The Finale: The Beef

<p>Prep Hoops Missouri takes a look at those thick bodied standouts, affectionately known as “The Beef” from The Finale last weekend. As a big guy myself, I have a soft spot in my heart for those big bodied players who know how to play the game. <br /> <br /> </p> <p>Demond Davis 6’0 34Hoops 17U: An undersized 2021 power forward from Festus who displayed some nice moves in the low post. He used his strength and good footwork to get buckets against much taller defenders.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="824180" first="Lance" last="Hackney"] 6’7” Gateway-Knights 17U: A big, strong 2021 power forward from Lutheran St Charles who is an excellent rebounder in addition to his low post scoring skills. I was also impressed with his ability to use both hands to score inside effectively.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="984258" first="Anthony" last="Lewis"] 6’2 Missouri Basketball Club 17U: The 2022 guard from St. Dominic is an accomplished 3-point marksman with excellent range. He is at his best off the catch but he can also hit you with a mid-range jumper off the dribble if a defender closes out to aggressively.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="824185" first="Emmanuel" last="McLemore"] 6’4 St Louis Cobras A.N.M.: A stout 2021 combo forward from Wentzville Holt who was putting up double doubles throughout the weekend. He’s physical enough to handle himself inside and skilled enough to put in work on the perimeter.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="985425" first="Ryan" last="Schwendeman"] 6’4 Gateway-Knights 16U: A 2021 bull of a combo forward from St Dominic who relishes the physical play in his pursuit for buckets. In addition to his very effective bully ball game, he is also a very reliable 3-point shooter.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="984943" first="Kortez" last="Stevenson"] 6’6 Team KC-Derrick 16U (Pictured): An excellent low post scorer who led his team to a tournament championship. His strength, footwork and variety of moves made him virtually unstoppable in the paint. I liked how he mixed up his moves to keep defenders guessing. He can also knock down perimeter jumpers with regularity.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="824196" first="John" last="Wilson"] 6’5 Gateway-Knights 17U: A standout offensive lineman on the football field who is a load in the low post when he establishes his position. Good luck trying to move him. He has soft hands and a nice shooting touch around the basket.</p>