One of the top early-season events comes to St. Louis this weekend as the Public-Private Showcase will be held on Saturday at Duchesne High in St. Charles.
The triple-header will begin at 3 p.m. with DeSmet taking on Columbia Rock Bridge. DeSmet will be led by 6’8” junior Ryan Stipanovich and 6’2” senior shooting guard Dylan Gilkey. Rock Bridge is led by guard Jack Cooper, 6’5” Kansas State football recruit Tre Williams and 6’6” junior forward Eysan Wiley.
Game No. 2 will pit Hazelwood Central vs. Whitfield in a battle of two very talented teams. Hazelwood Central, which just won the Vianney Tournament title, is led by 6’6” senior Xavier Sneed, who has signed with Kansas State. The Hawks also feature talented seniors Dominique Dobbs, Steve Holloway and sophomore guard Shaun Williams. Whitfield is led by 6’4” sophomore guard Torrence Watson, who is one of the premier scorers in the metro area. The Warriors also feature 6’5” senior forward DeVaughn Rucker and 6’0” senior guard Bryce Barry.
In the finals, host Duchesne will take on Father Tolton Catholic out of Columbia. Tolton features on of the top players in the nation in junior Michael Porter Jr. The 6’9” Porter is being recruited by every national powerhouse program in the nation. Also in the lineup is his brother, 6’10” sophomore Jontay Porter, who has already committed to Washington. Duchesne is led by 5’11” senior guard Ryan Briscoe, who recently committed to Quincy University.
The proceeds from the event will benefit the Because We Care Foundation.
Chaminade goes national
The nationally ranked Chaminade Red Devils split a pair of games last weekend as they began their national schedule, which will take them around the country.
Chaminade dropped a 69-62 decision to perennial powerhouse Oak Hill Academy at the Marshall County Hoopfest in Benton, KY. All-American Jayson Tatum scored 29 points to lead the Red Devils, who rallied from an 18-point deficit in the second half to take a brief lead in the fourth quarter.
Two days later, the Red Devils were in Chicago, where they defeated Miller Grove (GA) 83-77 in an overtime thriller. Tatum had 40 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks. Junior guard Reginald Crawford scored 17 points while 6’8” senior Tyler Cook added 12 points.
Chaminade will host Metro Catholic Conference rival CBC on Friday night at Lindenwood University at 7 p.m. The following weekend, Chaminade will head to Florida to participate in the prestigious City of Palms Holiday Tournament.
Tournament recap
SLUH took home the championship of the Pattonville Tournament. The Junior Bills defeated host Pattonville 64-42 in the championship game. Junior guard Brandon McKissic averaged 15 points in SLUH’s three victories.
Hazelwood Central won the Vianney Tournament for the third year in succession. The Hawks defeated Vashon 73-71 in what was a very entertaining championship game between two of the area’s top teams. Senior guard Xavier Sneed scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Hawks. Junior guard Daniel “Peanut” Farris scored 16 to lead the Wolverines.
Francis Howell defeated Fort Zumwalt South 68-52 to win the Troy Tournament. Senior forward Brett Elifritz averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds a game to lead the Vikings.
Affton defeated Windsor 55-54 to win the championship of the South Side Classic. Junior guard Isaiah Ford averaged 21 points a game to lead the Cougars to the championship.
Host Valley Park won its own tournament for the first time in 39 years. The Eagles defeated Kennedy 49-42 in the championship game. Valley Park was led by sophomore Ryan Courtney and freshman Jeremy Shaw.
In girls action, Webster Groves defeated Francis Howell 55-42 to win the Marquette Tournament. Webster Groves was led by its standout backcourt duo of Jaidah Stewart and K.K. Rodriguez.
