Salem Invitational: Saturday Standouts

It was back home for the Salem Invitational Tournament final day as we took in the 3rd place and championship games from the famed SIT!  The 3rd place game featured an OT contest between Champaign Central and Teutopolis.  Then in the title game it was rivals Centralia and Mt. Vernon for the crown!  See how it all played out along with the prospects that shined in Salem Invitational: Saturday Standouts!   In the third place game Champaign Central and Teutopolis were back and forth for a lot of this game.  T-Town made some key plays down the stretch of regulation to tie the game and send it to OT.  Then in the extra session they got an and-1 from Mick Niebrugge to win it 54-51.  Here are the top performers!    This 6'4” power forward had a very nice outing for the Wooden Shoes.  He is a skilled four man that can play inside and out.  In the early going he showed off his touch and nimble footwork around the hoop for scores.  Cuts well off the ball and has touch in the paint.  As the game went on he stretched the floor hitting a pair of threes en route to 18 points.  Small colleges and JUCOs should look into him.     Liked what this 6'1” senior combo guard brought as a prospect that can play both on and off the ball.  He drained a three early showing clean mechanics.  After that he utilized his handles and cutting off the ball to do damage in the lane for 8 points.     Bush is a player that burst on the radar early in his career and hasn't made a ton of noise since.  It was good to get one last evaluation before the end of his senior season.  He stands at 6'6” with broad shoulders and great strength.  Really got it going in the third quarter of this game.  He is a good shooter on the baseline whether it is from 10 feet or out to the corner.  Also brought the physicality with an and-1 on a jump stop along with a couple finishes in transition off steals.  Ideal JUCO prospect that should be able to contribute next season at that level.     With Beck you are buying the size for position at 6'5” as a wing.  He flashed a mid-range jumper, but most of his damage came on slashes to the rim for floaters and had a nice conversion on a reverse layup.  Solid passing feel as well.  Went for 11 points and definitely should be on the radar of D3/NAIA/JUCO.    The championship game has been dominated over the last decade by Edwardsville and East St. Louis. With both of those teams out it was back to what I remember as a kid watching this with rivals Centralia and Mt. Vernon clashing for the crown. Mt. Vernon came out strong to start the game getting sharp shooting from deep to take an early lead behind Brogan Holloway as they led 13-6. From that point forward it was all Centralia. Early in the 2nd quarter they went on a 8-0 run to take the lead and never looked back behind the dominant play inside of [player_tooltip player_id='2217959' first='Dustyn' last='Collins']. They cruised to the win 44-32 locking down on the defensive end in the 4th quarter. Also noteworthy is that Centralia recorded their 2400 win per our buddy Aaron Britton as the nation's winningest team is the first school in country to reach that mark.    Collins was a completely unstoppable force in the championship game for the Orphans. The 6'6” four man is a strong and super athletic post that uses his quickness along with power around the hoop to score. That was on full display as he went to work in the paint for reverse layups, hook shots, put backs, spin moves, and finishing out of the dunker spot. Stepped out and hit a three which he is more than capable of doing. Also rebounded well on both ends boxing out and securing boards along with getting to the charity stripe for 20 points. D2 prospect in our eyes that programs at that level need to be looking into!     Hancock is a combo guard that knows how to play the game. Effective playing both on and off the ball. Did a nice job running the show for the Orphans with his passing feel. Slick handles getting others involved along with scoring in the lane. He had a nice pull up three as well for 7 points.     Organ is the other 2027 for the Orphans that has their fans excited. He is a plus three point shooter that is best spotting up and letting it fly with his sweet lefty stroke as he hit a pair in this one for 6 points.     Goewey had a breakout season on the gridiron and in our first look at him on the hardwood he has talent there too. The 2028 small forward has a strong and athletic build. He has nice handles being able to get past defenders in the half court for scores to the rim. Heady player that scored on a back cut along with getting to the line for 9 points. Solid rebounder that secures them in traffic.     Holloway is a plus shot maker from three who came out on fire hitting three of his four from beyond the arc in the opening couple minutes of the game. Plus shooter off the catch that should find a home at a small college as he had 12 points.     Mauer is a prospect we are intrigued by. He got a bucket early on a nice pick/roll finish where he converted at the rim. Then later nailed a pick/pop three. The lefty has nice size, athleticism, and skill. Flashed some passing and brings toughness. He had 5 points.     Barnes is an undersized powerfully built forward that does his work on the interior. Rebounds well for his size and finishes through contact as he had 5 points. Still need to see more development in the perimeter game for long term prospects.     First look at McClure and we liked what we saw in certain aspects of his game. The point guard did a nice job of running his team in the half court. Solid passer especially in ball screen situations. Can take his man off the bounce on straight line takes. Shoots a good ball from deep, but they just didn't go in on Saturday.

It was back home for the Salem Invitational Tournament final day as we took in the 3^rd place and championship games from the famed SIT! The 3^rd place game featured an OT contest between Champaign Central and Teutopolis. Then in the title game it was rivals Centralia and Mt. Vernon for the crown! See how it all played out along with the prospects that shined in Salem Invitational: Saturday Standouts!