Kevin Brown TOC: Tuesday Notebook

Prep Hoops Illinois spent Tuesday night checking out four games from the Kevin Brown Tournament of Champions in Washington.  Time to dive into our thoughts in Kevin Brown TOC: Tuesday Notebook!   Metamora Looks The Part of 3A Title Contender Again   After losing a close contest last year in the 3A championship game Metamora looked every bit the part of a state championship caliber team in the opener winning against Yorkville Christian 87-41.  South Alabama commit [player_tooltip player_id='939065' first='Ethan' last='Kizer'] is the star of this team.  The size and athleticism on the perimeter are impressive.  Last year at this event he struggled shooting it.  Well he came out firing scoring 12 of his 17 points in the first half draining an array of threes off the catch and a baseline two.  His senior running mate [player_tooltip player_id='1371068' first='Tyson' last='Swanson'] is a legit small college gem with how he scores around the basket with his toughness netting 10 points.  Really liked what we saw from 2025 guard [player_tooltip player_id='1545146' first='Matthew' last='Zobrist'].  The 6'4” lefty is a plus shooter off the catch that is also a scrappy player using his active hands on defense and sneaking in for rebounds as he had 15 points.  Overall their passing and ability to share the ball was impressive zipping it around in both half court and transition.  The x-factor could be the emergence of 6'8” 2024 post Luke Hopp who had 12 points and rebounded well in his area.  Provides size they will need in March along with mobility and touch in the paint.   Douglas is legit D2 Prospect   Yorkville Christian's 1A state title roster was decimated by graduation and transfers.  Really the only player left at all from that team is senior 6'5” shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id='1194341' first='David' last='Douglas'].  He posted 23 points in their loss to Metamora.  The two guard is a smooth scorer that has range on his shot hitting several threes and step back twos.  Slick ball handler that can also find creases in the open floor making layups at the rim.  One of the top uncommitted players in the Illinois class.   Moline Comeback Falls Short   In their debut 4A state contender Moline fell to Wisconsin Lutheran 90-80.  They were down by almost 30 at one point in the contest coming alive in the fourth quarter creating turnovers and hitting shots, but it wasn't enough.  Liked the spirit they showed in the comeback because it was not pretty the first three quarters.  They gave up a lot of open shots and the supporting cast didn't step up like we expect them to throughout the season.  Early on top senior post [player_tooltip player_id='989265' first='Owen' last='Freeman'] kept them in the game with his scoring around the basket.  The Iowa commit has a great hook shot and makes quick moves from 10 feet in.  He was a force on the glass all game long recording 18 points in the loss.  The other Hawkeyes commit [player_tooltip player_id='989274' first='Brock' last='Harding'] was the catalyst behind their comeback attempt.  He had 34 points using his creativity finishing in the lane along with draining a handful of threes pulling up from difficult angles.  He actually passed it pretty well on the night but they just weren't converted.  Senior 6'0” guard Jasper Ogburn is a scrappy player that made some things happen around the hoop.  It is only one game and we still think Moline is capable of cutting the nets down in the last game of the year, but this was definitely an eye opener.   Wisconsin Lutheran Can Shoot and Pass at High Level   The story coming in for Wisconsin Lutheran was the top 2024 in Wisconsin [player_tooltip player_id='1142123' first='Kon' last='Knueppel'].  He was very good in the win, but they are much more than just him.  Let's start out with their star as he recorded 18 points including four triples in the win.  Strong wing with good size and a clean shooting stroke.  Showed some athleticism as well in spurts.  The senior trio of [player_tooltip player_id='951467' first='Prentice' last='Young'], [player_tooltip player_id='1012675' first='Jamiir' last='Allen'], and [player_tooltip player_id='963145' first='Landon' last='Key'] were excellent.  Key notched 22 points in the win including four triples.  Good athlete that scored at the rim and made an impact defensively including a key block late on a Harding three attempt.  Young is a scoring wing that can get to the hoop and has a clean looking shooting stroke scoring 16 points.  Allen put pressure on opposing guards and scored a ton in transition for 16 points.   Bruer Leads Way for Washington   There have been some absolutely epic shooting performances from the host Washington Panthers over the years dating back to Alec Peters and Matt Roth.  It was a big time night from distance for senior 5'10” Micah Bruer in their 61-56 victory over Lincoln Park.  He got them off to a hot start with a trio from distance and kept it going throughout the night finishing with 18.  Washington is known for their shooting, movement, and defense.  Those were on display in the opener.  Lincoln Park was led by 6'2” 2023 combo guard Myan Whitfield who had 19 points draining mid-range pull ups and getting to the charity stripe.  Both prospects should be on the small college radar.   Fears Brothers Stuff Stat Sheet in First Appearance Together   The headline in the finale was the first high school game that high-major brothers [player_tooltip player_id='1562176' first='Jeremy' last='Fears'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1385291' first='Jeremiah' last='Fears'] would play together.  In the end neither was on the court at the end as Jeremy fouled out and Jeremiah was injured.  Joliet West blew a sizeable lead, but held on in OT to win 75-72.  Let's talk about Michigan State commit [player_tooltip player_id='1562176' first='Jeremy' last='Fears'] first.  In his return home the Spartans signee didn't score a ton early instead focusing on setting up his teammates and impacting on the defensive end.  He made several heady plays including going coast to coast to end the half and then hitting a three when everyone else stopped playing because of a shot clock (yes we have that in some events now) going off but not the end of the quarter so he drained a corner triple off a rebound.  Those five points turned out to be huge.  Defensively he had several impressive blocks and was the floor general we have always known him to be.  Went for 17 points.  His brother 2025 high-major recruit [player_tooltip player_id='1385291' first='Jeremiah' last='Fears'] was a bucket early and often using his speed, quickness, and burst for scores in the lane.  Also liked how he was willing to make the extra pass for better shots and kicking to shooters off penetration.  Also finished with 17 points.  [player_tooltip player_id='1373437' first='Justus' last='McNair'] is a junior guard that can shoot it and when he needs to can take over a game.  Did just that making several key plays late in an18 point outing to secure the win.   Cardinal Ritter 2024 Class Presents Bright Future   Really liked what we saw out of the Cardinal Ritter junior class in the finale.  The St. Louis power has three guards to watch in that class.  [player_tooltip player_id='1427981' first='Clayton' last='Jackson'] was excellent for Cardinal Ritter as the scoring guard is an athletic driver that attacked downhill and hit a pair of threes for 21 points.  [player_tooltip player_id='1273888' first='Nashawn' last='Davis'] stepped up in the second half as he was relentless using his burst off the bounce for 18 points.  Derrick Rivers is the third guard to track as he can really shoot it from distance notching 14 points.

Prep Hoops Illinois spent Tuesday night checking out four games from the Kevin Brown Tournament of Champions in Washington. Time to dive into our thoughts in Kevin Brown TOC: Tuesday Notebook!