Ten Best: St. Thomas Aquinas Tourn, Barstow (71), Battle (68)
Top Ten: Barstow (71), Battle (68) OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Good battle (no pun intended) between Class 5 Columbia Battle and Class 3 Barstow in the opening round of the St. Thomas Aquinas Tournament on Thursday. Teams went back-and-forth all…
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Continue ReadingTop Ten: Barstow (71), Battle (68)
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Good battle (no pun intended) between Class 5 Columbia Battle and Class 3 Barstow in the opening round of the St. Thomas Aquinas Tournament on Thursday.
Teams went back-and-forth all the way until the end when Barstow 2017 guard Jacob Gilyard made a crucial steal and bucket to turn the tide and Barstow advances with a 71-68 win.
MVP: Jacob Gilyard (Barstow). One of the state’s true two-way players, Gilyard led all scorers with 28 points, but his performance at the defensive end of the court might have been even better. The Richmond commit is among the state’s premier point guards and showed why in this one.
Best offensive performance: Trae Meny (Battle). Finished with 21 points and scored from all over the court. He has a nice 3-point stroke that extends a few feet beyond the arc that he can shoot with ease. Had some stuff in the paint and does a good job moving without the ball. Meny has some size at 6’4 and is a high basketball IQ player.
Best defensive performance: Jacob Gilyard (Barstow). He’s not only the best defensive player in this contest, but he might be one of the top defenders in the state. He’s quick, plays super hard and is tremendous at anticipating an opponents next move. We’re not sure how many steals he had in this one, but it was a lot.
Best shooter: Daviante Ostrander (Battle). He connected on three 3-pointers in this one and showed why he is one of the better shooters in central Missouri. A four-year starter, Ostrander burst on the scene four years ago and has put together a solid high school career at Battle.
Best rebounder: Mikhail Johnson (Battle). We didn’t keep rebounds, but we are certain Battle won the battle on the boards in a big way and Johnson was a big part of the reason why. A 6’2 2018 forward, Johnson finished with 10 points, many of which came as the result of an offensive board.
Best passer: Jacob Gilyard (Barstow). This wasn’t an easy choice as neither team had an individual passer who stood out above the crowd. But Gilyard gets the nod due to the pressure he puts on opponents when he attacks the basket and his ability to find the open guy when defenses collapse.
Best underclassman: Maricus Grant (Battle). A 6’0 2020 guard, Grant played a lot down the stretch in this one and was the Spartans key ball handler, running a lot of the point guard duties in key moments at the end.
Name to Remember: Jonah Horne (Barstow). The younger brother of Barstow standout Jeriah Horne who is now playing at Nebraska, Jonah Horne had some good moments especially in the fourth quarter. He is a slender 6’4 2018 who went 4 of 6 at the free throw line and scored six of the Knights’ 12 points in the final frame.
Play of the Game: A powerful baseline slam in the fourth quarter by Battle 6’4 2017 Keiondre Hall. An impressive looking athlete, Hall’s dunk was a one-handed flush as he cut baseline.