King’s Klassic: Day One’s Five Best

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>USE CODE “baxley30” FOR 30% OFF THE FIRST PURCHASE OF ANY SUBSCRIPTION</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 3rd Annual King's Klassic was held on Saturday, January 17th, at Marion High School. Prep Hoops SC was in attendance for day one, featuring five boys' games and three girls' games. There was one player who stood out above the rest in each game, whether it was through inside finishing, perimeter shooting, balanced playmaking, or defensive dominance, so check out these five guys and what they did to impact the game:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1986996"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-696e630d67746"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">First up of my five best from Day One of the King's Klassic is [player_tooltip player_id='1986996' first='Kobe' last='Sims']. Sims had a monster 11-point third quarter that the Predators won 25-7, and they might not have won the game without it. That was the best stretch I have seen from him in person, as it looked like he flipped a switch to take and make smart shots off the dribble. Nine of his 11 points came from behind the arc, where he looked comfortable even as defenses began to fly towards him. That is a key piece to Kobe's long-term development, so if he builds on it and remains consistent as a shooter, he could start to see the offers roll in.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2470023"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-696e630d677e8"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Elijah also had a big day in a tight win for his squad. McClain put up 27 points on an efficient 9-18 FG, doing a little bit of everything when his team needed it most. He got going with a BLOB corner three and a leak-out dunk, while also mixing in two assists for threes where the defense helped off shooters to contain his drive. There was a concerted effort to get Elijah easy looks in the post against smaller defenders, but that size and athleticism were also crucial on defense as he had two key blocks late to hold onto an evaporating lead.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2951173"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-696be0529f879"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">McGruder led the way for the Latta Vikings with 15 points in a win over Lee Central. He was pretty efficient as a scorer as well, connecting on 7-14 field goals. Shayon looked to get out in transition frequently, but was also patient in looking for the right shot in the half-court. He has a nice float game around the lane, which helps him finish over bigger players and will create steals with active hands, but he has to tighten his handle and crack down on the turnovers in order to be the best true Point Guard he can be.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2307830"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-696e630d67882"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">White is the only player in this list who was on the losing end, but he was also the highest scoring player on Saturday. He put up 32 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, filling a lot of holes on both ends of the floor as the only senior who plays big minutes. Charles was active with and without the ball all game long, cutting to the open spaces around the rim or floating into the holes on the perimeter, while also rotating to block shots and forcing havoc with his length as a help defender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2746116"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-696e630d67902"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Rounding out my five best from Day One of the 2026 King's Klassic is [player_tooltip player_id='2746116' first='Nigel' last='Miller']. Miller is one of my favorite senior guards outside of the top 100 because he simply goes about his business every time he's on the floor. That business is scoring the ball, and he did so on 8-14 FG, 2-4 3FG, and 3-4 FT in what was maybe the most impressive win of the day. His quickness was on display every time he had the ball in his hands, but Nigel also showcased some creativity in finishing and passing inside the paint. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->