Monday’s Holiday Tournament Standouts (Guards/Wings)

<p>The Prep Hoops Missouri Magical Stream Machine was on the move around the state for the second big day of holiday tournament action. Here is a look at some of the top guards and wings who stood out on Monday night.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1042400" first="Keshon" last="Gilbert"] 6’4" Vashon: The 2021 UNLV recruit scored 22 points in the Wolverines 55-52 victory over Chaminade in a big non-conference showdown in St. Louis. The elusive point guard was at his best in the second half when he scored 18 points and made all of the big plays down the stretch, including a steal and three-point play to break a 50-50 tie in the final minute. He has the uncanny ability to finish at the rim at a variety of angles and through any kind of contact. He also hit a couple of 3-pointers in the second half. He is an excellent passer with a high basketball IQ as he lets the game come to him.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1070093" first="Desmond" last="White"] 6’0" Helias: The 2023 combo guard scored a game-high 28 points to lead the Crusaders to a 72-61 victory over Blair Oaks at the Machens Fantastic Four Round Robin in Jefferson City. The young bucket getter was electric in the second half as he scored 18 points while fueling a huge second-half performance by the Crusaders. He ball-hawked on defense to create turnovers and dominated on offense with his three-level scoring ability. He knocked down open 3-pointers, scored on floaters in the lane and got things done in the transition game. He is an excellent shot-creator.</p> <p>Malcolm Davis 6’0" Helias: The 2022 guard is the other half of the Crusaders’ talented backcourt and he scored 23 points in the victory over Blair Oaks. He also came up big in the second half when he scored 14 points. Malcolm is known for his ability to shoot the ball from long distance, but I was also impressed with his mid-range game. When defenders would close out on him, he calmly took a few dribbles and knocked down a number of pull up jumpers from 12 to 15 feet, which is a big weapon for a shooter like him to have. He was also a big factor on defense as he contributed four steals on the day.</p> <p>Isaiah Smith 5’8" Crane: The 2021 point guard scored a game-high 19 points in the Pirates’ xx victory over xx in the first round of the Blue &amp; Gold Tournament, Gold Division. The veteran lefty is an energetic player who plays with tremendous pace as he looks to penetrate in the lane whenever possible. Making him even tougher to guard is the fact is that he is an excellent 3-point shooter who can also drop dimes to open teammates. He is a fine small college basketball prospect, but he will be playing baseball at College of the Ozarks next year.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="824206" first="Mason" last="Thompson"] 6’2" Rockhurst: The 2021 guard scored 21 points in the Hawklets’ 58-50 victory over Lee’s Summit in the first round of the William Jewell Classic (Holley Division). Mason has an excellent shooting stroke from 3-point range. On this day, the 3-pointers weren’t falling, but he was still able to compensate by scoring on drives and mid-range jumpers. He constantly got himself to the free throw line, where he didn’t miss. He showcased a lot of variety in his offensive game.</p> <p>Coy Wade 6’0" Malden: The 2021 guard scored an impressive 34 points in the Green Wave’s victory over Gideon in the consolation bracket of the Bloomfield Tournament. He was excellent in this up-tempo game where he was able to get out on the break and showcase his athleticism with a pair of nice slam dunks in the first half. He was constantly on the attack as he scored on downhill drives and short jumpers. He scored 15 points in the fourth quarter to stave off any hopes of a Gideon rally.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="824144" first="Nick" last="Roper"] 6’7" MICDS: The 2021 wing had 17 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and two steals in the Rams’ victory over Trinity at the MICDS Round-Robin. Nick is so unassuming out there that you don’t realize he is stuffing the stat sheet like he is. He plays a great team game that blends in with any style of play. That’s because he plays so well without having the ball in his hands. He can hit 3-pointers and mid-range jumpers or throw down a dunk on a backdoor cut. He is comfortable as a secondary ball handler against pressure and he is a very good rebounder with his size.</p> <p><em>([player_tooltip player_id="1042400" first="Keshon" last="Gilbert"] photo, Courtesy of Vashon Basketball)</em></p>