Blue Valley Shootout: Standouts
Blue Valley Shootout: Standouts Several players turned in thrilling performances during Friday’s championship round of games at the Blue Valley Classic, including game winners by Grandview guard Reggie Morris in the third-place game, and Olathe South Brandon Eckles in the…
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Continue ReadingBlue Valley Shootout: Standouts
Several players turned in thrilling performances during Friday’s championship round of games at the Blue Valley Classic, including game winners by Grandview guard Reggie Morris in the third-place game, and Olathe South Brandon Eckles in the championship game.
Here, Prep Hoops takes a look at several standout performances from Friday’s games.
13 — Branden Eckles, 6’5, F, 2021, Olathe South
Eckles scored the game-winning basket at the buzzer against Lawrence in overtime and he hauled in an offensive rebound and scored a put back, capping a thrilling come-from-behind win fir the Falcons. Eckles is a strong, athletic forward and he and Lawrence 2020 forward Mayson Quartlebaum had a terrific back-and-forth battle throughout the championship contest with each player having their turn. Eckles is a terrific defensive player, offensive rebounder, can score around the basket and can even step out and make jumpers.
32 — Reggie Morris, 6’1, G, 2020, Grandview
Trailing 49-48 with 1.5 seconds remaining, Grandview senior guard Reggie Morris capped a thrilling finish by banking in a contested 3-pointer off an inbounds pass to give the Bulldogs a 51-49 win over host Blue Valley. Known for his ability to light up a scoreboard with his outside shooting, Morris brings terrific leadership qualities, a high basketball IQ and the ability to play off the ball exceptionally well. He can run off screens, catch-and-shoot, works to set up defenders and can also get in opponents shorts and defend at a high level.
2 — Zeke Mayo, 6’3, G, 2021, Lawrence
Mayo has seen his stock blow up in recent months after a strong summer with KC Run GMC and he showed on Friday why we see him as a player who likely has Power 5 offers in his future. His game reminds you some of Ty Berry and former Hayden standout Zach Harvey, but he has his own style as well. He is a talented ball handler, one who can create his own shot and can also knock down outside jumpers off the catch, create his own shot and shoot well beyond the high school arc. Mayo also has an array of floaters and runners and can explode to the rim for a dunk. He has picked up offers from South Dakota State, Northern Colorado, North Alabama, Central Arkansas and is drawing interest from several others.
4 — DJ Stubblefield, 6’0, G, 2020, Olathe South
After something of a slow start to Friday’s championship game, Stubblefield came alive in the second half and put together a huge performance, making big shot after big shot. He is a standout perimeter shooter, shot creator and a competitor who is seemingly always up to the task. Friday’s championship game was full of terrific individual match-ups and Stubblefield went toe-to-toe with Lawrence 2021 standout Zeke Mayo.
24 — Aidan Shaw, 6’7, F, 2022, Blue Valley
Grandview guard Reggie Morris got a lot of the limelight after his game-winning bucket as time expired in Friday’s third-place game, but the game also featured a stellar performance by Blue Valley rising sophomore wing Aidan Shaw who showed off his all-around abilities. He knocked down corner 3-pointers, scored easy buckets in the lane, handled the ball a little on the perimeter, and made several spectacular defensive plays, including an above-the-rim blocked shot. Shaw recently picked up an offer from Iowa, TCU, Oklahoma State, USC and Vanderbilt and has drawn interest from several other high major programs as well.