The Best of the Class 2, District 7 Semifinals

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Through the Magical Stream Machine, Prep Hoops Missouri had a chance to watch the semifinals of the Class 2, District 7 tournament at New Franklin. The field features four excellent teams in one of the most competitive districts in the state. In the first semifinal, No. 4 seed Harrisburg defeated No. 1 seed Westran 60-39. In the second game, No. 2 seed Salisbury defeated No. 3 seed New Franklin 62-50. Here is a look at Wednesday night's top standouts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1427979' first='Cooper' last='Francis'] (Salisbury): The 6'4 2024 guard scored 19 points in the victory over New Franklin. He did a nice job of getting his teammates involved first before asserting himself and taking things over with 12 third quarter points. The lefty has a smooth shooting stroke from all three levels and he can raise up and shoot over anyone with his athleticism.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1288458' first='Brayden' last='Ott'] (Harrisburg): The 5'9" 2023 point guard scored a game-high 16 points in the Bulldogs' impressive victory over Westran. His speed and quickness were on full display as was his nice feel for the game. He shot the 3-pointer well coming off the screen and he was all over the court hustling on defense in his team's full court pressure defense that was very disruptive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ethan Hamilton (Salisbury): The 2023 guard scored 11 points in the victory over New Franklin. He got his team moving in the first quarter with a personal six-point run, which included a slashing drive to the basket and a couple of steals for transition layups. He had a few nice drop off passes off his dribble penetration and he knocked down a 3-pointer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tanner Bishop (New Franklin): The 2024 guard was the most impressive 3-pointer shooter that I watched on the night. He scored 14 points and made four 3-pointers against Salisbury. He plays at his own speed, which is under control and he scored on a nice drive when he changed speeds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hayven Samuels (Harrisburg): The 5'8" 2024 point guard scored 12 points and plays with constant energy in the victory over Westran. He is small, but he was very effective when he was able to get into the lane. He was very good off of two feet with pivots and ball fakes to keep defenders off balance. He could also grab a rebound and go coast to coast for a layup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clayton Wilmsmeyer (New Franklin): A 6'2" 2023 guard who scored 11 points against Salisbury. He did most of his damage in the second half as he got more assertive with the ball. He used his creative handles to get by defenders and score in the lane. He also did a nice job on the offensive boards to get a couple of buckets on putbacks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Marshall Kitchen (Westran): The younger brother of 2023 standout Brandon Kitchen, the 6'4" 2025 forward did a solid job off the bench in scoring 10 points against Harrisburg. He has some nice drives along the baseline for buckets and he was always active and around the ball making good hustle plays.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Braden Wyatt (Harrisburg): A 6'3" 2023 forward who scored 11 points in the victory over Westran. He is a solid athlete who can get into the lane and shoot over the top of defenders with good elevation. His turnaround jumper was very effective and he had some excellent rim-runs in transition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ryan Binder (Salisbury): A 2023 guard who is a solid two-way performer. His attention to detail on defense was impressive as he moved his feet well and kept players in front of him. He also did a good job of staying in the right position to help when needed. He also hit a 3-pointer and got a conventional three-point play on a nice drive for a bucket in the first half.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->