LaPlata Tournament Semifinal Standouts
Prep Hoops Missouri took a look at the semifinals of the LaPlata Tournament. There were some very good small school players on display. Top-seeded Green City defeated Canton in the first semifinal game. In the second semifinal, Schuyler County defeated…
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Continue ReadingPrep Hoops Missouri took a look at the semifinals of the LaPlata Tournament. There were some very good small school players on display. Top-seeded Green City defeated Canton in the first semifinal game. In the second semifinal, Schuyler County defeated Putnam Count.
Here are some of the standout players who caught our eye from Wednesday night’s games.
Xander Salas Xander Salas 5'11" | PG Green City | 2025 State MO (Green City): The 5’10” 2025 point guard had a big performance in the semifinals against Canton with a game high 28 points. He has tremendous speed and he knows how to control the pace of a game. He is a good finisher in the paint on a number of his penetrating drives and he’s been knocking down the mid-range jumper since he was a freshman. I was also impressed with his 3-point shooting ability against the zone defense. That element of his game takes him to another level.
Preston Brewer Preston Brewer 6'6" | SF Canton | 2025 State MO (Canton): The 6’6″ 2025 forward scored a team-high 25 points against Green City. He was the most impressive front court player in the tournament. He has excellent moves in the post and a nice touch to match inside. He was drawing double and triple teams and he passed the ball effectively out of those doubles. He could also score from the high post and he was stepping out and hitting 3-pointers. He is also a good ball handler who could go end to end off the dribble to get a bucket.
Asher Buggs -Tipton (Green City): A 5’11” 2024 guard who scored 15 points in the victory over Canton. He’s a thick-bodied guard who uses his strength to get into the lane and score on the drive. When he goes left, he can stop and pop and hit the jumper from the elbow. He also has a nice shooting touch from 3-point range. He also cuts well off the ball to get buckets off his good movement.
Kale Windy (Schuyler County): A 6’0″ 2024 point guard with good quickness and who has downtown shooting ability and the creative handles to get off his own shot off the dribble when he needs to. He has good quickness and an excellent cross-over move that frees himself from the defender consistently. The move can set up a pull up jumper or a step-back from 3-point range.
Trace Riediger (Putnam County): A 6’1″ 2024 forward who plays much bigger than his actual height with his physical strength and aggressive style of play in the lane. He is solid in the low post and he can score on the drop step. He drives it very well and he doesn’t mind seeking contact, which showed in numerous trips to the free throw line during the game. He also operates in the high post very well against a zone defense with his scoring and passing.
Connor Smith (Schuyler County): A 6’4″ 2024 guard who was one of the more impressive perimeter shooters that I watched in the tournament. He has one of the quickest releases that I’ve seen in the high school ranks. He does an excellent job at moving around and doing his work to get himself in position to shoot. He is always shot ready when he catches the ball.
Carter Simmons (Putnam County): A 6’3″ 2024 guard who has good athleticism and good basketball instincts. He is an effective slasher who is constantly grinding around the basket for buckets. He hit a nice runner off a baseline drive and he can also hit the elbow jumper off the dribble. He can elevate over defenders in the lane on short jumpers. He can also juice up the team with a big slam dunk or a big block shot on the defensive end.