Top 250 Expo Team 5 Evaluations

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Hoops Missouri continues its team evaluations from last Saturday's Top 250 Expo with a look at the members of Team 5.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1424409' first='Jayden' last='Creighton'] (University City): The 6'6" 2025 forward was one of the best shot blockers that I watched during the day. His athleticism and timing enabled him to protect the rim at a high level. He is also a good switchable defender against ball screens. On the offensive end, he has continued to expand his game to the perimeter. He can score inside, but he is also comfortable handling the ball and making plays off the dribble. He went coast to coast a number of times and he was hitting mid-range jumpers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2117605' first='Cannon' last='Thornhill'] (Aurora): The 6'0" 2026 point guard from SWMO was one of my biggest revelations at the event. He is a smooth floor general with creative handles and an excellent feel for the game. He can operate in the pick-and-roll very effectively as a passer and a scorer. He was making the pocket pass in traffic along with a number of other nifty passes to showcase his court vision. He was also a confident three-level scorer who can dial it up from long distance. He was never rattled and he could not be sped up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2126073' first='Suldan' last='Mohamed'] (Blue Springs South): A 6'7" 2025 forward who was very impressive with his athleticism and high motor at both ends of the court. He rebounded the ball at a high level as he was constantly getting out of his area to grab boards. He also scored on a number of rim-runs in transition. He operated well in the pick and roll as he finished with some nice dunks on the roll down. He also stepped out and knocked down a couple of 3-pointers off the pick and pop.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1579904' first='Jalen' last='Jones'] (SLUH): A 6'4" 2024 guard who played the swiss army knife role to perfection during the day. He did a little bit of everything to help his team. He is a capable ball handler who was consistently making good decisions and creating scoring opportunities for his teammates with his passing. He's a bouncy athlete who could also rebound and defend multiple positions with his versatility.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1520695' first='Josh' last='Pitney'] (Lafayette): A 6'2" 2025 guard who was making things happen with his high energy play. He played the game in constant motion, whether he was attacking the basket off the dribble or making sharp cuts without the ball for layups. He was also working hard on defense as he played the passing lanes very well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2218064' first='Elijah' last='Chowning'] (St. Charles West): A 5'10" 2024 point guard who had a very impressive showing as he was assertive and played with a lot of confidence. He had a nice rip-through move to get to the basket from the wing and he was getting downhill to score in the lane. He was also shooting the 3-pointer well. He was very good in the last game of the day where he was hitting shots from everywhere.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2218074' first='Nick' last='Turner'] (Fort Zumwalt West): A 6'0" 2025 guard who played a very unselfish game as he was one who was finding open teammates with his passing and also passing up his own open shot to get someone else a better one. That's something you don't see that often in a showcase event. He moved without the ball well and he also made a step-back 3-pointer off the dribble.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1608354' first='Stephen' last='Beatty'] (Blue Springs South): A 6'0" 2025 guard with a strong physical build and the willingness to play stout defense. He was assigned to guard whoever the top offensive threat was on the opposing team and he attacked the task like a pit bull. I called "Mini Lou-Dort" after watching his defensive prowess. He was also very effective as a slasher on the offensive end as he finished in the paint with strength and authority.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->