First Look - Missouri Boys Basketball 2019-2020 season - St. Louis Green Pool Conference
What was it Kermit the frog sang? It's not easy being green. Well, for the Mehlville Panthers it will be very easy to be green this coming basketball season but for the rest of the Green conference, which includes Hazelwood East and West, Oakville, Riverview Gardens, McCluer South Berkeley and Rockwood Summit, being in the same conference with Mehlville could be quite painful.
Mehlville was really good last year with a 23-8 record, although they had a couple of hiccups with losses to teams like Lindbergh and Hillsboro that they should have beaten easily and some knockouts from Webster Groves, McCluer North and some outstate teams that might have kept them from having a 30 win season. The biggest disappointment for the Panthers was there Sectional loss to CBC and Caleb Love. Somehow and some way, Mehlville will have to be more consistent this year and be able to win the big games. If they can up their game just a little, they could have an undefeated season on the strength of the Bradford and company.
So, while it is still very early in the school year, here's a look at the Green conference, as we know it today.
Returnees:
Jordan Gilmore, Derick Foster, Terry Lowe, Terrell Shumpert, Moses Yates
Graduations:
Marcus Lane, Jakah Shepherd, Michael Terry (35% of scoring)
Outlook:
Hazelwood East has the same returnees and scoring coming back that they had the year before. The team fell from a strong 18-9 record in 2017 to an 11-13 win loss this past year, atypical for the Spartans. Gilmore has the skills to put up 20 any night (he did it twice last year) and the rest, while unproven in varsity play, have had great AAU summer seasons. Coaches will light a fire under these guys and they will soar. They have more height this year, a precious commodity last year. Look for a 115 ratings and a 15-17 win season for East, even playing the very, very tough Green Pool.
Postscript: I knew starting these blogs in late August that I would find myself back tracking on some teams due to changes in conferences, schedules and players.
Since I put out the Yellow conference analysis, which included Marquette, a new development has come up. Marquette lost two top players in Ilyaas Harris and Devon Barstow but may have picked up a hidden gem in Brendan Harter, from De Smet. Harter, whose family hosts YaYa Keita, also a De Smet player of note, left De Smet after the first week of school and enrolled at Marquette. Don''t know the situation or circumstances. Doesn't matter. He needs to be where he can feel good about himself. First hurdle, no matter what the situation, is getting approval to play this year, which can take time with the Missouri High School League but Brendan would be a great addition to the Mustangs if he can get approved and not sit out the year. He is a high motor guard with a good outside shot and strong moves to the basket. At 6'3", he can dunk over bigger players. He wasn't going to get a lot of playing time on the loaded De Smet roster. I really doubt that De Smet would hold up his transfer with the Harter family having been so instrumental in YaYa's enrollment and success at De Smet. Stay tuned. Just another example of players moving schools that could really change the outlook for that team. I hope it works out for Brendan because he is a good kid and should be "balling" this winter with the 'Stangs.
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Mehlville was really good last year with a 23-8 record, although they had a couple of hiccups with losses to teams like Lindbergh and Hillsboro that they should have beaten easily and some knockouts from Webster Groves, McCluer North and some outstate teams that might have kept them from having a 30 win season. The biggest disappointment for the Panthers was there Sectional loss to CBC and Caleb Love. Somehow and some way, Mehlville will have to be more consistent this year and be able to win the big games. If they can up their game just a little, they could have an undefeated season on the strength of the Bradford and company.
