Most Improved Players
It is time to take a look at some players who have really worked hard to improve and develop over the past year.
Quenton Brown 6’6″ MO Team Carroll 16U (Rock Bridge ’19): The bouncy combo forward really come on strong as the summer progressed as he began to turn that raw athleticism into some serious production. He was excellent around the basket with a number of explosive dunks in traffic. He was good in transition and he also developed the ability to beat defenders on the dribble to get to the basket. He’s still developing, but his upside is pretty big.
Amorey Womack 6’0″ Missouri Impact 17U (Webster Groves ’19): Just a couple of years ago, Womack was a very small forward, but now he has developed into a talented combo guard who can get buckets at all three levels. He is strong and compact, which enables him to get to rim and score in traffic. Combine that with his jump shooting ability and you have a potent scoring threat.
Mike Akinwumi 6’7″ St. Louis Shooting Stars 17U (Parkway West ’18): A solid role player who is a proficient rebounder and shot blocker, Big Mike showed some nice development on the offensive end. He displayed some good moves around the basket and hit the offensive boards hard and finished with authority. He looked much more confident with the ball and also ran the court well. Looking forward to seeing what he does during the season.
Cason Suggs 6’7″ Missouri Impact 17U (Washington ’18): The youngest of the four basketball-playing Suggs brothers, Cason is starting to come into his own after a late start. He is long and lanky, but he plays with an extremely high motor on both ends. He was very productive in July as he scored around the basket and stepped outside to hit mid-range jumpers. He is also a very active offensive rebounder.
Tyson Cathy 6’5″ KC Pacers Blue 17U (Liberty North ’18): Last summer, Cathy was running with the Pacers White team. He moved up to the Blue team and became a valuable role player with his size and activity. When top big Clay Gayman went down with an ankle injury in the last tournament, Cathy stepped in and showed some really nice things as he scored, blocked shots and threw down some nice dunks in transition. He has a big body and he can get the job done.
Trae Robinson 6’8″ Rainmakers Elite 17U (Saxony Lutheran ’18): The large post player has lost a tremendous amount of weight and that has helped his mobility and overall game. He has a nice shooting touch and can really pass the basketball. However, he had a health scare in late July when he collapsed on the court in a tournament, which has put his basketball career on hold. We wish Trae the best as he continues his recovery.
R.J. Wright 6’1″ St. Louis Bearcats 17U (Webster Groves ’18); This young man has grown several inches over the last few years and his game has grown with it, especially on the offensive end. He was a consistent scoring threat throughout the summer with his ability to shoot the ball from 3-point range. He should be ready to step into a bigger role at Webster Groves as a shooter to keep the pressure of the dynamic duo of Courtney Ramey and Carte’are Gordon.
Moses Opkala 6’7″ St. Louis Hardwood Hunks 16U (Ladue ’19): The big youngster is still in the developmental stages, but he made some very positive strides during the summer. He can really control the defensive boards when he is locked in. His offense is slowly coming around as he started developing some confidence in the low post. He can really pass the ball out of a double team. Stay tuned.
Zach Bond 6’7″ Missouri Combat (Eugene ’18): A young big who came on he scene with good size and a lot of jumping ability, but he was really raw and just getting started. He has made a lot of strides in the past year as I watched him with the Combat and with his high school team in June. He has developed into a reliable scoring threat around the basket and he will throw down the dunks with authority. He should have a big senior year at Eugene.