Show Me Showdown: Scotty B's Saturday Notebook

The Prep Hoops Show Me Showdown kicked off on Saturday with a full day of games.  PHI was in the house to check out top teams from Illinois, Missouri, and the surrounding states which we dive into here in Show Me Showdown: Scotty B's Saturday Notebook!   [program_tooltip program_id='2077051' first='Team' last='Ramey'] EYCL 15U Flexes Depth in Opener   We started the day off by getting a look at a talented [program_tooltip program_id='2077051' first='Team' last='Ramey'] EYCL 15U group.  They had a plethora of guards to deploy in their attack in their 78-35 victory over Illinois Orange.  The best might be Francis Howell point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2528034' first='Jahi' last='Martin'].  He is such a smooth and fluid ball handler that attacks off the dribble and has a plus mid-range game along with good passing.  Long and wiry Clayton point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2528025' first='Sebastian' last='Bolden'] shot it very well from beyond the arc in the win.  Cardinal Ritter guard [player_tooltip player_id='2701096' first='Rashon' last='Wright'] has such a nose for the ball and toughness scoring around the hoop.  [player_tooltip player_id='2346078' first='Emery' last='Woehrmann'] of SLU High is another guard to track with a soft touch finishing game and clean baseline shot.   The player that made the most noise for Illinois Orange was Belleville West wing William Liddell.  Tough and physical getting on the glass and to the foul line.  Scored most of his points in the paint.  Cousin of former Maroons star EJ Liddell.   Metro East 2026 Duo Emerge for [program_tooltip program_id='2077051' first='Team' last='Ramey'] EYCL 16U Against [program_tooltip program_id='2075532' first='Illinois' last='Bears']   Next up we caught the [program_tooltip program_id='2077051' first='Team' last='Ramey'] 16U group against the [program_tooltip program_id='2075532' first='Illinois' last='Bears'] as they won 89-70.  Two prospects from the state of Illinois caught our attention.  Lawson Bynum is a physically built 6'6” small forward that has a great frame.  Good rebounder and can shoot it from deep.  One to watch the next two years at East St. Louis.  [player_tooltip player_id='2454160' first='Kameron' last='Eutsey'] is a 6'6” four man from Belleville West that presents a long and wiry frame with bounce around the hoop snatching rebounds and rim running.  Also impressed with Maplewood scoring guard [player_tooltip player_id='1598820' first='Abraham' last='Nayou'].  Tough and physical lefty that can get downhill and score in the paint on a consistent basis.   [program_tooltip program_id='2075532' first='Illinois' last='Bears'] were led by new addition of Lyons County (KY) combo guard Bray Kirk.  He was explosive putting it on the deck getting to the rim over and over again for scores at the cup finishing with acrobatics on the regular.  Carterville shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id='2323319' first='Colton' last='Hawkins'] shot is well from distance which is the strength of his game.  Pinckneyville big man [player_tooltip player_id='2323278' first='Ty' last='Laur'] once again showed excellent touch, footwork, and passing from the post in this one.  Belleville Althoff emerging guard [player_tooltip player_id='1977254' first='Luke' last='Smith'] shined getting in the lane with crafty scoop shots and layups.   Gateway 2025 Gets Big Showing from Top 35 Prospect Donald Leading to Win   Then we moved to 17U action where Gateway's UA group was pushed to a 62-47 victory over the [program_tooltip program_id='2075532' first='Illinois' last='Bears'] with an excellent performance from Columbia's [player_tooltip player_id='1568153' first='Sam' last='Donald'].  He is a small forward that can really shoot the ball.  Drained a pair of threes along with some crisp mid-range shots and rips off the bounce for 16 points.  Columbia Hickman 2025 post [player_tooltip player_id='1419872' first='Brock' last='Camp'] is one of the best TE in the state of Missouri on the gridiron, but he is an outstanding hooper as well.  Physical 6'7” power forward that has nimble footwork from 15 feet in.  Can post up and handle it with a couple quick dribbles for scores as he had 10 points.  Staley 2025 point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1419868' first='Avian' last='Webb'] was a breakout player for me on Saturday.  He ran the show with good pace while knocking in shots and finishing with nifty moves in the paint for 12 points in this one.   