Five Takeways: Vianney Tournament

<p>Prep Hoops Missouri was in the house for the semifinals for the Jerry Boeckman Memorial Vianney Invitational Basketball Tournament. In the two games, top seeded Hazelwood Central defeated University City 58-56 and No. 2 seed Trinity Catholic defeated Hazelwood East 67-56. They will meet in the championship game on Friday in a rematch of last year's finals, which was won by Trinity.</p> <p>Here are five takeaways from the Vianney Tournament semifinals:</p> <p><strong>Ryan Kalkbrenner can shoot 3s</strong></p> <p>The 7'0" 2020 forward from Trinity Catholic is known for his tremendous shot-blocking as he is one of the best in the country when it comes to swatting. A new element to the Creighton signees game is his 3-point shooting. Kalkbrenner stepped out and hit two of his 3-pointers in the victory over Hazelwood East. He nailed a corner 3 in the first half, then drained another 3-pointer while being fouled off the pick and pop. The perimeter shot is a perfect compliment his inside game.</p> <p><strong>Jayden Nicholson is a top 2023 prospect</strong></p> <p>When it comes to finding the top freshman prospect in the state, you may have to look no further that Nicholson, the powerful 6'4" wing who has taken the Vianney Tournament by storm. In his first two varsity games, Nicholson scored 19 points in the first round against Vianney and followed up with a 20-point performance in the semifinals against University City. He is a physically mature youngster with a bullish game, a versatile skill set and 3-point range to boot. It didn't take him long to introduce himself to the spotlight.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>University City program is on the rise</strong></p> <p>The Lions' program has been down for quite a few years, but head coach Kelvin Lee has U City trending in the right direction. After winning 15 games in a conference title a year ago, the Lions are poised for bigger and better things this season. The Lions have a talented point guard in 5'9" 2022 Larry Abbey, who is averaging 19 points a game in the tournament. He has slick handles and nice moves. The athletic 2021 duo of 6'5" Jalen Hampton and 6'4" Brandon Ming can really get things done around the basket while 2020 guard Trayvon Robinson and 2021 guard Justin Holland can get buckets.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Cole Farrell is a prime athlete</strong></p> <p>The 6'4" 2021 jumping jack from Hazelwood Central has established himself as one of the most explosive prospects in the state and he showed it repeatedly during the summer grassroots season with the SW IL Jets 16U. In the semifinal win against University City, he turned in one of the highlight-reel plays when he sauntered down the lane and threw down a ridiculous rebound put-back slam dunk in the second half that got the crowd on their feet. He already has a Division I offer from SEMO.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Rashad Weekly-McDaniels likes the big moments</strong></p> <p>The 6'0" 2020 guard had a quiet two-point half as the Titans led Hazelwood East by only points at halftime of the semifinals. The second half was different as he scored 14 points and led a big Trinity surge that led to a double-digit victory. When the Central Michigan signee feels the moment, he has the ability to take over games with his skills and ability to score at every level. He is a physical guard who can simply overpower defenders on his way to the bucket, which he did on Thursday night.</p>