Championship Saturday Night (Underclassmen)

<p>Prep Hoops Missouri takes a look at some of the top underclassmen during last weekend’s Championship Saturday Night tournament coverage. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1070116" first="Courtland" last="Simmons"] 5’11 Fulton: The powerful 2023 point guard was voted the Most Valuable Player of the California Tournament after the Hornets won the championship. He is a physically strong performer who can power his way into the lane for buckets or pull up with a soft shooting touch from the perimeter. He has solid handles and can make plays for his teammates. He also has all the tools to be a lock-down defensive player.</p> <p>Josh Reams 6’2 Fulton: The robust 230-pounder put on quite a shooting display in the Hornets victory over Warrensburg in the championship game of the California Tournament. He scored 21 points and made five 3-pointers. He made three consecutive treys in the third quarter to break open a close game. He plays the Stretch 4 role very well for the Hornets.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="984508" first="Braden" last="Appelhans"] 6’6’ Blue Springs: The lefty 2022 shooting guard led a balanced Wildcats team to the championship of the Kearney Tournament. He has deep shooting range and the ability to score from three levels, but he doesn't try to force the issue with bad shots. He lets things develop before he goes into his bag of scoring tricks.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="993523" first="Ashton" last="Holloway"] 6’5 Kearney: The 2022 forward scored 22 points in the Bulldogs narrow loss to Blue Springs in the championship game of the Kearney Tournament. He also earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team. He provided a very good second scoring option alongside 2021 bucket getter Brennan Watkins. They had the pick and pop working as Holloway shot the 3-pointer well. He competed well inside on the boards as well.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="984951" first="Tony" last="Osburn"] 6’2 Mound City: The 2022 guard scored 15 points in the Panthers victory over North Andrew in the championship game of the Stanberry Tournament. After scoring a tournament-record 51 points in the semifinals, he spent much of the championship game being face-guarded by two North Andrew players. He did a nice job of not trying to force things and he let his teammates eat. But he was able to get things rolling in the second half as Mound City stretched out its lead.</p> <p>Ikenna Ezeogu 6’6" Blue Springs: The 2022 forward scored 15 points in the Wildcats victory over Kearney in the championship game of the Kearney Tournament. The Division I football prospect is a tough cover around the basket with his combination of strength, athleticism and good footwork. He attacks the boards well and he can make a play off the dribble from the perimeter and finish with power.</p> <p>Isaac Bird 6’3 Gallatin: A 2023 wing who led Gallatin to the championship of the Lawson Tournament. He’s a rangy kid who can really impact a game with his length and athleticism. He gets plenty of deflections on defense and some steals. He does a nice job of getting to the basket with a quick first step and subtle changes of speeds. It was my first time seeing him in action and I was very impressed with his game and his upside for the future.</p> <p>Brycen Dean 5’11 Van Horn: The 2022 guard was the Most Valuable Player of the Lathrop Tournament after helping the Falcons to the championship. He has good quickness and he can elevate for the mid range jumper and knock down the 3-pointer. He does a good job of playing fast, yet staying under control to get where he wants to go on the court.</p> <p><br /> Walker Gohring 5’9 Fulton: The 2023 guard scored 17 points in the Hornets victory over Warrensburg in the championship game of the California Tournament. The strength of his game is shooting and he has a very confident stroke from 3-point range. He moves well and can come off screens and he also runs the court and gets himself in position for transition 3s.</p>