Carterville point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1545140' first='Drew' last='Barrington'] led the Bears with 10 points.  High IQ guard drained a pair of threes, had a sweeping layup, and also had some nice dimes.   Principia Rising Sophomores Shine in Gateway 2027 Victory Playing Up   It was a lights out performance for Gateway's 2027 UA team playing up on the 16U level knocking off [program_tooltip program_id='2077051' first='Team' last='Ramey']'s 16U squad 67-32.  The Principia prospects were just too much!  Inside it was all about [player_tooltip player_id='2334910' first='Sekou' last='Cisse'].  The 6'9” five man is an elite level rebounder that snatches them with two hands in traffic consistently.  High level rim runner that also finishes extremely well out of the dunker spot.  Finished with 12 points.  [player_tooltip player_id='2334905' first='Gassim' last='Toure'] is a freak show athlete at the two guard spot standing at 6'4”.  He pushes in transition, finishes above the rim, and rebounds very well from his guard spot.   Depth Across Board Too Much in Gateway 2026 Win over 1 Dream 17U   Then we turned our attention to our first look at Gateway's 16U team which was playing up in Pool B of the 17U division as they looked like the best collection of talent we saw all day in a 86-41 win against 1 Dream.  The number of players they can throw at you is truly impressive as the 2026 group was led in this game by Aliou Dioum of Accelerated Prep.  The 6'10” big man was a force on the glass snatching rebounds, rim ran consistently, and was so nimble around the cup leading the way with 18 points.  Rolla wing [player_tooltip player_id='1790000' first='Ethan' last='Brown'] is a highly ranked prospect in the 2026 class due to his shot making from three along with his toughness and athletic pop in transition as he notched 15 points.  Vianney duo [player_tooltip player_id='1850525' first='Symon' last='Ghai'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1790001' first='Eddie' last='Smajic'] also left their impacts as Ghai was a massive rim protector at 7'3” along with scoring 6 points while Smajic had some crafty takes and a three for 7 points.  Liked what we saw from Accelerated Prep 6'4” combo guard Cherif Diallo with how he pushed the pace, had burst putting pressure on the rim, and played above the rim.  Blue Valley (KS) product Parker Seithel is a skilled forward that stands at 6'9” with the ability to stretch along with having some mobility as he scored 11 points.   Kankakee shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id='1874752' first='Kenaz' last='Jackson'] made a name for himself in this one for 1 Dream.  The 2026 guard has a long and athletic frame at 6'3” which he should continue to grow on.  Biggest asset is his feathery mid-range jumper which he poured in throughout the game.  Bishop MacNamara 6'2” two guard [player_tooltip player_id='2411845' first='Karter' last='Krutsinger'] is a plus shooter to track as well!   Arsenal and [program_tooltip program_id='2244352' first='Dangerous' last='Alliance'] 17U Have Shootout in Most Entertaining Game of Day   This was the most fun game of the day!  [program_tooltip program_id='2075283' first='Arsenal' last='Hoops'] and [program_tooltip program_id='2244352' first='Dangerous' last='Alliance'] had an all out offensive attack on the basket throwing in shots at a high rate with Arsenal coming out on top 85-81.  Ladue 6'2” combo guard [player_tooltip player_id='2427989' first='Jack' last='Edgerton'] was outstanding especially early in this game with his slick handles and strength finishing at the rim including a big dunk on the baseline.  Lindbergh two guard [player_tooltip player_id='2427991' first='David' last='Hardesty'] is a plus shooter that has some passing feel as a secondary ball handler.  [player_tooltip player_id='2427990' first='Owen' last='Walther'] of John Burroughs was a sharp shooter hitting three of them in this game.   [program_tooltip program_id='2244352' first='Dangerous' last='Alliance'] got a great effort from Francis Howell guard [player_tooltip player_id='1585279' first='Carson' last='Blesener'] who notched 21 points as the scrappy guard shot it at a very high level from beyond the arc draining five triples in the loss.  [player_tooltip player_id='2357753' first='Gavin' last='Kimberlin'] is a skilled 6'4” wing that rebounds well, can push in transition, and scores well in the open floor.  He had 14 points.  Holt 2026 guard [player_tooltip player_id='2410053' first='Abhijot' last='Bajwa'] is a creative two guard that was so fluid with the rock in his hands as a scorer and distributor.   