Highland Shootout: Missouri Evaluations
PrepHoops covered the 27th Annual Highland Shootout this past weekend which featured many of the top teams and players in both Illinois and Missouri. Here are our evaluations of the Missouri prospects at the event!
PF Dalen Ridgnal (Rockhurst, MO – 2019)
Ridgnal is an intriguing 6’6” power forward. The big man has a nice frame and is a very good rebounder within his area. He came off the bench to provide a major scoring punch along with what he did on the glass. Explosive second jump allowed him to get on the glass for put backs. Soft touch around the hoop and is an effective mid-range jump shooter. Shot blocking presence. He had 15 points. Low-major programs would be wise to take a look at him.
PG Xavier Rhodes (Rockhurst, MO – 2018)
Rhodes is a prospect that really intrigues us and we don’t quite understand why he isn’t getting more attention at the low-major level. The 6’1” senior point guard has a long and wiry frame. Will definitely need to add strength at the next level. So smooth with the rock in his hands and has an advanced feel for the game. Slick handling guard that can get to the rim off the bounce where he finishes well with both hands. Body control around the hoop is impressive. As a passer he displayed he could get others involved especially finding his shooters off dribble penetration. Rhodes had 16 points. Says he is hearing from Tulsa and Nebraska Omaha. Would be an outstanding spring signing for a low-major program.
PF Darrius Hughes (Rockhurst, MO – 2019)
Hughes is a 6’5” power forward that has a thick body and long arms. He plays physical inside as an effective area rebounder. Hughes had a dunk and nice seal in the high/low. Not much of a skilled offensive threat at this point, but more of a tough and rugged post. Worth tracking at D2 level.
SF Torrence Watson (Whitfield, MO – 2018)
Watson started off slow not scoring much early in their contest. Once he got it rolling he made some key plays. The Mizzou commit has a strong build on his 6’4” frame. He passed it well early trying to get some of his teammates going. Watson then began to look for his shot. Couple explosive moves from mid-range where he blew past defenders and showed he could finish with either hand at the rim. Late in the contest and in OT he was aggressive taking it to the hoop. Mixed in a couple threes. Watson had 22 points.
PF Luther Taylor (Whitfield, MO – 2019)
Taylor is only 6’4”, but plays bigger than his size. The high energy four man that is tough on the glass with his athleticism. Bouncy athlete around the rim that gets on the offensive glass. He scored with a nice left handed hook shot. Taylor had 12 points. Small college prospect.
SG Aurelio Stucco (Whitfield, MO – 2019)
Stucco can really shoot it! This 6’3” junior proved to be an excellent shooter off the catch drilling four triples with a quick release. You definitely can’t leave this guy open. Projects as a small college shooter with size.
SF Dominique Hardimon (Poplar Bluff, MO – 2019)
Hardimon emerged as a player to watch with his play for Poplar Bluff. The 6’4” small forward is a physically built wing that plays with a high motor. He is a scrappy player on the interior that finishes extremely well on the interior. As the game went on he showed off he is more than just a gritty player inside. He has speed in transition with the ball and converted a pair of alley-oops. Didn’t show any kind of jumper in the game. Plus rebounder that mauls on the glass for his size. He had 27 points. Right now probably a D2 prospect with the chance to elevate to low-major status if he can prove his shot is a threat.
SF Luke Kasubke (Chaminade, MO – 2020)
This 6’6” small forward is an absolute sniper from the perimeter. He was unconscious shooting the basketball from beyond the arc drilling at least seven triples in the game. Kasubke is great at sliding to the spot he needs to be for a clean look from the perimeter. Quick release and consistent mechanics every single time. Each time it leaves his hands you think it is going in. He had a couple acrobatic finishes around the hoop including a slick euro step late, but most of his damage was from deep. The Chaminade sophomore finished with 27 points. D1 prospect that mid-majors need to start looking into.
SF Jericole Hellems (Chaminade, MO – 2018)
There were both good and bad moments for the NC State commit in his game against Morgan Park. Hellems stands at 6’6” with size and versatility on the wing. He is a quality jump shooter most of the time, but it wasn’t on point in this game. The wing continued to force the shot when he didn’t need too. At times he was wild and out of control as well as picking up not smart fouls. On the positive side he flashed his scoring ability off the bounce and in transition. Attacks with his long strides getting to the rim. He had 17 points.
PG Jadis White (Chaminade, MO – 2018)
White is a prospect that is extremely undervalued. In the three games we have evaluated him this year he has been consistently productive and looked like a low-major prospect. Only school really recruiting him hard right now is my alma mater Missouri Baptist. Columbia, Lindenwood, and William Woods have also expressed interest. The 6’1” point guard is a plus shooter off the catch that plays under control with the ball in his hands. He can get to the rim off the bounce and makes sound decisions as a distributor. White had 21 points.
SG Keyyaun Batchman (Chaminade, MO – 2018)
Batchman has had monster games the last two times we have seen Chaminade play this season. The 6’2” lefty is a crafty 2019 that just gets stuff done. He hit four triples off the catch. Plus shooter that can get really hot from beyond the arc. Mixed in a couple transition buckets with nice body control at the rim. Batchman scored 22 points in the win. D2’s and low-majors should start to take serious looks at him.
SG Harrison Vickers (Chaminade, MO – 2020)
Vickers is an intriguing 6’4” wing with a rangy frame. This lefty has athleticism finishing around the rim. Spot up perimeter shooter with potential hitting threes. He had 10 points. One to track.
PG Mario McKinney (Vashon, MO – 2019)
McKinney is a quick twitched point guard that is has speed to burn! He makes a lot of his plays in the lane scoring on quick finishes inside. Makes tough layups and the spectacular finish seems automatic with him. Pushes it in the open floor with his speed. With the ball in his hands he has a lot of options. He can take it to the rim, find shooters in the drive and kick, or pull up for three. The slick lead guard is mostly a scorer, but did show growth in his passing against Champaign Central. McKinney had 23 points. High-major point guard.
SF Cam’Ron Fletcher (Vashon, MO – 2020)
Fletcher is one of my favorite prospects in the Midwest in the 2020 class. Think this 6’6” small forward is about to explode on the national scene. He has a long and lanky build. Looks like he could grow a couple more inches. Plus athlete and showed that off with a few monster dunks including a huge alley-oop slam. Also connected on a pair of triples including one to beat the buzzer ending the quarter. He hasn’t shot it outstanding this season, but from what we saw this summer we believe he is going to be a plus shooter long term. Fletcher finished with 13 points. The sophomore is a high-major prospect with top 50 potential nationally.
SG Kobe Clark (Vashon, MO – 2020)
Clark has been in the shadow of McKinney and Fletcher early this year, but there is a lot of projectability with this 6’5” wing. He had a strong second half against Champaign Central. Got to the rim both in transition and the half court. Smooth with the ball which was shown on a coast to coast drive. Clark had 10 points. Potential D1 prospect.