Prairie Farms Holiday Classic: Scotty B's Sunday Notebook

The Prairie Farms Holiday Classic was in action in day 2 on Sunday from Collinsville High School.  We saw a ton of games both in the championship and consolation brackets with teams playing twice.  Time to see what the 618 had to offer on a Sunday of hoops!   McCluer North Edges Past O'Fallon to Advance to Semis   Opened up the day with McCluer North getting a 43-40 win against O'Fallon.  The St. Louis program moved their record to 9-1 on the season.  Their point guard Terry Cornell was cooking as he drained pull up twos and threes one after another.  Showed quickness off the bounce and got to the line for 17 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 dimes.  He got help in the backcourt from Terron Brooks who found some creases netting 10 points.   The top two prospects for O'Fallon were their leading scorers.  UW-Milwaukee commit [player_tooltip player_id='1501486' first='Ben' last='Akoro'] went for 15 points (5-18 FG), 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the loss.  Flashed with some nice moves and we really liked how he hit the offensive glass.  [player_tooltip player_id='2632023' first='Sutton' last='Massey'] is a junior shooting guard that is a plus shooter from three who had 13 points (3-4 FG).   Mt Vernon Comes Back to Win in Epic Fashion over Belleville East   The next quarter final saw Belleville East lead pretty much the entire game and Mt. Vernon storm back to steal it at the end with a [player_tooltip player_id='2455403' first='David' last='Barnes'] runner off a steal to capture the win for the Rams 56-55.  Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2334401' first='Cale' last='Maurer'] brought it in this one as the well built wing poured in feathery threes  along with crashing the offensive glass for second chance points as he had 22 points (8-18 FG) and 11 rebounds.  Power wing [player_tooltip player_id='2455403' first='David' last='Barnes'] did what he is best at which is play off his motor, physicality, and defense.   Also passed it pretty well as he had 13 points (6-13 FG), 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals.  Kid just gets stuff done.  Lucas Shelby is a junior guard that caught our attention as well.  The 5'11” guard has a fluid shot from three with a lanky frame as he went for 12 points and 4 dimes.   The backcourt of Belleville East was their strength in this game.  Troy Alexander had a big outing with 18 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals.  He was all over the floor making impactful plays getting in passing lanes and converting scrappy finishes at the cup.  Fellow small guard Jalen Coleman had 12 points including draining a pair of threes.  Junior guard Kenny Wilson showed some flashes with slick takes and rebounding well as he had 7 points and 5 rebounds.   Althoff Senior Carries Squad vs Talented Young Quincy Stacked with 2028 and 2029 Prospects   Went over to the AUX gym to check out Althoff vs Quincy in the consolation bracket.  Althoff squeaked by 53-49 capturing the win behind their star senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1977254' first='Luke' last='Smith'].  The combo guard is going to be a great get for a small college.  He can play both on and off the ball effectively.  For this squad they need him to both score and set others up.  Crisp pull up shot, but most of his damage was done in the paint on drives off hesis, crosses, and a big and-1 on a baseline take late.  Passing feel and instincts at the position.  He had 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists.  They got a nice game from senior power forward [player_tooltip player_id='2323329' first='Kyle' last='Johnson'].  The athletic four man played off his defense finished a slip pass a the rim and banged in a corner three en route to 10 points.   Quincy was one of the most fun watches of the day from a scouting perspective.  Four underclassmen put their name on the PHI radar!  Class of 2028 point guard Juelz Clausell is an electric player with the ball in his hands as the lefty has in the gym range and is a blur taking it to the rack.  Good passer that had 14 points (6-8 FG) and 3 assists.  Fellow 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2969717' first='Thomas' last='Woodson'] showed a lot of promise as a 6'6” four that has broad shoulders and projectable frame.  Rebounds well in his area, length plays on defense, and he was a monster working in the high/low finishing with 7 points and 7 rebounds.  In the 2029 class they have 6'7” center Brennan Lepper.  Wide bodied big man showed skill in the fourth quarter with his touch around the hoop and hit a three as he had 10 points and 3 assists.  The fourth prospect is Tim Griffith who is a 6'2” 2029 two guard that has strength, skill, and athleticism.  Won on slashes, hit a corner three, and was a connective passer for 7 points and 2 assists.   MacArthur Wins Central Illinois Clash vs Lincoln as Lee Efficiently Dominates   Back to the main gym for the last quarterfinal between historic programs from central Illinois as top 10 squad Decatur MacArthur scored a win 56-38 against Lincoln.  Their 2026 top prospect [player_tooltip player_id='2105414' first='Sean' last='Lee'] was very effective in this game against Lincoln's zone as he worked the baseline for jumpers, floaters, shot fakes, and finished out of the dunker spot.  Rebounded well going for 14 points (7-10 FG) and 8 boards.  In the middle of that zone offense was [player_tooltip player_id='2381555' first='Kendall' last='Howell'].  The sophomore bouncy lefty was good with his ability to attack from the mid-post area, finish dump offs, and sneak in on the glass for 16 points and 9 rebounds.  