Class 5 Quarterfinals and Previews
The pairings are set for the Class 5 state quarterfinals, which will be held on Saturday. The winners will all advance to the Final Four of the state tournament, which begins next Thursday at the Mizzou Arena on the campus of the University of Missouri. There are some high-quality teams still alive in the tournament. Here is a look at the matchups with my predictions:
Jackson (19-10) vs. Chaminade (23-5) at Lindenwood University, 6 p.m. – The defending state champion Red Devils are back in the quarterfinals after an impressive 90-75 victory over Pattonville in the sectionals. Chaminade got big efforts from its 2018 duo 6’7″ Jericole Hellems, who had 23 points and 14 rebounds, and 6’6″ Karrington Davis, who had 23 points. The Red Devils are deep and they have many offensive weapons. When they are on, they can score tons of points. Jackson is in the state quarterfinals for the fourth time in five years. Their season has ended in this game at the hands of a Metro Catholic Conference team the previous three times. The Indians are junior dominated and can be a year away from being a serious Final Four contender, but they want to jump the shark this year. 2017 guard Jacob Friess scored 15 points in Jackson’s sectional victory over Fort Zumwalt West. The Indians also got double-figures from the 2018 trio of 6’6″ Pete Lake, 6’7″ Cameron Hester and 6’3″ Desmond Morris. The Indians must be careful not be lured into a track meet with the Red Devils. (Prediction: Chaminade)
Lee’s Summit West (24-2) vs. Liberty (20-8) at Independence, 6 p.m. – Lee’s Summit West was pressed to the limit in the sectionals by a surging North Kansas City team, but the Titans held on for a two point victory behind 22 points from 6’6″ 2018 swingman Christian Bishop. He can get it done from a lot of spots on the floor. Dynamic 2018 guard Mario Goodrich also came up with some big plays down the stretch. The Titans will be looking for a big game inside from 6’8″ Bradley signee Elijah Childs. Liberty scored a very impressive 57-45 victory over Park Hill in the sectionals. 2018 guard Jalen Lewis has been tremendous all season as a scorer and floor leader. Liberty also gets solid play from 6’3″ 2018 shooter Brock Matson and 6’4″ 2017 forward Clayton Adams. (Prediction: Lee’s Summit West)
CBC (20-8) vs Webster Groves (26-2) at Lindenwood University, 1 p.m. – Webster Groves showed their dominance in the sectionals as the No. 1 Statesmen powered past Battle 84-45. The dynamic duo of 6’3″ 2018 Louisville commit Courtney Ramey and 6’8″ 2018 SLU commit combined for 36 points. If you double either one, 6’3″ 2019 guard Ray Adams is a knock-down shooter. He hit five 3-pointers against Battle. The Statesmen have two other unsung heroes in 2017s Cam Potts and Isaiah Ford, who are big producers. CBC is a young team that is emerging at the right time. Their best days are in the future, but they are looking to take a swing at the giant right now. CBC follows the lead of 6’5″ 2018 forward Kale Catchings, who is a load inside and on the drive. (Prediction: Webster Groves)
Rock Bridge (22-4) vs. Kickapoo (24-4) at Southwest Baptist, 1 p.m. – Kickapoo is looking to get back to the Final Four after finishing second last season. Rock Bridge is hoping to jump the shark and make it down the street to Mizzou with all of its young guns. Both teams are coming off of impressive blowout victories in the sectionals. Kickapoo got 28 points from Xavier signee Jared Ridder against Nixa while Navy signee Cam Davis had 17 points. The Chiefs also got some excellent outside shooting from 2017 guard Isaac Blakeslee and athletic plays from 2019 guard Donye McCaskill. Rock Bridge has a dynamic inside-outside combination in 6’6″ 2017 forward Eysan Wiley and 6’6″ 2019 forward Isiaih Mosley. The Bruins have scored consecutive blowout victories over Blue Springs and Willard to get to the quarterfinals. It should be a good one. (Prediction: Kickapoo).