MICDS Tournament Saturday Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Hoops Missouri began its Holiday Tournament Tour on Saturday with a visit to the Don Maurer Invitational at MICDS. We had a chance to watch three games at MICDS. Here is a look at some of the standouts from the first day of competition at MICDS.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2306048,"width":"235px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/IMG_8291.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/IMG_8291.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2306048" style="width:235px;height:auto" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1557397' first='Evan' last='Simon'] (Kirkwood): The 6'0" 2025 point guard had a slow start to his first game against Maplewood, but once he started knocking down shots, he could not miss. By the time he finished cooking, he had scored a career-high 28 points in the Pioneers easy victory. He unleashed a smooth stroke from 3-point range as he drained shots coming off screens, off the catch and off the dribble. He has good quickness and creative handles and he plays the game at his pace, so he gets where he wants to go.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>******</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2306055,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/IMG_8397.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/IMG_8397.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2306055" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1271795' first='Oliver' last='Kokal'] (Parkway Central): The 6'6" 2024 forward had his normal excellent all-around game in leading the Colts to a victory over Miller Career Academy. He had 25 points, five rebounds and four assists. He is one of the toughest matchups problems in the St. Louis area with his size and versatile skill set. He can score in the low post and his perimeter game is on point with tough takes and pull up jumpers. He is a fun player to watch because he can excel anywhere on the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>*****</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2306056,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/IMG_8338.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/IMG_8338.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2306056" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1872287' first='Keshon' last='Mims'] (MICDS): A 6'4" 2026 wing who has impressive athleticism and he also plays with a high motor at both ends. He is a very effective slashing threat who is play above the rim. What has improved in his game is his perimeter shooting. He knocked down a 3-pointer in the game that I watched, which he jumped up and shot with confidence. A consistent perimeter stroke would bring his game to another level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>********<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2306058,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/IMG_8412.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/IMG_8412.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2306058" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Antoine Franklin (Miller Career Academy): A 6'4" 2024 wing who was the best two-way player that I watched during the first day at MICDS. What really stands out is his defensive tenacity as he's able to guard multiple spots on the floor. He was stealing passes going into the low post and he could stick to the man he's guarding like glue. He's also a talented offensive player as shown by his 21 points in the first game. He's very strong when he's slashing to the basket and he has a feathery shooting touch from the perimeter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>******</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2306063,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/IMG_8311.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/IMG_8311.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2306063" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1571731' first='Eric' last='Shaw'] (Maplewood): A 6'3" 2024 guard who has good athleticism and a strong offensive game from 15 feet on in. His mid-range jumper is excellent and he attacks the basket well while always under control. He is very fluid on the move and he has a nice spin move in the lane to drop off a defender to score around the basket. He is also a primary ball handler in addition to his scoring.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>******</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2306067,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/IMG_8405.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/IMG_8405.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2306067" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2352744' first='Henry' last='Kokal'] (Parkway Central): A 6'7" 2026 forward who has shown a lot of improvement from when I watched him during the summer. He's a big, strong lad who got a lot done because of his high rate of activity. He's a physical player who works hard to establish position inside for rebounding. He finished with 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds against Career Academy. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->