The DeSmet Spartans basketball team was put in the position of having to make some major adjustments before they even played a game this season.
First, the Spartans lost the services of 6’9” senior standout Yaya Keita to a knee-injury during preseason workouts. The Mizzou recruit should be healthy and ready to go next season as he begins his collegiate career. Second, standout senior guard Thomas Redmond decided to bypass his final year of basketball to concentrate on soccer, where he is a strong college prospect.
Both Keita and Redmond were key players on a DeSmet teams that won 23 games last season and nearly upended CBC in the district championship game. Despite some up and down results to start the season, the Spartans hit their stride last week in winning the championship of the Circle 7 Ranch Tournament at Parkway West.
The Spartans looked very impressive in victories over Parkway South, Lafayette and Kirkwood in repeating as Circle 7 Ranch Tournament championships. The championship game with Kirkwood was close in the first half, until DeSmet broke the game open with a 17-0 run to take control of the game.
DeSmet’s top performer in the game, as well as during the season, was junior point guard Brian Taylor. The 6’4” Taylor did it all in the championship game as he scored a game-high 18 points along with four rebounds, three assists and five steals. Taylor is an excellent two-way point guard who has received a lot of interest from Division I schools, including an offer from Saint Louis University.
The Spartans’ big man in the middle is 6’10” senior forward Sekou Gassama, who had 13 points, eight rebounds and five blocks against Kirkwood. He has been a consistent force in the paint all season as he averages 11.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.4 blocks a game.
There is plenty of talent on the perimeter to go along with Taylor, including 6’2” senior guard Jeremiah Walker, who averages nearly 10 points a game. He is a talented offensive player who can really attack the basket with a variety of moves. Junior Brennan Lovette is a 6’6” wing player who does a little bit of everything. He averages eight points, six rebounds and three assists a game. Sophomore Justin Duff and senior Jackson Neidenbach are two guards who can provide good 3-point shooting while 6’5” junior forward Jemeal Goines brings strong post play and rebounding off the bench.
*Luther Burden heads to ESL
One of the nation’s top football prospects is headed to the East Side to finish his career. Two-sport standout Luther Burden has left Cardinal Ritter College Prep and is enrolled at East St. Louis Senior High. A five-star football prospect, the 6’2” Burden has already committed to Oklahoma University.
In his three varsity football seasons at Cardinal Ritter, Burden helped lead the Lions to a berth in the Class 3 Show-Me Bowl as a freshman and another berth in the state semifinals this season. He was also a standout on the Lions’ basketball team as he helped them to a Class 3 state championship last season. He was also averaging 11 points and 3.9 assists on the Lions’ team that was ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 5 at the time of his departure.
*J-Mac shines at The Wood
Former Vashon High star and Mizzou basketball standout Jimmy McKinney is making things happen in his debut as a head coach at Kirkwood High. Under McKinney’s direction, the Pioneers are currently 13-3 with a tournament championship at the Rotating 8 in early January and runner-up finishes at the MICDS Christmas Round Robin and last weekend’s Circle 7 Ranch Tournament at Parkway West.
The Pioneers are led by several members from their talented football squad, including seniors Will Lee and Kannon Nesslage. The explosive 6’1” Lee is averaging 12 points a game while the 6’5” Nesslage averages 10 points a game. He was a standout quarterback on the football field. Adding more senior experience are 6’2” Jaylen Phipps, 6’3” Dillon Stewart, 6’1” Jackson Fortner and 6’8” Bryce Simpson. Sophomore guards Kellen Rhimes, Javaris Moye and Christian Hughes add more young talent to build around in the future.
