St. Charles Shootout: Top Teams

<p>Prep Hoops Missouri spent the past two days checking out the action at the St. Charles Shootout, which was held at four different schools. Here's a look at some of the top teams in action at the event:</p> <p>Battle: The Spartans have won three Class 5 district championships in a row and they have the talent to make another run in 2020. They feature a talented group of guards, led by 6'2" 2020 point guard Maricus Grant, a defensive stopper who has emerged as an excellent offensive threat. He shares point guard duties with 5'9" 2020 Zhaughn Ward, who plays with tremendous speed and quickness. 6'3" 2021 guard Cachao Gianquinto is a strong wing player who can score from various spots while 6'2" 2022 Tristian Meny can knock down the 3-pointer. Up front, there's 6'6" 2020 Abdi Ibrahim, who can knock down catch and shoot pointers, and 6'2" 2021 Isaac Johnson, who plays bigger with his athleticism.</p> <p>Francis Howell: The Vikings made a historic run to the Final Four in 2019. They graduated some excellent players from that team, but they also return some key pieces as well and they looked good at the Shootout. 6'9" 2021 forward Sam Thompson was one of the top players at the event. He displayed all around skills on offense and shot blocking on defense. 2021 point guard Preston Fortner is a poised floor leader who can shoot the ball. Howell was without returning standouts Matt Schark and Sam Maddox, who were playing baseball. Also looking good were 6'2" 2020 guard Justin Williams and 6'5" 2021 forward David Trupiano.</p> <p>University City: After playing well at the UMSL Shootout, the Lions put together another strong couple of days at St. Charles. 6'1" 2021 guard Trayvon Robinson was very impressive as a scorer on the drive and from the perimeter while 6'5" 2021 forward Jalen Hampton was throwing down dunks and attacking the boards. Running everything was 5'8" 2022 point guard Larry Abbey while 6'3" 2021 Brandon Ming was a very effective slasher.</p> <p>St. Mary's: The Dragons graduated all-everything guard Yuri Collins from a team that finished second in the Class 4 state tournament. All of the other pieces are back, led by 6'4" 2020 guard Sofara Rasas, who excels in transition and slashing to the basket.5'10" 2021 guard Wunya Brown is a bucket-getter while 5'8" 2020 point guard Noah Hamilton is quick and can really harass opponents on defense. Adding size up front is 6'6" 2020 forwards Kameron Garrett and Cole Miller. Garrett is a big-body who really did a nice job shooting the ball from the perimeter.</p> <p>Confluence: The Titans concluded busy week as they played in team camps at Missouri State and UMSL before coming over to St. Charles. They are quick and very athletic at both ends of the court. 6'4" 2020 forward Lyndell Hunt is an explosive athlete who can score while 6'2" 2020 guard Caleb Helm can create offense getting to the basket. 5'7" 2020 guard Devin Phillips is a little quickster while 6'0" 2022 Tresean White can get to the basket on the regular.</p> <p>Jackson: The Indians from Southeast Missouri brought some young and very interesting pieces to St. Charles this weekend. They have two very nice young bigs in 6'5" 2022 forward Nick Wasilewski and 6'7" 2023 forward Clayton Ernst. Wasilewski is athletic with a versatile game while Ernst can knock down perimeter shots. Another talented youngster is 2022 guard Quinn Scott, who had some nice moments. 6'3" 2020 wing Duke Reynolds is a veteran with some nice skills.</p> <p>Ladue: The Rams are coming off a third-place finish in the Class 4 state tournament. They lost three starters to graduation, but two big pieces are back in 6'1" 2020 point guard Jaylen Boyd and 6'6" 2020 forward Evan Schneider. Boyd is a consummate point guard who can lead, score and play excellent defense while Schneider is a bull-moose in the low post. 2020 guard Xavier Handley had a solid weekend while a young guard who looked good this weekend is 2023 Jack Steinbach, who can handle it and shoot it.</p> <p>Fort Zumwalt North: The Panthers showed a lot of promise this weekend with a nice group of perimeter players, led by 6'5" 2021 guard KJ Lee, who can really shoot the ball from distance. He is also making plays off the bounce. 5'8" 2020 guard Grant Rapplean can also score the ball while 6'2" 2020 newcomer Devan Edwards is an athlete who can make plays. North was playing without 6'6" 2020 forward Mujtaba Alkhaldi for the weekend. He makes them even tougher with his inside play.</p>