Show Me Showdown: Missouri's Dynamic Duos (17U)

In today's game, it is rare that the most successful teams are "one man shows" and often times the star power runs in pairs. There were some impressive front-court and back-court tandems that fed well off each other and led their teams to solid weekend performances at the Show Me Showdown in St. Louis. Here we highlight the dynamic duos from the Missouri squads that impressed in the 17u division.   Jaylen Boyd and Lamontay Daugherty - Team Ramey Jaylen and Lamontay are an impressive pair that were keys to Team Ramey taking home the Show Me Showdown 17u championship. Jaylen ran the show from the point guard position all weekend long. He did a tremendous job of getting in the lane and putting to use either his terrific finishing ability around the basket or distributing and creating scoring opportunities for teammates. He is the straw that stirs the drink for his team. Meanwhile, Lamontay brings a college-ready frame and athleticism to the table on the wing. He had a nice weekend but saved his best performance for the championship game against Gateway where he dropped 21 points with his full arsenal on display.   Tahj Patterson and Breven McMullen - Gateway Tahj and Breven were consistent performers in the Gateway back-court throughout the weekend. Tahj really impressed me with his versatile play on the offensive end. He knocked down some big three-pointers and did a great job of carving up defenses off the dribble and using his crafty finishing ability through contact at the cup. Breven showed off a mix of skill and athleticism that impressed us. He has deep range and can shoot it off the catch or pull up off the dribble. He can also put it on the floor and uses his 6'6 frame to get to the basket and can play above the rim.   Evan Guillory and Gavyn Elkamil - Carroll GoL1ve Evan and Gavyn are a great pair in the Carroll GoL1ve back-court that are complimented even further by elite sharp-shooter Quenton Shelton. Evan Guillory is a superb-athlete and slasher that gets it done on both ends of the floor and excels in transition. Gavyn is a future D-1 point guard that can pass, shoot, handle the rock, defend, and play above the rim. He had the performance of the weekend, going for 40 points on 9 made three pointers against the Clarksville Snipers.   Terrell Kabala and JD Bishop - Victory Ministry Blue Terrell Kabala had a fabulous weekend, leading Victory Ministry Blue to a final four appearance in the 17u bracket. He is a physical and aggressive lead guard that proved to be tough to defend all weekend. He is strong and athletic and can finish above the rim, as evidenced by his drive through the Team Ramey defense and one-handed flush in traffic in the semifinal game. He also has some clutch-factor to his game that he displayed with a smooth pull-up go-ahead jumper to seal the quarterfinal win. JD Bishop from Lamar high school is a great compliment to Terrell. He gives Victory Ministry positional versatility on both ends and is a high-effort, high-efficiency player.   Donyae McCaskill and Nakai Johnson - Missouri Flight Donyae is one of the better athletes in the area and re-affirmed that over the weekend. He is a physical specimen that handles the ball well and attacks the basket with purpose. He is a high-flyer that dominates the offensive glass. Nakai is a perfect compliment to him due to his knockdown three point shooting ability that spaces the floor and opens up driving lanes.   Sekou Gassma and Yaya Keita - Gateway The twin towers from De Smet in St. Louis are far and away the best front-court duo in the area and will both be high major players in the future. Both stand near 6'10 with impressive frames and athleticism. It is honestly refreshing to watch these two play. They are passionate and give max effort every second they are on the floor, which you don't always see with prospects who have as much talent as they do. Offensively, both are skilled on the block and operate very well in the pick and roll. Each has shown the ability to knock down the mid-range and if that becomes a more consistent weapon in the arsenal, look out! Defensively, both are rim deterrents and dominant forces on the glass who have enough length and athleticism to defend the perimeter in spurts.   Gary Clark and Elijah Bishop - Team Ramey This duo very easily could have included Clark's high school teammate Brandon Ellington and he gets an honorable mention here. What we love about Gary Clark is his athleticism around the basket and tenacity crashing the offensive glass and rim running in transition. He can also operate out of the high post and on the wing as a rip and go driver with an improving jump-shot. Elijah Bishop is a perfect compliment to him with his old-school back to the basket bully game in the post. He uses his strong frame to gain positioning on the low block and is very skilled with impressive footwork and a full variety of scoring moves inside.