <strong>Best move: Ian Moore (Lamar)</strong> Kabala did a tremendous job on Moore, but the junior guard was able to lose several Webb City defenders with his filthy “Hurley dribble.” Moore is about 6-foot-1 and can get to the rim, shoot the 3 and has a pull-up jumper. He didn’t shoot it very well tonight and I think some of that was because he felt added pressure without Timmons on the floor. But Moore is a confident kid that plays with some serious swagger. His ability to create space and get to his spots is impressive. <strong>Best quote: Lamar coach Tyler Ryerson</strong> “Again, I keep saying things about our team that I know you didn’t see tonight but I promise we aren’t that bad.” Ryerson took his team’s loss in stride. Between Timmons foul trouble and the fact that most of his players have been on the team for a week thanks to Lamar’s state championship run in football (sixth straight), Tuesday’s loss wasn’t all the shocking. The margin surprised me a little, but time will show just how good this Webb team is.