Ameritime Classic: Wednesday Standouts (2018-19)
Prep Hoops Missouri was on hand to take in the action at the Ameritime Classic at Parkway West on Wednesday night. Here is look at some of the top players from 2018 and 2019 from the four games. Several Division II schools were in the house to watch the action, including Drury, Maryville, UMSL, Truman State and Lindenwood.
2018
Cameron Williams 6’4″ Hazelwood Central: The athletic wing scored a game-high 22 points in the Hawks victory over Lafayette in the semifinals. He is a high-motor kid who always makes plays with his athleticism and high energy, but his stock is on the rise as he continues to showcase his improved offensive game. He scored on some impressive drives to the basket and knocked down a couple of 3-pointers off the catch.
Kale Catchings 6’6″ Wentzville Liberty: The Harvard commit scored 15 points in the Eagles’ victory over Parkway Central in the semifinals. Kale is a full-fledged combo forward who has constantly worked to improve his perimeter game to compliment his powerful inside scoring ability. He handles the ball quite a bit and makes decisions while knocking down jumpers off the dribble. In the post, he’s still a load as a scorer and rebounder.
Deandre Campbell 6’0″ Parkway Central: The physical point guard scored 21 points in the Colts’ loss to Liberty in the semifinals. His powerful body enables him to play through any kind of contact to score at the rim or get to the free throw line. He is a very resourceful offensive player who is tough on the drive or in the low post where he uses his strength. He also has a nice pull up jumper on the move. He recently became the school’s all-time leading scorer.
Brooks Ford 6’2″ DeSmet: The talented shooting guard broke out with a nice 20-point performance in the Spartans victory over Parkway South in the consolation bracket. He is a very good 3-point shooter, but he really came out with an aggressive mindset early in the game and scored on a couple of drives to the basket. He scored eight early points and really built up his confidence to go on to enjoy one of his best offensive outings of the season.
Michael Akinwumi 6’7″ Parkway West: The solid post player scored a team-high 14 points in the Longhorns’ victory over Hillsboro in the consolation bracket. Big Mike is at his best when he is playing strong and aggressive around the basket. He finished well inside and rebounded at a high rate. He also did a good job defensively, moving his feet while guarding Hillsboro’s mobile big Gaven Pinkley. He’s picked up a couple of NAIA offers.
Gaven Pinkley 6’8″ Hillsboro: The long and lanky big scored 14 points in the Hawks loss to Parkway West. His offensive output was a little lower than normal in a game that was played in the 40s. He did much of his work from the perimeter when he squared up on his defender and attacked the basket on the drive. Gaven has done well to extend his game and skill set over the course of his career. Many of the Division IIs were there to watch with great interest.
Brendon Boyd 6’1″ Lafayette: A thick and powerfully built point guard at 215 pounds who can handle the ball and play through any kind of contact. He was under constant attack from Central’s wave of pressure defenders, but he displayed the ability to get to the basket and score in traffic or find teammates for open looks. He plays with a lot of confidence.
A.J. Sommer 6’5″ Parkway South: The combo forward scored 19 points in the Patriots loss to DeSmet to follow up his 27-point performance against Wentzville Liberty in the first round of the tournament. He has done a real nice job of shooting the ball in the tournament, whether it was a 15-footer off a curl or the 3-pointer.
2019
Trey Griffey 6’7″ Lafayette: A wide body post player who really knows how to handle himself around the basket. At 240-pounds he did a good job of establishing his position and holding it quite easily. When he caught it, he displayed some nice moves and some touch around the basket. Would have loved to see him get more touches because he’s capable of doing some damage.
Michael Brewer 6’5″ Hillsboro: The talented power forward was limited on Wednesday because of foul trouble in the Hawks loss to Parkway West. He still finished with nine points. He is strong around the basket as a scorer and rebounder, but he also stepped out and knocked down a 3-pointer and looked comfortable doing it.