Class 6 Final Four: Thursday’s Semifinals Standouts

<p>The Final Four of the MSHSAA Show-Me Showdown opened up for big schools on Thursday with the Class 6 state semifinals. In the opening game, CBC defeated Metro Catholic Conference rival Chaminade 70-52. In the second game, Nixa defeated Staley 53-43.</p> <p>CBC will face Nixa for the state championship on Friday at 4 p.m. Chaminade and Staley will play for third place at noon.</p> <p>Prep Hoops Missouri takes a look at the top standouts from Thursday’s Final Four action.</p> <h4>CBC</h4> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="984502" first="Rob" last="Martin"]: The 5'10" Indiana State recruit led the Cadets' big second half charge against Chaminade. He scored 23 of his game-high 29 points after halftime as the Cadets broke open a close game. He was quick in the open court as he hit a number of pull up jumpers. He was also 13 of 16 from the free throw line.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1125608" first="John" last="Bol"]: The 7'2" 2024 center was a big factor at both ends of the court as he finished with 12 points, six rebounds and five blocked shots. He was able to impact the game with his length and athletic ability as he finished well inside and altered several other shots.</p> <p>Larry Hughes, Jr.: The 6'5" 2022 guard put together a nice game with 13 points, three rebounds and two assists. He hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter to get the Cadets going while also throwing down a nice transition dunk.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1186889" first="Justus" last="Johnson"]: A standout on the Cadets' state-championship football team, the 2022 guard finished with eight points, four assists and three steals. He was a disruptive force on the defensive end with his quickness and tenacity.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Nixa</h4> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1070087" first="Kael" last="Combs"]: The 6'4f" 2023 guard had an excellent all-around game with 19 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. He used his size to get inside and score on the attack and he opened his scoring with a smooth lefty stroke for three from the corner.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1182211" first="Colin" last="Ruffin"]: The 6'4" 2022 guard finished with 18 points, two assists and two steals. His three field goals came on long 3-pointers from well beyond the line. He did an excellent job of orchestrating things from the point with his handles and passing against pressure defense while making nine of his 10 free throws.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1180775" first="Jarret" last="Nelson"]: The 6'4" 2022 forward finished with eight points and four rebounds. He's an undersized post who really knows how to handle himself inside against bigger players. He uses footwork, fakes and lot of guile to produce in the paint.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Staley</h4> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1161279" first="Kayden" last="Fish"]: The 6'6" 2023 battled foul trouble all evening, but still manage to score 12 points and grab five rebounds. He displayed some nice post moves in the lane with good strength and footwork. He could also go in either direction.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1180615" first="Emmanuel" last="Byrd"]: The 6'8" 2022 Washburn recruit finished with eight points, five rebounds and three steals. He was very effective at both ends with his length and activity. He made some nice catches in traffic and converted them into inside buckets.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Chaminade</h4> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="985419" first="Nate" last="Straughter"]: The 6'2" 2022 guard finished with a team-high 24 points. He got started early with 11 points in the first quarter and did his best to keep his team competitive with his shooting and attacking of the basket.</p> <p>BJ Ward: The 6'0" 2023 point guard finished with 11 points. He used his strength get in the lane and play through pressure and contact, plus he can pull up and knock down the jumper.</p>