Kaminsky Classic Top Underclassmen
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Prep Hoops Missouri watched the last day of action from the Kaminsky Classic in Joplin via the Magical Stream Machine. The tournament annually has a nice blend of teams from SWMO area as well as St Louis, Kansas City and…
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Continue ReadingPrep Hoops Missouri watched the last day of action from the Kaminsky Classic in Joplin via the Magical Stream Machine. The tournament annually has a nice blend of teams from SWMO area as well as St Louis, Kansas City and SEMO.
Francis Howell defeated Poplar Bluff to win the championship. William Chrisman defeated Union for third place and Webb City defeated rival Joplin in the consolation final.
Here is a look at the top underclassmen that we saw at the Kaminsky Classic.
Will Paulson Will Paulson 6'5" | PF Francis Howell | 2025 State MO (Francis Howell): The 6’6″ 2025 forward played a big role in the Vikings impressive run to the championship. He’s a versatile young big who a solid post game and the ability to stretch the defense with his 3-point shooting. He also ran the court well to establish early position in the low post. He also had a nice turnaround jumper in the mid-post area. He was active on the offensive boards and he displayed some good shot-blocking ability on defense
Leo Gayman Leo Gayman 6'6" | PF William Chrisman | 2025 State MO (William Chrisman, Pictured): A 6’5″ 2025 forward who scored a game-high 25 points in the victory over Union in the third-place game. He is fun to watch because he has a big body and a good skill set with excellent fundamentals. He is a tremendous passer from anywhere on the court. You can run offense through him. He has good moves in the post and a nice shooting touch with either hand and he can also stretch the floor from 3-point distance.
Holton Keith Holton Keith 6'1" | PG Webb City | 2025 State MO (Webb City): A 6’1″ 2025 point guard who is very difficult to keep out of the lane with his slick handles and slippery drives to the basket. He can blow by a defender or hit him with a hesi move that keeps him off balance and he mixes it up very well. He also uses his length very well on defense at the top of his team’s zone defense to be disruptive.
D’Anthony McJames D’Anthony McJames 5'10" | PG DeSmet | 2026 State MO (Francis Howell): A 6’0″ 2026 point guard who has excellent speed and quickness in the open court. His pace is good and he plays under control. He can finish with either hand in the lane and his pull up jumper from the mid-range is very effective. He is also a solid defender who can be disruptive.
Eli Pace Eli Pace 5'9" | PG Webb City | 2025 State MO (Webb City): A 6’0″ 2025 point guard who scored 15 points in the Cardinals victory over rival Joplin in the fifth-place game. I was very impressed with his court vision and ability to drop a dime to an open teammate from any angle. He had a couple of one-touch passes in the lane that were very impressive. He was also very effective with his dribble penetration to create a shot.
Brendan Durden Brendan Durden 6'0" | SG Poplar Bluff | 2025 State MO (Poplar Bluff): A 6’1″ 2025 guard who is a talented offensive player with a feathery touch from the perimeter. He can hit the 3-pointer off the catch and he also can create off the dribble with a nice step-back jumper.
Trey Williams (William Chrisman): A 6’0″ 2025 guard who can impact the game at both ends with his speed and quickness. He has a nice float game in the lane and he could pull up to his the mid-range jumper. He also had good positioning and awareness on the defensive end. He was capable of coming off of his man from the weak side to get a steal or deflection.
Brecken Green (Joplin): A 6’0″ 2026 guard who scored a team-high 19 points against rival Webb City in the fifth-place game. He was cash money from 3-point range and he also attacked the close out well to score off the dribble on a short pull up jumper. He had good strength and body control to score in traffic.
Collis Jones (Joplin): A 6’3″ 2025 guard who has good athleticism and a strong motor at both ends of the court. He moves well to the open area to make the catch-and-shoot 3-pointer and he can also wheel and deal in the lane for a bucket. He is also good with the two-foot jump stop in the lane to score in the paint. He also was not afraid to rotate over and take charges on the defensive end.
Landon Webb (Poplar Bluff): A 5’9″ 2027 guard who did some really nice things when he came off the bench in the championship game. On his first touch, he knocked down a 22-footer, then he scored on a nice runner in the lane. He also got inside and got some rebounds. He was fearless and clearly wasn’t intimidated by the big moment with how he played.
Kaiden Asberry (Neosho): A 6’0″ 2026 guard who has an impressive stroke from 3-point range. He comes off screens very well and ready to shoot it and he can also create his own opportunity with his handles and the step back. He is smooth and under control with the ball in his hands. I first saw him at a Prep Hoops event during the summer and was impressed skill level and feel for the game.
Cooper Vediz (Carl Junction): A 2026 guard who is a very solid ball handler and playmaker with the ability to knock down shots from 3-point range. He plays with good pace in the open the court and he can finish well on the drive.