Kevin Brown TOC: Tuesday Notebook

Tuesday was the second day of hoops across the state and the first day of games at the Kevin Brown Tournament of Champions in Washington.  This is the premier Thanksgiving event in the state.  We caught all four games on Tuesday afternoon/night and have the recap in Kevin Brown TOC: Tuesday Notebook!   Morton's Defense and Rebounding Too Much for Heyworth   The Potters from Morton were ready to roll from the jump as they opened up 12-0 to begin the game.  It was largely in part to their stellar defense creating turnover after turnover converting them into points on the other end.  The other aspect that really stood out for Morton was how well they rebounded as a team.  Not the tallest team, but have a lot of toughness and grit and were able to secure defensive rebounds and push while getting second chance buckets on the offensive end.  In their 67-34 win against Heyworth it was senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1750614' first='Gus' last='Rugaard'] that stood out.  The 6'0” lead guard is a small college gem with the way he slices and dices off the bounce getting to the rim for acrobatic finishes.  Crisp mid-range pull ups and was constantly flying down the floor for 15 points.  Small colleges looking for an athletic on ball scoring guard should take a look.  [player_tooltip player_id='1232827' first='Wes' last='Gudeman'] is a 6'4” junior small forward that has been on our radar for a while.  Crafty scorer that gets in the lane for floaters and finishes through contact.  Thick bodied wing had 8 points.  Florida Gulf Coast walk on commit [player_tooltip player_id='1598702' first='Evan' last='Barlow'] is an athletic wing that crashes the glass and gets after it defensively recording 7 points.   The prospect we came into the game looking to check out for Heyworth was 6'8” center [player_tooltip player_id='1285518' first='Nick' last='Feather'].  Big bodied five man with long arms.  Not super athletic but was effective early on with his shot blocking.  Struggled to score inside.  Should find a home at the small college level based on his pure size.   Wisconsin 2024 Stackhouse Shows Out in Battle of Big Men   Indian Trail Academy out of Wisconsin was very impressive with their squad as they surrounded their star 2024 post MJ Stackhouse with shooters and ball handlers that made sound plays.  In the end though it was the MJ Stackhouse show in their 54-36 win.  The 6'8” power forward is a face up four man that is light on his feet.  Mobile big man that high-points rebounds and can push in the open floor.  In the second half his shot making was really on display as he hit short jumpers, turnaround Js, catch and shoot threes, and made shots on the move.  Solid passer that has a good feel for the game.  Low-majors should be involved here.  Dropped 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 dimes.   For El Paso Gridley it started off good for their top 15 ranked 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1576619' first='Jonah' last='Funk'] who threw down a nasty lob to open the game.  Flashed throughout the game with a feathery mid-range shot, transition dunk, right handed hook shot, and deep corner two.  Was solid on the glass and showed the athleticism off swatting a pair of shots.  Final line read 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks.  Keep tabs on 2027 6'0” point guard Braden Hayes.  The freshman in his first high school game shot it with confidence draining three triples for 9 points.   Host Washington Records Impressive Win vs St. Laurence   Washington brought the same brand of basketball they always have in their 69-59 win against Chicago Catholic League program St. Laurence. They passed it, shot lights out from the perimeter, and was scrappy on the defensive end. Class of 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2321442' first='CJ' last='Duncan'] caught our attention with a 23 point performance on Tuesday night. Drained five triples in the win showcasing a smooth shot while scoring off cuts and floaters as well. Another junior that played well was Andre Lewis. The 6'1” combo guard is a southpaw that hit four from distance and was slick with the ball when handling it for 13 points. Senior 6'4” [player_tooltip player_id='2318230' first='Braden' last='Vanderheydt'] is a Maryville baseball commit that stood out with a feathery jumper from mid-range on turnarounds over and over again racking up 15 points.   Denver commit [player_tooltip player_id='1157226' first='Josh' last='Pickett'] led the way for St. Laurence.  He came out fast hitting a pair of threes.  Nailed four of them on the night.  Rebounded pretty well crashing the glass for tip ins notching 22 points.  Top 20 junior [player_tooltip player_id='1766462' first='Zerrick' last='Johnson'] is a powerfully built guard that loves to attack downhill.  Did just that in this one scoring all his points in the lane on bully ball drives finishing well or getting to the line for 14 points.  Saw some flashes from 2025 point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1766469' first='Khalil' last='Jones'] late with his soft touch finishing game racking up 10 points.   Metamora is Who We Thought They Were   A lot of talented teams across the state this year.  About 10 could make a case for the top ranked team in the state preseason regardless of class.  Our Teddy Bahu went with Metamora in his preseason Top 40 and they did nothing to show they didn't deserve it with a 64-45 win over Peoria Notre Dame in their first game.  This game was most noted as the debut of [player_tooltip player_id='1157231' first='Cooper' last='Koch'] with the defending 3A state champs as the Iowa commit transferred in from PND.  He would go against his former teammate [player_tooltip player_id='1373440' first='Eoin' last='Dillon'] who is a Belmont commit.   The defending state champs were well balanced between their four standout prospects.  Koch was excellent as always displaying his versatile game.  He notched 17 points in the victory.  Got his first bucket on a put back.  Finished with touch on dump offs inside, hit a couple of threes, hook shots, and did it in an efficient manner.  Also really liked how well he dished it to cutters and shooters.  Inside 2024 post [player_tooltip player_id='1750597' first='Luke' last='Hopp'] continues to fly under the radar, but we liked what we saw last year and still believe he is a D2 talent.  Four man that rebounds well, finishes on his touches inside, and is a good passer.  Does the dirty work for this squad while racking up 10 points.  On the perimeter 2025 shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id='1545146' first='Matthew' last='Zobrist'] lit it up in the first half.  Went for 15 points including 3 triples.  Mixed in reverse layups and showed athleticism in the open floor.  Connector on the offensive end and moves his feet defensively.  Winona State 2024 commit [player_tooltip player_id='1750712' first='Tyler' last='Mason'] is a jack of all trades for his squad.  On this night he hit three triples and was more than happy to facilitate and play tough defense in a 9 point outing.   [player_tooltip player_id='1373440' first='Eoin' last='Dillon'] lived up to his top 15 ranking in the defeat.  The skilled five man had an array of combination moves on the block, fakes, and even a “Dream Shake” under the basket for a score.  Can put it on the deck driving past perimeter defenders.  Sweet go to hook shot.  Crisp cross into a step back on the baseline.  Fluid running the floor.  Belmont got a really good one as he had 18 points in the loss.

Tuesday was the second day of hoops across the state and the first day of games at the Kevin Brown Tournament of Champions in Washington. This is the premier Thanksgiving event in the state. We caught all four games on Tuesday afternoon/night and have the recap in Kevin Brown TOC: Tuesday Notebook!