Five Takeaways: Father Tolton at Cardinal Ritter

<p>Prep Hoops Missouri was at Cardinal Ritter College Prep on Thursday night to take in the Class 3 showdown between Father Tolton and the host Ritter Lions in a big Archdiocesan Athletic Association contest. Both teams are currently ranked in the top five of the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association State rankings. Father Tolton is ranked No. 2 while Ritter is ranked No. 4.</p> <p>The first half started slow as Tolton took a 27-24 lead into the locker room at halftime. However, the pace quickened and the points piled up in the second half as Cardinal Ritter sprinted to a 82-73 victory in what turned out to be a very entertaining game. </p> <h3><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/coban-porter/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/coban-porter/">Coban Porter</a></a> is a big loss for Tolton </h3> <p>The Trailblazers are talented and have one of the deepest backcourts in the state with quality 2020s Nate Schwartze, <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/deuce-tatum/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/deuce-tatum/">Deuce Tatum</a></a> and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/chase-martin/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/chase-martin/">Chase Martin</a></a><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/chase-martin/">. They can all play. However, </a>the biggest piece to that backcourt is missing in 6'5" 2020 guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/coban-porter/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/coban-porter/">Coban Porter</a></a>, who suffered a season-ending knee injury a couple of weeks ago. Porter is one of the top ten players in the Class of 2020 who played several different roles for the Trailblazers. He's a knock-down 3-point shooter with excellent fundamentals and the ability to defend at a  high level. His experience as a four-year varsity starter is also vital. If there is a team that is built to sustain such as a loss, it is Tolton, but losing Porter for the home stretch of the season is a big blow.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Cardinal Ritter is deep up front</h3> <p>The Lions have three very talented front court players with size and athleticism, which make the solid college prospects at the next level. The top dog is 6'7" 2020 forward Garry Clark, who scored a team-high 20 points. He is an excellent Stretch 4 who loves the pick-and-pop from 17 feet to outside the 3-point line. He is also a high-level rebounder. Coming off the bench was 6'6" 2020 forward <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/brandon-ellington/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/brandon-ellington/">Brandon Ellington</a></a>, an above the rim athlete who scored 10 points, including a couple of big dunks. He is an explosive southpaw who can score and rebound. The third big in the rotation is 6'8" 2021 forward Josh Robinson, who returned to the lineup from an injury. He is a big body who scored six points, which including a slam dunk in traffic and a nice jump hook in the lane in the second half. He received a Division I offer from Louisiana-Monroe on Thursday night.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Jevon Porter is a star in the making</h3> <p>The Trailblazers feature one of the top sophomores in the state in 6'10" forward Jevon Porter, who has all of the makings of becoming a national-level player. In fact, he is plenty good right now, but he is just starting to scratch the surface. He scored a team-high 21 points while also rebounding and blocking shots at a high level as well. He is a skilled young big who can score at all three levels. He can knock down 3-pointers off the pick-and-pop and he can also put the ball on the floor and score on euro-steps and drives to the basket. He also has a nice post game with jump hooks and footwork. He is very fluid in his movements on the court. As he continues to get stronger, watch out.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Luther Burden can play basketball, too</h3> <p>Class of 2020 guard Luther Burden III of Cardinal Ritter is one of top young wide receiver prospects in the country in football. Burden has at least two dozen scholarship offers from Power 5 schools from around the country. He is tremendous on the gridiron. Burden is also an excellent basketball players as well as he displayed last night by scoring all 18 of his points in the second half. The 6'1" Burden is a powerfully built athlete who attacks the game at both ends of the court. His speed and physical strength makes him</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>They will meet again</h3> <p>If you didn't get to see this entertaining contest, you are in luck because the two teams will meet again to conclude the regular season. In the AAA, they play home-and-home games during the regular season. The rematch will be in Columbia on Saturday, Feburary 22 at Tolton. Watching these two talented teams go at it again will be well worth your time. It will also be a great tune-up to the upcoming district playoffs, which will begin the following week.</p>