FIVE TAKEAWAYS: St. James (Kan.)-Hogan Prep (Mo.)
FIVE TAKEAWAYS: St. James (Kan.)-Hogan Prep (Mo.)
OLATHE, Kan. — The first game of Saturday’s 810varsity Shootout featured Hogan Prep running away from St. James Academy 65-49.
The Rams got 14 points from both Damien Daniels and Miles Johnson, while Anthony Barner Jr. came off the bench to add 11 points and Marty Jackson finished with 10. Casey Worley led St. James with 11 points.
Here, Prep Hoops takes a look at five things that stood out about Saturday’s contest.
Hogan Prep remains a Class 3 contender
Don’t be fooled by the fact that Hogan Prep has fallen to Np. 8 in the latest Missouri Class 3 state rankings. To date, the Rams have suffered an eight-point loss to Blue Valley Northwest, a five point loss to Park Hill South and an eight point loss to Rolla. The team has terrific guard play, depth and can be difficult for opponents to handle their in-your-face ball pressure.
Moellers an elite shooter
Hogan Prep obviously read the scouting report entering Saturday’s game and didn’t give St. James 2020 guard Jack Moellers an inch of daylight. One of the better young shooters around, Moellers can light it up from distance. He has good range, can make contested shots and can shoot it a little off the dribble or the catch.
St. James better than record indicates
These guys have had a tough season record-wise as they are off to a 1-6 start, but they have had some solid moments of play in every game we’ve watched. They run good stuff at the offensive end, pass and share the ball well and are constantly getting stuff off back door cuts and action away from the ball. St. James is running a team out there this season that is exclusively new to the varsity as few if any of its regular players saw much varsity action last year. We look for them to be a dangerous opponent as the season goes on.
Johnson shines for Hogan Prep
Few teams are deeper than Hogan Prep and it seems like every game there is a different player who stands out. On Saturday, it was 5’11 2018 guard Miles Johnson who not only led the team with 14 points but with eight rebounds as well. Johnson is a strong, physical guard who plays bigger than his listed height. He knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and got to the basket, making plays off the dribble.
Worley underrated guard
St. James 6’0 2018 guard Casey Worley continues to impress this season with his solid ball handling, left handed shooting stroke and movement off the ball. He is terrific at setting up defenders for back door cuts and is capable of finishing tough chances around the basket. He is putting together an all-conference caliber season although those kind of honors are tough to come by in the EKL.