Class 4 and 5 state basketball is this weekend. Our coverage will be devoted entirely to one school.
The Kickapoo Chiefs are the lone local representative among the big-school teams in Columbia this weekend.
What’s in store for them? On the boys’ side, it’s a field that features three teams (Kickapoo, Lee’s Summit and Chaminade) who have yet to lose to an in-state opponent.
For the girls’ side, Kickapoo may be the proverbial “favorite” among the four teams.
Let’s break down the six non-Kickapoo teams in this weekend’s Class 5 Final Four, starting with the boys.
Lee’s Summit (29-0)
This should be fun – and exhausting for both players and fans.
The Tigers, who graduated an all-state player last season in current Mizzou QB Drew Lock, are a guard-heavy team that prefers to play a fast, up-tempo style. Sound familiar?
Lee’s Summit averages about 76 points per game. They’ve scored at least 70 points in 21 games, but as often happens this time of year when the pace slows down, the Tigers have been limited to fewer than 65 points in their last three contests.
Lee’s Summit swept Blue Springs South – Kickapoo’s quarterfinal opponent – in a pair of regular season meetings, including 99-89 in double-overtime on Feb. 5.
Fueling the Tigers’ attack is dribbling whiz Blake Spellman, a Northern Kentucky signee. He has an impressive array of moves and will have to be limited for the Chiefs to have a chance.
A veteran team, 6’0” guard Nick Larkin – who along with Spellman was named first team all-conference as a junior last season –, 6’1” guard Oliver Edwards, 6’2” wing Marquawn Wilson and 6’6 forward Isiah Sears round out Lee’s Summit’s all-senior lineup.
Lee’s Summit won its third straight district title this season, but this marks the Tigers’ first trip to state since 1988.
Chaminade (25-5)
You may have seen the Red Devils back at the Tournament of Champions, when they beat Christ the King (N.Y.), Rainier Beach (Wash.) and lost to Sierra Canyon (Calif.).
Future Duke Blue Devil Jayson Tatum remains dominant; he scored 45 and grabbed 10 rebounds in Chaminade’s 80-61 quarterfinal win over CBC on Saturday.
For the season, Tatum’s averaging a St. Louis-area high 29 points per game, nearly 4 points more than the No. 2 player on the list – to go with 9 rebounds. Not surprisingly, the 6’9” wing gets to the line a lot. He leads the STL area in free throw attempts with 247 and shoots about 86 percent from there.
Like Kickapoo and Lee’s Summit, Chaminade has yet to lose to an in-state opponent.
The nationally ranked Red Devils feature a stacked lineup with size and athleticism. Point guard Michael Lewis II has signed to play at Duquesne. Two-sport star and guard Reggie Crawford is receiving interest from Illinois and SEC schools like Mizzou, Arkansas and Kentucky in football.
Senior forward and dunk machine Tyler Cook is headed to Iowa. Will Gladson, Chaminade’s 6’10” center, patrols the paint area and will play at Princeton next school year. Many would consider the Red Devils the “favorite” again this year and it’s not hard to see why with this type of talent.
But, then again, much of this high-praise was said last year when the Red Devils suffered an upset loss at the hands of Park Hill South in the semifinals. That Chaminade team also entered the Final Four without a loss to an in-state opponent.
St. Louis U. High (20-9)
Chaminade playing St. Louis U. High in the semifinals is akin to Kickapoo facing Waynesville or Glendale at state.
As in, these teams have seen each other a lot.
Chaminade and SLUH played four times last season, including in the Class 5 3rd place game. This year, Chaminade owns two regular-season victories over SLUH: 87-67 on Dec. 9 and 74-62 on Jan. 30. Both are members of the Metro Catholic Conference.
The Junior Bills are led by 3-star junior guard Brandon McKissic, who has a scholarship offer from Missouri State. He leads SLUH in scoring (15.4 ppg) and assists (4.2 apg).
Senior Matt Nester is one of the state’s premier 3-pointer shooters. He’s made 93 treys on the season and shoots a ridiculous 49 percent from deep.
SLUH’s big man is 6’7”, 240-pound junior BJ Wilson, who averages about 7 points and 6 rebounds per game.
SLUH and Helias Catholic (also 20-9) were the only teams with more than five losses to make it to state across Missouri’s five classification levels.
Kickapoo’s Chances
So, what would you rate Kickapoo’s chances for this weekend? Chaminade’s the clear favorite, but after that, the Chiefs seem to hold up well.
As we detailed back in the boys’ district basketball preview, Kickapoo’s strength comes in the backcourt. Thankfully for the Chiefs, Lee’s Summit and SLUH are both backcourt-powered teams. Only Chaminade will look to exploit the Chiefs inside.
Obviously, a lot of Kickapoo’s success depends on the health of junior and leading scorer Jared Ridder. He may not be at full health, but just having his shooting and size presence on the floor will add another dimension to the Kickapoo attack.
