Small School Spotlight: I-70 Tournament Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Hoops Missouri continues to put the spotlight on small school standouts from around the state. Today, we take a look at some of the standouts from last weekend's I-70 Conference, which was held at Orrick High. Crest Ridge defeated St. Paul for the championship while Lone Jack defeated Wellington-Napoleon in the third-place game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tate Kreisel (St. Paul): A 6'0" 2026 guard who I first saw at the Midwest Showcase in Kansas City in June and was very impressed with him. He plays much bigger than his actual size. He used his physical strength to do a lot of damage in the paint. He was getting two feet in the paint with the jump stop and scoring tough buckets. He also got downhill on the drive. He made some nice interior passes in tight quarters which led to layups for his teammates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2966417' first='Wesley' last='Taylor'] (Crest Ridge): A 6'2" 2026 forward who has a thick body and a versatile skill set which makes him a tough player to defend. He used his strength and good footwork to score in the paint. I like how he could hold off his man with one arm and grab a rebound with his free hand. That took some strength. His perimeter game was also on point as he was knocking down open 3-pointers and getting into the lane to score with a runner.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2951102' first='Wyatt' last='Brant'] (Crest Ridge): A 6'2" 2029 guard who was one of the youngest players in the tournament, but you couldn't tell from how he played because of the poise and fearlessness that he displayed. He was looking to attack in the lane from the opening tip. He was aggressive on the drive but he also had good body control in the lane. He also has a nice mid-range jumper where he could elevate over the defender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Michael Heins (St. Paul): A 6'7" 2027 forward who was the biggest player on the floor and he took advantage of size and strength to make a positive impact on the game. He did a good job of establishing his position in the post and he was difficult to move. He made tough catches and scored on power drop steps. The contact had little effect on him. He also planted himself on the weakside for offensive rebounding. He is also a good passer when his team went to a high-low set on offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Landon Evans (Crest Ridge): A 6'0" 2028 guard who was really making things happen with his high energy and motor. He had a nice sequence when he ran the full court to score on a tip in on a missed transition layup. He than got back on defense to make a leaping steal on a pass that was intended to go into the post. He was very effective as a slashing threat on offense, but he also knocked down a baseline jumper from 15 feet. His great energy was one of the reasons why Crest Ridge was able to overcome a bigger St. Paul team to get the victory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Colten Mantzey (Lone Jack): A 6'1" 2029 small forward who earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team with his excellent all-around play. He has good fundamentals and a versatile skill set. He is very crafty around the basket when he attacks in the lane. He can score and draw contact to get t the free throw line. He is very effective at scoring with either hand around the basket. He does a lot of ball handling and facilitating to get his teammates involved. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2966418' first='Easton' last='Sheets'] (St. Paul): A 6'5" 2026 forward who is one of the anchors for St. Paul's big front line. He can play the power game inside with his size and strength but he also has a little finesse and touch in his game. He post up well with his big body and he can score on the tough drop step or on the jump hook over his left shoulder. He also did a good job of passing out of the double teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jace Trobough (Crest Ridge): A 5'9" 2028 guard who had a big impact on the game in the third quarter with his perimeter shooting. With Crest Ridge holding on to a slim two-point lead, he drained back to back 3-pointers from opposite corners to push the lead to eight points. In between those possessions, he also took a charge under the basket. Crest Ridge maintained solid control of the game after that little flurry.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2843312' first='Cooper' last='Shull'] (Lone Jack): A thick-bodied 5'10" 2026 point guard who has already signed to play basketball at Oklahoma Wesleyan. He does a good job of touching the paint and collapsing the defense with his dribble penetration. He was distributing the ball very well to open teammates. He was also knocking down open 3-pointers. He earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->