The leader of this team at the point is [player_tooltip player_id='2323268' first='Tishawn' last='Clemmons'].  The savvy floor general found his spots to score as well as set others up.  Plays well off his defense in the open floor.  Quick passes, went 3-10 from distance, and got to the rack for 15 points and 5 assists.  Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2455400' first='Damonte' last='Phillips'] is a stat sheet stuffer that is cat quick on the defensive end.  That showed up in this one as he had 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals.   Tate Aue led the way for Lincoln as the 2027 6'1” point guard poured in 4-6 from distance for 12 points.  Point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2734467' first='Brody' last='Tungate'] got to the line and created shots for others with 10 points and 3 dimes.   Belleville East Finds a Way as Eutsey Erupts Off Bench in Second Half   Which team between Belleville East and O'Fallon could bounce back after a morning loss?  It was Belleville East winning 49-46 behind [player_tooltip player_id='2454160' first='Kameron' last='Eutsey'] off the bench.  Starting center Ja'Cory Brown was very good early on in this game with lefty hook shots and playing physical inside for 7 points before he went down with an injury.  In comes Eutsey off the bench who brought a spark playing with the most energy we have seen out of him sealing for finishes, slams out of dunker spot, and had the game winning and-1 on a baseline out of bounds play as he had 10 points and 7 rebounds in just 18 minutes of play.  Saw the sweet shooting stroke of 2027 shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id='2749984' first='James' last='Johnson'] in this one as he scored 9 points and grabbed 5 rebounds.   It was [player_tooltip player_id='1501486' first='Ben' last='Akoro'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2632023' first='Sutton' last='Massey'] leading the way with 10 points a piece for the Panthers.  Akoro had a slick spin for a layup, sealed in the high/low game, and drained a deep three to close the half.  Massey shot it well from three going 2-3 from distance.   Sophomores Sizzle for Quincy Against Granite City   Massive game for the sophomore duo at Quincy in a 54-52 W against Granite City in the AUX gym.  Like we mentioned earlier it was very fun watching this Quincy squad on Sunday.  [player_tooltip player_id='2969717' first='Thomas' last='Woodson'] put on a show in this game as the projectable power forward had 20 points (9-12 FG) (2-2 3PT) and 7 rebounds showcasing a complete game!  Expect a massive debut for him in our next 2028 rankings update!  Same for guard Juelz Clausell who was flying around all over the place defensively along with acrobatic scores and flashy dimes netting 11 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals.   For Granite City 2027 6'1” guard Javier Cass put his name on our radar with 24 point outing as the junior was relentless attacking the paint going right down the middle over and over showing solid body control along with getting to the line for 24 points (8-18 FG) (8-8 FT) and 3 assists.   Mt. Vernon Moves to Finals Despite Injury to Star   We missed the beginning of this 1st semi final as Mt. Vernon senior [player_tooltip player_id='2334401' first='Cale' last='Maurer'] tortched McCluer North with his shot making scoring 13 early points before going down with an injury where he would not play in the second half.  Despite that the Rams won 50-48 to move on to the finals tomorrow.  The player that really stepped up for them was junior 6'4” wing Daniel Nelson.  Good frame and projection as he had 9 points and 8 rebounds.   Jamel Hawkins is a 2027 to watch out for from McCluer North.  The St. Louis product flashed with his strength and skill level despite not shooting it his best going for 14 points (4-14 FG) and 8 rebounds.   MacArthur Improves to 10-0 Heading to Title Game Behind 31 Points from Carson   In the second semi Decatur MacArthur led the majority of the game stretching it to a final of 61-40 as they will play Mt. Vernon in the championship on Monday.  [player_tooltip player_id='2890389' first='Khymir' last='Carson'] was absolutely electric making 7-12 from distance.  It was one heat check after another for the senior guard who had a dynamic performance of 31 points.  [player_tooltip player_id='2323268' first='Tishawn' last='Clemmons'] also knocked in four triples in this game shooting 4-12 from beyond the arc for 13 points and 4 dimes.   Triad 2028 small forward [player_tooltip player_id='2389804' first='Lucas' last='Thompson'] had a nice outing as the skilled wing shot it well from deep going for 16 points (6-13 FG) and grabbing 5 rebounds.  His senior brother [player_tooltip player_id='1552447' first='Tyler' last='Thompson'] fought on the glass and showed flashes with 7 points and 7 rebounds.   Quick Hitters from Last Game of Evening as Lincoln Tops Collinsville   Finished out the evening with Lincoln getting the win over Collinsville 42-38.  Low scoring game, but senior [player_tooltip player_id='2323312' first='Karson' last='Komnick'] for Lincoln erupted for 29 points in the victory.  Overall skilled wing that can shoot it, score on the move, and understands their offense so well.  Got my first look at Collinsville 2029 center [player_tooltip player_id='2963993' first='Kaleb' last='Garcia'].  There are tools to work with as the 6'7” five man has touch on a mid-range shot, can move his feet defensively, and blocked a shot toward the end of the half.

The Prairie Farms Holiday Classic was in action in day 2 on Sunday from Collinsville High School. We saw a ton of games both in the championship and consolation brackets with teams playing twice. Time to see what the 618 had to offer on a Sunday of hoops!