Belleville East 2025 Guard Breaks Out in Illinois Orange Victory   Illinois Orange got a massive performance from Belleville East 2025 guard [player_tooltip player_id='2452426' first='Jalen' last='Dawson'] in their 60-50 win over Go Hard STL.  He is a 6'0” scoring guard who was absolutely relentless with the ball in his hands.  He won on straight line takes displaying explosive burst, put pressure on the rim in transition, lived at the line, and rebounded very well for a guard his size while notching 23 points.  U-City guard Michael Rucks backed him up with a good game.  Speedy guard that that goes coast to coast and is a solid passer as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='2434308' first='Kal-El' last='Bryant'] is a 6'4” small forward from Francis Howell who looks the part physically and has the game to match!  Lefty let it fly from three for an array of them along with several sweeping layups en route to 17 points.  Pattonville point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2434322' first='Cayden' last='Flagg'] also shot it well from distance hitting four triples.   Guards Control Pace and Bigs Do Damage in Gateway 2025 W against Team Iowa Elite   This one wasn't close from the jump as Gateway's 2025 controlled the game from start to finish against Team Iowa Elite winning 92-31.  Montgomery County 6'8” five man [player_tooltip player_id='1315419' first='Clayton' last='Parker'] has such elite footwork around the cup scoring at will with spin moves, hooks, and seals scoring 20 points.  In his first event with Gateway Sikeston big man [player_tooltip player_id='1425731' first='Trace' last='Sadler'] totally looks the part.  Long and thin five that once he fills out is going to be a monster!  He had 14 points in this one on right handed hook shots, rim runs, and playing above the rim.  High points rebounds as well.  Avain Webb had another excellent game in this one with 15 points draining threes.  Maybe the most complete game we have seen from Vashon point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1424400' first='Christian' last='Williams'] as he ran the show with excellent passing, shot making from the corners, and his usual great defense.   Tons of Illinois Talent Shine in [program_tooltip program_id='2077051' first='Team' last='Ramey']'s 17U Narrow Win over [program_tooltip program_id='2075532' first='Illinois' last='Bears']   Our final game of the night was a close one as [program_tooltip program_id='2077051' first='Team' last='Ramey'] 17U scrapped out a 71-63 victory against the [program_tooltip program_id='2075532' first='Illinois' last='Bears'].  Miller Career Academy wing Antoine Franklin had a big time performance scoring 15 points for [program_tooltip program_id='2077051' first='Team' last='Ramey'].  He is a big and strong wing that can knock down shots while also finishing through contact on the regular.  Eureka (MO) stretch big man [player_tooltip player_id='2544891' first='Jack' last='Cubbage'] can really shoot it well from both two and three at 6'9”.  Mt. Zion shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id='1545145' first='Lyncoln' last='Koester'] is coming off a final four appearance with his high school team.  His go to long ball wasn't falling in this one, but he managed to score with an array of crafty takes.  Carmi face up four [player_tooltip player_id='1766507' first='Mitchel' last='Edwards'] had a couple impressive moves off the bounce along with a crisp pull up jumper.   East St. Louis small forward [player_tooltip player_id='1766471' first='Arlandis' last='Brown'] was the best player on the floor in this one racking up 19 points as he completely took over the game for a stretch early in the second half on both ends.  Feathery shot was on point draining four of them along with impacting defensively and scoring in the paint.  [player_tooltip player_id='1545140' first='Drew' last='Barrington'] was solid in this one again running the show and hitting his shots for 7 points.  Okawville big man [player_tooltip player_id='2105204' first='Aidan' last='Anderson'] had flashes including a big dunk and sweet hook shot.  Mascoutah combo guard [player_tooltip player_id='1838836' first='Jayden' last='McCoo'] is a speed demon with the rock in the open floor and an active defender who had 10 points.

The Prep Hoops Show Me Showdown kicked off on Saturday with a full day of games. PHI was in the house to check out top teams from Illinois, Missouri, and the surrounding states which we dive into here in Show Me Showdown: Scotty B's Saturday Notebook!