The high school basketball season is off to an exciting start in 2019. Here are some top players to watch for the 2019-20 season.
Devon Barshow, 6’6” McCluer: An athletic wing player who transferred from Marquette and will be one of the top players in North County.
Davion Bradford, 7’0” Mehlville: A dominant force in the middle who averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds in leading the Panthers to the Class 5 quarterfinals. He signed with Kansas State.
Dylan Branson, 6’5” Mehlville: A physical wing player who averaged 18 points in leading the Panthers to the Class 5 state quarterfinals.
Gary Clark, 6’7” Cardinal Ritter: A versatile forward who averaged 13 points and 10 rebounds as a junior.
Kobe Clark, 6’7” Vashon: A versatile performer who is capable of playing all five positions. He played a big role in the Wolverines winning the Class 3 state championship.
Mario Fleming, 6’3” Cardinal Ritter: A powerful wing player who is the top returning scorer for a team that played for a district championship last season.
Cam’Ron Fletcher, 6’7” Vashon: A high flying forward who averaged 17 points in leading Vashon to a state championship last season. He has signed with Kentucky.
Nate Garret,t 6’6” Hazelwood Central: A smooth shooting guard who returns after averaging nearly 10 points a game.
Chris Hill, 6’2” Brentwood: A high scoring guard who averaged 27 points a game, which was among the leaders in St. Louis.
LaShawn Johnson, 6’5” East St Louis: An athletic wing player who will emerge as one of the top players in the metro east as a senior.
Ryan Kalkbrenner, 7’0” Trinity: The standout center is one of the best shot blockers in the country. He led the Titans to the Class 3 state quarterfinals. Kalkbrenner signed with Creighton.
Luke Kasubke, 6’5” Chaminade: Excellent shooting guard who averaged more than 20 points a game. He has signed with Kansas State.
Yaya Keita, 6’9” DeSmet: An athletic post player who is one of the area’s top rebounders and shot blockers.
KJ Lee, 6’6” Fort Zumwalt North: An excellent 3-point shooter who returns as a junior after averaging 11 points a game last season.
Caleb Love, 6’3” CBC: A five-star point guard who is one of the top players in the country. Love led the Cadets to a berth in the Class 5 state championship game. He signed with North Carolina.
Rashad Weekly-McDaniels, 6’0” Trinity: A talented combo guard who averaged 10 points a game in helping the Titans to the Class 3 state quarterfinals. He signed with Central Michigan.
Jordan Nesbitt, 6’6” St. Louis Christian: A talented wing player who has emerged as a national level prospect with his scoring ability.
Sam Richardson, 6’5” Hancock: A four-year starter who led the Tigers to a Class 3 district championship. He is on course to be the school’s career scoring leader.
Tarris Reed Jr., 6’8” Chaminade: One of the top sophomore prospects in the state, Reed has already received several scholarship offers from Division I schools.
Shaun Riley, 6’7” O’Fallon: An excellent junior post player who is poised for a big season in 2019-20.
Phillip Russell 6’0 Vashon: The sharpshooting point guard played a big part in the Wolverines run to the state championship. He signed with SEMO.
Matt Schark, 6’4” Francis Howell: A standout power forward who returns after leading the Vikings to a Final Four appearance in the Class 5 state tournament.
Ray’Sean Taylor, 6’1” Collinsville: A talented point guard who averaged 21 points a game in leading the Kahoks to 27 victories last season. He signed with SIUE.