So, while it is still very early in the school year, here's a look at the Green conference, as we know it today.
| Green Pool | 2018-2019 Record | # | % | % | Avg | Avg 2020 | ||
| 2019 Rating | Wins | Losses | Returnees | Return | Scoring | Hgt(") | Hgt(") | |
| Hazelwood East (@HEAthletics) | 109 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 71% | 62% | 73.4 |
71.9
|
Jordan Gilmore, Derick Foster, Terry Lowe, Terrell Shumpert, Moses Yates
Graduations:
Marcus Lane, Jakah Shepherd, Michael Terry (35% of scoring)
Outlook:
Hazelwood East has the same returnees and scoring coming back that they had the year before. The team fell from a strong 18-9 record in 2017 to an 11-13 win loss this past year, atypical for the Spartans. Gilmore has the skills to put up 20 any night (he did it twice last year) and the rest, while unproven in varsity play, have had great AAU summer seasons. Coaches will light a fire under these guys and they will soar. They have more height this year, a precious commodity last year. Look for a 115 ratings and a 15-17 win season for East, even playing the very, very tough Green Pool.
| Green Pool | 2018-2019 Record | # | % | % | Avg | Avg 2020 | ||
| 2019 Rating | Wins | Losses | Returnees | Return | Scoring | Hgt(") | Hgt(") | |
| Hazelwood West (@HazelwoodWestBB) | 105 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 62% | 57% | 72.9 | 72.8 |
Returnees:
Darius Cooper, Casey Jones, Jr.
Graduations:
Marvin Wilson, Brian Gray (39% of scoring)
Outlook:
Hazelwood West was only one win better in 2018-2019 from the previous year with similar numbers of returnees and scoring. What will it take to get them back in the elite group? Cooper averaged 14 ppg the back half of the season. Jones scored 16 in three games but was up and down. If both guys can get 16-18 ppg and the rest of the team gets on board, these guys can be a 115 rating and win 15 games. Time will tell. It's not easy being green (conference).
| Green Pool | 2018-2019 Record | # | % | % | Avg | Avg 2020 | ||
| 2019 Rating | Wins | Losses | Returnees | Return | Scoring | Hgt(") | Hgt(") | |
| Mehlville (@mehlvillehoops) | 113 | 23 | 8 | 14 | 87.5% | 88% | 76.6 | 73.7 |
Returnees:
Davion Bradford, Dylan Branson, Damontay Daughtery, King Waller and transfer Kyle Geraghty (Parkway West)
Graduations:
Jai'ryn Pruitt (12% of scoring)
Outlook:
What can you say about this team that hasn't already been said. Could a coach ask for a better return roster? Better front line size? Better guard play than Waller and Geraghty? The unselfish Geraghty, who transferred to Mehlville from Parkway West, is a pass first point guard who only make a great team even better. This team can win 30+ games and a state title with the right team chemistry. Share the rock and the accolades and they could be unbeatable. Lookout CBC. 130 rating and 30 wins. Bank it.
| Green Pool | 2018-2019 Record | # | % | % | Avg | Avg 2020 | ||
| 2019 Rating | Wins | Losses | Returnees | Return | Scoring | Hgt(") | Hgt(") | |
| McCluer South Berkeley (@FergFlorSchools) | 90 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 74% | 33% | 70 | 69.2 |
Returnees:
Treveon Jackson and Torre and Tony McMiller
Graduations:
Demondre Gunter and Gerald Jackson (67 % of scoring)
Outlook:
MSB played 19 players during the 2018-2019 season, so a lot of guys got some experience. Both Treveon Jackson and Torre and Tony McMiller, are capable of 15ppg but need more consistency than they displayed last year. The team has a high motor but not much size again this year. They bring back about three quarters of the team (same as last year), but only one third of the scoring (compared to 60%) a year ago. That means that one of those 14 guys who got PT last year needs to step up and be a fourth leg on this scoring stool with Jackson and two McMillers. The team rating might get back close to 100 but 10-12 wins might be a stretch. I hope they prove me wrong.
| Green Pool | 2018-2019 Record | # | % | % | Avg | Avg 2020 | ||
| 2019 Rating | Wins | Losses | Returnees | Return | Scoring | Hgt(") | Hgt(") | |
| Oakville (@OHS_Tigers) | 94 | 7 | 20 | 12 | 71% | 62% | 73.2 | 72.8 |
Returnees:
Joe Beardsley, Joe Ware and James Whitman
Graduations:
Tommy Purschke and Jake Morlen (38% of scoring)
Outlook:
Returnees Joe Beardsley and James Whitman, are both capable of 15-20ppg but lacked consistency last year. The team brings back a good core of players, including untested junior 6'8" Joe Ware, that should help them improve on their 7-20 record. 10-12 wins and a 100 rating would be a good spot for the Tigers. Anything more would just be gravy.
