St. Louis Spring Showdown (Saturday Standouts)
Here are some of Saturday’s top standouts from the St. Louis Spring Showcase:
Colin Braun 6’8″ NETS (Vianney ’18): The developing post player plays with an aggressiveness and toughness that belies his very, very slender 170-pound frame. He plays hard at both ends of the floor and doesn’t take a possession off. He does a nice job of keeping the ball high when he catches it and he can score around the basket. He will also dunk it in traffic. He is a big obstacle on defense with his length and shot blocking ability. A very high-motor kid who just keeps improving. With a full summer in the weight room and further development, this young man could turn into a nice prospect.
Jermaine Bell 6’3″ Southern Illinois Steelers (Fort Zumwalt North ’18): An athletic wing player with a lot of athleticism and confidence. Bell really excelled in an up-tempo game when he was able to get out on the break and throw down some slam dunks. He had some nice handles and knocked down several short jumpers on the move and a few 3-pointers. He was one of those under-the-radar kids in this tournament that I really liked watching today.
Yansyn Taylor 6’3″ Capital City Teamwork (Decatur Eisenhower ’18): A strong southpaw wing player who led his team to a couple of victories in pool play this afternoon. Taylor has the size and skill set that makes him comfortable anywhere on the floor. He stroked a number of 3-pointers off the catch with ease. He was also good off the dribble where he used his handle and physical strength to get to the basket and finish.
Levi Woods 5’10” SEMO Bulls (Puxico ’18): A small combo guard from Southeast Missouri had an excellent day shooting the basketball from long distance. Woods knocked down a number of shots from 3-point range, but he also did and excellent job of scoring when attacking the rim. He was very good in transition.
J.J. Schwepker 6’4″ St. Louis Warriors 15U (Fort Zumwalt South ’20): A skilled combo forward who was very comfortable on the wing with his shooting ability and versatility. He was very good from 3-point range on the catch or on the pick and pop. J.J. also did a nice job of moving without the basketball as he scored buckets on good, hard cuts to the basket with good finishes off the glass. He does a good job of reading defenses.
Derez Tipler 5’10” SEMO Bulls 16U (East Prairie ’19): A pass-first point guard who has gotten physically bigger and stronger since his freshman season last year. He is an excellent ball handler who can push the pace in an up-tempo game or slow things down. He finds open teammates in their spots where they can do the most damage, but he also has the ability to score on the drive or with the perimeter shot.
Jaylen Boyd 5’10” St. Louis Warriors 15U (Ladue ’20): An excellent point guard who really stirs the drink for a talented young Warriors’ team that is playing up in the 16U bracket. Boyd has excellent quickness and burst, which enables him to get to the basket on dribble penetration or in transition. He is a formidable floor leader with excellent court vision. He gets to ball to his teammates when they are able to do some business. He makes everyone better.