MICDS Tip-Off Tournament Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The MICDS Tip-Off Tournament is a yearly tradition following Thanksgiving. It features a combination of both public and private schools bringing out great competition early in the season. This is a preview of the 2023 field and games to follow.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Game 1: University City vs. Whitfield (November 27th at 3:45pm)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A unique game with two teams who have flipped over the past calendar year. Whitfield goes from a veteran squad to a younger one while University City has kept a core intact and looks to compete deep into the playoffs this season. Chris Pitts still has 6'6 forward [player_tooltip player_id='1259023' first='Holden' last='Souter'] who will be huge for Whitfield. Outside of the senior, there'll be a lot of younger players given major opportunities. As for University City, they're coming off a competitive game vs. Cardinal Ritter where they looked solid. [player_tooltip player_id='1424409' first='Jayden' last='Creighton'] is likely to draw the matchup with Souter and the guard play is advantage for University City, at least on paper.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Game 2: Confluence Academy vs. Westminster (November 27th at 5:15pm)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Confluence has productive forward play and will look to run while Westminster plays a slower pace and has an abundance of shooters. This game is a total contrast of styles. Yabsa N'Diaye has emerged early this season for Confluence. The longer wing prospect is averaging better than 15 points per contest. Westminster is led by [player_tooltip player_id='1881005' first='JD' last='Robertson'] who scored 24 points in an opening game victory. Dale Ribble is a great coach and trusts some younger players to make plays. Among those younger players is [player_tooltip player_id='2205758' first='Will' last='Powers'] who looked good in Game 1. The team who sets the tone and plays their style will win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>MICDS vs. Francis Howell Central (November 27th at 6:45pm)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>MICDS is the host and a potential favorite among this field. Travis Wallace has a squad that will hang their hat on the defensive end. Excited to see his younger talent in the 2026 class. [player_tooltip player_id='1269598' first='Jayden' last='Banks'] is a productive PG who will get everybody in place. Keep an eye on Brandon Clemens as a guard to break out at this event. He did so as a freshman last season. Francis Howell Central has a lot of younger players and size on their roster. Senior guard Asthon Matthews is a quick lefty who can get in the paint. This game will have a bunch of new faces who are getting their first action at the varsity level.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lift for Life vs. Miller Career (November 27th at 8:15pm)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An up and down game is what can be expected in this one. Both teams have a lot of speed on the floor and can cause turnovers. [player_tooltip player_id='1427982' first='Lajuan' last='Johnson'] enters his senior season as a nice prospect. The 6'7 bouncy forward shows flashes and brings a lot to the game with his activity around the rim. Antoine Franklin is stepping into a bigger role for Miller Career. The 6'4 senior is a legit scorer in his current role. Carluan Nelson is another player who will turn some heads this season. Miller Career is always going to play hard and they're a well coached group with athletes.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->