| Green Pool | 2018-2019 Record | # | % | % | Avg | Avg 2020 | ||
| 2019 Rating | Wins | Losses | Returnees | Return | Scoring | Hgt(") | Hgt(") | |
| Riverview Gardens (@RGSDNews) | 102 | 4 | 10 (one forfeit) | 8 | 53% | 41% | 73.1 | 73 |
Returnees:
Jaylen Watts, Darnay McDonald, Kyjuan Thompson.
Graduations:
Davion Williford, Christopher Robinson, Mike Hogans (58% of scoring)
Outlook:
Riverview took a nose dive in the 2018-2019 season after going 14-9 the year before with 91% of the team back. Now, with half the team returning and only 40% of the scoring, Watts and company will have to find help to get back on the winning track. Watts is capable of 20+ppg and McDonald and Watts, both 12-15ppg, just based on their performances in some games last year. Repeating that type of scoring game in and game out may be a different matter. Riverview hopes to avoid the type of brawl that ended their Alton matchup last December when both teams cleared their benches in the third quarter. Not the type of rep you want for the school. The Sun will shine on Riverview. Expect them to improve their rating a few points and get back to a 500 record for this season.
| Green Pool | 2018-2019 Record | # | % | % | Avg | Avg 2020 | ||
| 2019 Rating | Wins | Losses | Returnees | Return | Scoring | Hgt(") | Hgt(") | |
| Summit (@RSHSFalconHoops) | 97 | 15 | 11 | 5 | 38% | 50% | 73.9 | 73.9 |
Returnees:
Jacques Thomas, Blake Vaughan, Matt Garnatz and Jonathan Thomas
Graduations:
Ben Coughlin, Tanner Jennings, Nathan Humphrey and Celestine Kubee (50% of scoring)
Outlook:
Summit had a break-out year for their program after some pretty dismal years. Having a good senior class back for 2018-2019 helped them be successful. Now they are gone but half the scoring is back with Thomas, Vaughan, Garnatz and Thomas as the 2020 seniors, which brings some size back to another senior dominated group. Thomas can be a 20+ppg guy with consistency as he showed he could score in some games last year. Vaughan and Garnatz are both capable of 15ppg having hit that mark in several games last year. Summit should improve on their 97 rating but the record might not move from the 15 win mark unless they have some serious talent coming up. And the sophs and juniors don't contribute, 2021 will be back to sub 500 seasons for the Falcons.
Postscript: I knew starting these blogs in late August that I would find myself back tracking on some teams due to changes in conferences, schedules and players.
Since I put out the Yellow conference analysis, which included Marquette, a new development has come up. Marquette lost two top players in Ilyaas Harris and Devon Barstow but may have picked up a hidden gem in Brendan Harter, from De Smet. Harter, whose family hosts YaYa Keita, also a De Smet player of note, left De Smet after the first week of school and enrolled at Marquette. Don''t know the situation or circumstances. Doesn't matter. He needs to be where he can feel good about himself. First hurdle, no matter what the situation, is getting approval to play this year, which can take time with the Missouri High School League but Brendan would be a great addition to the Mustangs if he can get approved and not sit out the year. He is a high motor guard with a good outside shot and strong moves to the basket. At 6'3", he can dunk over bigger players. He wasn't going to get a lot of playing time on the loaded De Smet roster. I really doubt that De Smet would hold up his transfer with the Harter family having been so instrumental in YaYa's enrollment and success at De Smet. Stay tuned. Just another example of players moving schools that could really change the outlook for that team. I hope it works out for Brendan because he is a good kid and should be "balling" this winter with the 'Stangs.
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