The Chaminade Red Devils have arrived at its destination on schedule. Meanwhile, the SLUH Jr. Billikens are at the same place, only a year earlier than expected.
That destination is the Mizzou Arena in Columbia, site of this weekend’s Missouri Class 5 State Basketball Championships. Both Metro Catholic Conference schools have arrived in Columbia in search of a state title.
The Class 5 semifinals will take place on Friday afternoon. Chaminade (24-3) will take on Park Hill South (25-3) at 4:15 p.m. SLUH (19-11) will face Blue Springs South (27-2) at 2:30 p.m. The winners will play for the state championship on Saturday at 6:40 p.m. The third-place game will be on Saturday at 11 a.m. If Chaminade and SLUH were to advance to the championship game, it would be the fourth meeting between the two schools, with Chaminade winning all three meetings.
Chaminade enters the Final Four as the favorite to win its first state title since 2009, when then-sophomore Bradley Beal led the Red Devils to the state crown. They are undefeated against teams from the state of Missouri. Their only losses have come in national showcase events. The tall and talented Red Devils are led by 6’9” junior Jayson Tatum, who is averaging 26 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks a game. Tatum is ranked as the No. 1 junior in the country.
Junior power forward Tyler Cook is averaging 12.6 points and 6.3 rebounds a game. The 6’8” Cook is a national-level recruit as well. Junior guard Mike Lewis is one of the top shooters in the area. Lewis is averaging 11 points while shooting 50 percent from 3-point range. Rounding out Chaminade’s lineup is 6’10” junior center Will Gladson and 6’4” sophomore Reggie Crawford, who excels on defense.
SLUH hired Erwin Claggett as its head coach three years ago and in short order he has the Jr. Bills in the Final Four for the first time in 33 years. The Jr. Bills are young, but are battled tested, thanks to a rugged schedule.
SLUH has a stellar backcourt in 6’2” sophomore Brandon McKissic and 5’11” junior Matt Nester. McKissic is averaging 14.3 points while Nester is averaging 12.4 points while shooting 43 percent from 3-point range. SLUH’s most experienced player is 6’5” senior Hunter Schmidt, who averages 9.6 points and 7.1 rebounds while 6’7” sophomore B.J. Wilson averages 6.1 points and 4.7 rebounds.
The Jr. Billikens will face a powerful Blue Springs South team that is the best team in the Kansas City area. The Jaguars are making their first ever appearance in the Final Four. They are led by 6’7” senior forward Kevin Puryear, who is headed to the University of Missouri. Puryear is a talented and versatile big man who can play anywhere on the court. The Jaguars also feature 5’11” junior K.J. Robinson, who is one of the top point guards in the state of Missouri.
St. Charles will be the area’s lone representative in the Final Four of the Class 4 state tournament. The Pirates (26-4) will face Bolivar (26-4) in the semifinals on Thursday at 5:10 p.m. Cape Notre Dame (26-4) will face Springfield Hillcrest (17-12) in the other semifinal game at 3:30 p.m. The winners will square off for the state championship on Saturday at 3 p.m.
The Pirates are seeking their first state championship since 1957. They are a senior-laden team with one of the state’s top backcourts in 6’2” Casey Teson and 6’0” Chase Morfeld. Teson, an Eastern Illinois recruit, is a shooter deluxe who is averaging 20 points a game. Morfeld is a stellar point guard who averages 14.7 points and 4.7 assists per game. Seniors Bryce Wiggs, Artie Day, Raheem Alexander and Josh Roglon are also excellent role players.
