Webster Classic Starting Five from Thursday
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Prep Hoops Missouri spent the evening at historic Roberts Gym in Webster Groves to watch the action at the Webster Classic. In the four first round games, Hazelwood Central defeated John Burroughs 67-60, CBC defeated McCluer North 52-49, Webster Groves…
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Continue ReadingPrep Hoops Missouri spent the evening at historic Roberts Gym in Webster Groves to watch the action at the Webster Classic.
In the four first round games, Hazelwood Central defeated John Burroughs 67-60, CBC defeated McCluer North 52-49, Webster Groves defeated Jennings 86-35 and St Mary’s defeated Lee’s Summit North 84-74.
Here’s is my Starting Five from last night’s first round games, based on their performances.
Zyree Collins Zyree Collins 6'0" | PG St. Mary's | 2025 State #338 Nation MO (St. Mary’s): The 6’0″ 2025 guard put on a show-stopping performance in the Dragons’ 84-74 victory over Lee’s Summit North in the final game of the evening. Collins finished the game with 40 points along with a number of jaw dropping assists against a good North team. He was getting buckets at all three levels and using his strength to score inside against contact. With his team trailing by eight points in the third quarter, he hit three consecutive transition pull-up 3-pointers that just unsettled the entire building. When Lee’s Summit North threw a second defender at him, he used his tremendous court vision to find open teammates for layups and 3-pointers. He’s been as good as any player in the state during the first couple of weeks of the season.
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Iziah Purvey Iziah Purvey 6'5" | PF Webster Groves | 2024 State MO (Webster Groves): The 6’4″ 2024 forward scored a game-high 24 points in the Statesmen’s easy victory over Jennings on Thursday night. He set the tone early for the blowout as he dominated things from the outset with his strength and versatile skills. He was scoring around the basket at will and he was also knocking down trail 3-pointers on the fast break. The UMSL recruit is one of the biggest matchup problems in the state.
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Terron Garrett Terron Garrett 6'5" | SG CBC | 2025 State MO (CBC): The 6’5″ 2025 guard scored a game-high 20 points in the Cadets’ 52-49 victory over McCluer North. He looks like the prototype shooting guard with his height, sleek frame and three-level scoring ability. He has a smooth looking stroke from 3-point range that has a bit of a side spin to it, but it goes in. He’s very good at creating separation off the dribble to get to the mid-range area and elevate over defenders. His turnaround jumper in the lane is also butter. He is also doing more ball handling and facilitating this season.
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Michael Nunley (Hazelwood Central): The 5’10” 2025 guard was the big revelation of the first day of the tournament. He scored a game-high 25 points in the Hawks’ 67-60 victory over a good John Burroughs team. He got things going late in the first half when he went on a personal eight-point run to bring the Hawks to a 32-32 tie at halftime. That only built his confidence level up for a big second half. He was unguardable on Thursday with his speed and quickness and ability to break down defenders to get into the lane. He was hitting floaters in the lane and 3-pointers off the catch.
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Tre Paulding Tre Paulding 6'4" | SG Lee's Summit North | 2026 State MO (Lee’s Summit North): A 6’4″ 2026 guard who scored 16 points in the Broncos’ loss to St. Mary’s on Thursday night. The son of former Mizzou standout Rickey Paulding is a chip off the old block with his overall talent. He is a strong, athletic player with excellent fundamentals and a nice feel for the game. He could facilitate offense with his passing and playmaking skills and he’s also a talented offensive player. He was knocking down 3-pointers, scoring in the post and getting out in the transition game.