Show Me Showdown: Saturday Recaps

The last event on the Prep Hoops circuit until July makes its annual stop in St. Louis. Today I was at MICDS once again taking in the 16U action. There are a ton of talented players at this venue and I was able to see most of them today. Below you will be able to find my game recaps from the action on the day. <hr /> 9:00 (16U) — ABC Young Lions Black (65) vs. H&H Elite (45) In the first game of the day, the ABC Young Lions Black controlled the tempo and ran to an easy win over H&H Elite. Jimmy Balsden caught my eye early and often. He was a man on a mission today racking up assist after assist. He’s a guy who holds the attention of the defense, and then rips a pass to a teammate for an easy basket. Really good on the drive sucking the defense in and then dishing it off. Derek Erdmann was another kid that was impressive. He’s got a slick shot with a high release and hit a few transition jumpers today. Erdmann was really making things happen in the half court for his ABC Young Lions Black squad. For H&H Elite, Enrique Moline was a man amongst boys. He’s a very strong kid who was getting into the lane with ease. Good cutter off the wing and is really good as a slasher to the rim. He had a few really nice moves down in the post as well. H&H Elite didn’t come away with the win but they have some definite scholarship kids for coaches to take notice of. 10:05 (16U) — Indy EBC (65) vs. Full Package Black (55) Indy EBC pulled out an overtime win in what was probably the game of the day for me. Indy EBC was down by 11 points and then came back to take a 3-point lead near the end of the game before Full Package Black nailed a 3-pointer to send it to overtime. It was all Indy EBC in OT as they scored all ten points. Jorden Murphy was really impressive all game long. He was getting his way inside the paint and finished off the game with a huge dunk in transition. He’s a kid that can play above the rim, rebound, and score at the rim. Very impressed with his versatility, aggressiveness, and motor. Another guy for INDY EBC who impressed was Elijah Linden. He was a slick moving guard who showed burst. He was scoring the ball well but also setting up his teammates for easy buckets. Full Package Black did not have a roster submitted. 11:10 (16U) — Iowa Dynasty (54) vs. QC Ballers (42) Iowa Dynasty was down early but found a way to battle back and win the game. Once again [player_tooltip player_id="796157" first="Antwon" last="French"] impressed me. He is a nice prospect with length. French is a bully down low and he is one of those guys who wants to guard the best player on the opposing team, no matter who it is. He’s a very good passer from the post as well, which might be one of the most under-the-radar parts to his game. [player_tooltip player_id="964923" first="Mike" last="Potter"] was showing a bit more aggression that he did yesterday and I think he’s in store for a big junior campaign. He’s a fluid guard who can make things happen on the offensive end. A heady player on defense who makes the most of opportunities. For QC Ballers, Devin Swift really stood out. He showcased a really good 3-point shot and was forcing the action well. He’s a nice guard with a good frame with the ability to pack on a bit more strength. Swift showed us a solid basketball IQ and was able to make things happen on both ends. 12:15 (16U) — Chicago Demons (58) vs. KC Pacers Blue (54) The Chicago Demons rode some late game magic to picking up a close win against the KC Pacers Blue team. [player_tooltip player_id="821823" first="Parker" last="Higginbottom"] was a guy who shined brightly for the Chicago Demons. He was all over the floor and was making plays left and right. He was scoring the ball a ton and ended up with 17 points per the Chicago Dream twitter account. Nice athlete who can make plays and create space for himself well. Chris Turner was another guy for this team that was impressing. Runs the floor well in transition and slashes to the basket really well. Strong guard who was playing some solid defense as well. For KC Pacers Blue, Ethan Widener impressed me with his speed and quickness. He’s a small guard but has a burst that a lot of players can’t match. I thought that he played a really good game and kept the KC Pacers Blue in it on both ends of the floor. 1:20 (16U) — Victory Ministry Blue (87) vs. Texas Tar Heels (42) Victory Ministry Blue got off to a hot start and rode the momentum to a big win. It was a total team effort as everyone contributed to the win. While not a single player stood out completely, it was a duo of guys who caught my attention with their play. [player_tooltip player_id="984946" first="Cohl" last="Vaden"] is a small lead guard who sees the floor really well and can get things done on the offensive end. He passes the ball really well and continually made great passes to set up his teammates. I loved his grit and willingness to mix it up and be physical. Haiden McCoy is an imposing presence for Victory Ministry Blue as well and he was roaming the paint scoring pretty much at will. Very mobile 6’7 kid who knows how to play the game. He is a big time athlete. The Texas Tar Heels just didn’t have enough players to match up well with Victory Ministry Blue. Carson Boyd was playing pretty well and was able to control the tempo just a little bit. He was pushing the pace but also slowing it down when needed. I thought that he was one of the better players on the floor in the entire game, it just might not show up in the stat sheets. 2:25 (16U) — Tulsa Hawks Blue (75) vs. JC Thunder (51) The Tulsa Hawks Blue cruised to an impressive big win over a solid JC Thunder team in a game where it seemed like the Tulsa Hawks Blue just couldn’t miss. Eli Wallace nailed shot after shot and was on fire from behind the arc. He scored points in bunches and was doing it at all three levels on the floor. He’s a competitive kid who really has the ability to get hot quickly and then score 20-30 on a nightly basis. Clean looking shot from behind the arc too. Cody Nagy was finding teammates with passes that he had no business making. He was throwing dimes all day long and teammates were converting on the scoring end. Really liked the fluidness that I saw from him today with the ball but was very good off the ball as well. [player_tooltip player_id="985224" first="Damon" last="Johanns"] played well for the JC Thunder and was a physical force across the entire game. Johanns was a playmaker today and being the biggest kid on the team he was forced to make things happen and rebound. Really liked the things I saw from him and I think that he has a very bright future. 3:30 (16U) — Peoria Area Elite (60) vs. Team Iowa (40) Peoria Area Elite is a team with a load of talent and they showcased it in this one. Off to a bit of a slow start, they quickly ramped into gear and took down Team Iowa handily. Hayden Jackson was all over the court today and was showcasing not only his scoring ability, but also his vocal leadership on the floor. I really enjoyed seeing him go to work as a dynamic playmaker for his teammates. Judd Matthews was a 2022 playing up and he showed that he belonged quickly. Matthews has a good feel for the game and was showing that the game wasn’t too quick for him at all. This is a strong team from the Peoria area and they showed that they can handle the pressure today. Team Iowa kind of just struggled the entire game but it was Lonnie Davis who stood out. He’s the tallest player on a small guard oriented team and was having to do a lot of the rebounding. Davis was a player who stood out for the first time this year. I hope to see him play this well in the future because the skill is there, he just needs to put it together consistently. 4:35 (16U) — Missouri Flight - Blue (60) vs. Chicago Demons (53) This was a game that was closer than it appeared as Missouri Flight held on late to take a win over the Chicago Demons. Spencer Harrison had his complete game working and was making jumper after jumper. He’s a quick wing who can get into the lane with ease against slower defenders. I thought that he was showing a lot today as he was getting into the lane and attacking with ease. Kaden Daniels was also a guy who impressed me showing a ton of fluidity and length. He attacked the basket hard and started to make big plays early in the second half. Good motor on a guy who can just go and go. Like earlier, [player_tooltip player_id="821823" first="Parker" last="Higginbottom"] was impressing once again with his jumper. He’s a quick twitch guard who was getting to his spot all day long.