Incarnate Word Academy is now the No. 1 team in the nation. The Red Knights achieved the top spot in last week’s USA Today Super 25 girls national rankings.
In its first game as the No. 1 team, IWA defeated No. 6 Regis Jesuit (CO) 68-50 in the Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout at the Scottrade Center. Junior standout Napheesa Collier had 26 points and 15 rebounds while senior guard Nakiah Bell added 16 points, including four consecutive 3-pointers in the second quarter rally IWA from an early deficit.
The Red Knights then followed up that victory with a 60-33 victory over Chicago Marian Catholic in the Prepcasts.com Girls Shootout at St. Joseph’s Academy. Marian Catholic is the defending Illinois Class 4A state championship team. The Red Knights have won 44 consecutive games, dating back to last season.
Edwardsville cracks top 25
Edwardsville High’s girls also joined the national rankings as they checked in at No. 25 in the USA Today polls. The Tigers are currently 14-0. They are led by 6’2” senior Kortney Dunbar, who has signed with Tennessee and 5’11” senior Aalyah Covington, who is headed to Saint Louis University.
Emerging Jennings
One of the emerging teams on the boys’ scene in recent weeks is the Jennings Warriors. Coach Travis Wallace’s squad posted impressive back-to-back victories over McCluer North and Ladue, which are two quality Class 5 programs. The Warriors defeated McCluer North 57-53, then followed up with a 72-67 at Ladue in a big Suburban East Conference game. Jennings also took Hazelwood Central into overtime in the quarterfinals of the Meramec Holiday Tournament. Central went on to win the tournament.
The Warriors have been led by 6’6” senior Brandon Hollins, who is averaging 19.2 points and 10 rebounds a game. Junior guard Jermaine Fleming is averaging 10 points a game. He scored 19 points at Ladue. Junior Lee Anthony Bogan is averaging 8.8 points and 5.3 rebounds a game while junior guard Jordan Cook is averaging 8.1 points. Sophomore forward Ronnell Baker is averaging five points and four rebounds a game. Jennings will be a dangerous team to watch down the line in Class 4.
Quality in Kirkwood
The Denver Miller Classic at Kirkwood will feature several quality teams this weekend. The top seed in the tournament is Chaminade. The Red Devils are followed by Duchesne, Kirkwood, Jennings and Normandy. The action gets underway on Thursday with Chaminade vs. Riverview Gardens, Jennings vs. Normandy, Duchesne vs. Hazelwood West and Kirkwood vs. Eureka. The semifinals will be held on Friday night at 5:30 and 7 p.m. The championship game will be on Saturday at 2 p.m.
MLK Girls Showcase at North Tech
The St. Louis Martin Luther King, Jr. Girls Basketball Showcase will be held on Sunday and Monday at North Tech (1720 Derhake) in Florissant. The two day event will bring together several teams from the two-state area. The schedule is as follows:
Sunday, Jan. 19: Miller Career Academy vs. Parkway North, 2 p.m.; DuSable (Ill) vs. North Tech, 3:30 p.m.; Chicago Whitney Young vs. Kirkwood, 5 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 20: DuSable vs. Marquette, 11:30 a.m.; Whitney Young vs. Rock Bridge, 1 p.m.; North Tech vs. Normandy, 2:30 p.m.; Cahokia vs. East St. Louis, 4 p.m., Francis Howell vs. Fort Zumwalt South, 5:30 p.m.
Rucker returns
One of the bright stories of the season has been the return of senior power forward Dimitri Rucker of the Whitfield. The 6’5” Rucker suffered a torn ACL injury in his knee early in his junior year, which forced him to miss the entire 2013 season and the whole summer season. Rucker has come back with a vengeance this season, averaging 16.4 points and 10 rebounds a game. In a 52-47 victory over Pattonville last week, Rucker had 16 points, 18 rebounds and six blocks.
Webster wins in Joplin
Webster Groves made its annual trek to the Southwest part of the state and came home with the championship of the Kaminsky Classic last week in Joplin. The Statesmen defeated Joplin High 75-48 in the championship game. Forward Stephen Harris came off the bench to score 23 points to lead the Statesmen.
Two wins in two days
Belleville Althoff had a very productive two-day stretch last week. On Thursday, the Crusaders defeated Fort Zumwalt North 69-60 in the Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout. Sophomore forward Brendon Gooch had 23 points and 11 rebounds while freshman Jordan Goodwin had 17 points and 11 rebounds for Althoff. The following night, the Crusaders defeated Centralia 69-58 in a South Seven Conference game to knock the Orphans from the ranks of the unbeaten. Goodwin and sophomore Keenan Young scored 18 points while senior Kevin Renner added 17.