Fun fact: Kickapoo, in 2003, was the last Missouri school to win boys’ and girls’ state basketball championships in the same season.
GIRLS
One of Missouri’s historical girls basketball powers, Kickapoo ended a six-year playoff drought this season and is headed to state for the 12th time in program history. Kickapoo is chasing its sixth state championship.
Kickapoo’s first order of business comes again Liberty, with a potential finals date against a St. Louis school looming two days later.
Liberty (26-3)
While Kickapoo is a relatively young team with a mix of seniors, sophomores (two of which are transfers) and two juniors, Liberty is a veteran team who has been here before.
In fact, Liberty was the state runner-up last season, falling to Rock Bridge as the Bruins won their fourth straight state championship. Eleven players from that Liberty team returned this season, including all-stater and now-senior Morgan Fleming.
The Blue Jays, who were ranked No. 6 in the last MBCA/MOSports.com state poll (Branson was No. 7), enter this year’s Final Four 26-3 overall. Liberty has won all four of its postseason games by 16 or more points thus far, including a 56-37 quarterfinals win against a 16-12 overall Belton team.
Fleming, who has surpassed 1,500 career points and is Liberty’s all-time leading scorer, is being targeted by SEC schools such as Arkansas and Alabama.
Liberty’s three losses this season came to St. Joseph Central (whom Liberty beat 59-44 in sectionals), Truman (13-11 overall) and Villa Maria Academy (Pa.) at a tournament in Florida.
Look for Liberty to slow the pace down against Kickapoo’s run-and-gun style. The Blue Jays have reached the 70-point barrier in only four games this season. Liberty’s sound on defense, though, holding the opposition to fewer than 50 points in 21 games.
Kirkwood (25-4)
The school that produced former Mizzou and current Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin has also yielded a stellar girls’ basketball team this school year. In fact, maybe the best in school history.
Kirkwood, No. 5 in the last MBCA/MOSports.com state poll, is led by Mizzou commit Jordan Roundtree. A 5’9” guard, she leads the Pioneers in scoring (17.4 ppg) and is second in rebounding (6.8 rpg).
But, Kirkwood’s far from a one-girl show. Three other Kirkwood players average between 8-12.5 points per game, including 6’2” junior forward Lauryn Miller (12.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg). The lefty forward recently returned from major knee surgery and is rated a 4-star recruit by ESPN. She was a member of the USA Basketball Women’s U16 team last summer.
Sophomore point guard Makayla Wallace runs the show and isn’t afraid to drive the lane and cause havoc; she leads Kirkwood in free throw attempts (120, 48 percent from FT line), steals (74), and assists (4.6 apg). Sophomore guard Jayla Everett (10.5 ppg) and junior guard Lola Bracy (8.1 ppg) round out Kirkwood’s main threats.
Like Kickapoo, Kirkwood could be in the midst of multiple Final Four runs with such a young team. This is the Pioneers’ first-ever trip to state.
The Pioneers’ notable local game was a 54-52 loss to Republic way back on Dec. 5. Kirkwood also lost to Class 4 MICDS and Class 5 Parkway South, both one-possession losses. Miller didn’t play in any of those games.
In a matchup of two state-championship caliber teams, Kirkwood defeated rival Parkway North 58-52 in OT in the quarterfinals last Saturday.
Francis Howell (27-3)
Like Kirkwood, Francis Howell is another St. Louis school making its first appearance in a state Final Four. The 27 wins are tied for the most in program history.
The Vikings beat 8-loss (Holt) and 9-loss teams (Webster Groves) in the state playoffs to get here.
In terms of age breakdown, Francis Howell is more like Liberty than Kickapoo or Kirkwood. Four seniors lead the Vikings in scoring, including top scorer Danielle Berry (Eastern Illinois, 15.3 ppg, 4.57 apg, 63 3-pointers). Senior post Rachel Fick averages 9.7 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game.
Morgan Wilborn adds 10.7 points per game while Carly Harper averages 11 a night and is an emotional leader for the team.
The Francis Howell-Kirkwood semifinal figures to be a good one. Francis Howell is ranked as STLhighschoolsports’ No. 2 team; Kirkwood is No. 3. Kirkwood beat Francis Howell 60-59 at a tournament in late December.
Francis Howell’s other two losses were to Memphis (Tenn.) Central and Webster Groves, a team it later beat in the quarterfinals.
Kickapoo’s Chances
This is a winnable Final Four for the Lady Chiefs, who are 27-3 overall and beat No. 7 Branson in a district final then No. 1 Republic in sectionals.
Miller’s return obviously adds a wildcard element to Kirkwood.
Facing the likes of Ft. Smith (Ark.) Northside and state champions Strafford and Crane throughout the season has prepared Kickapoo for this point.
Kickapoo’s switch to a frantic, go-go-go style has carried it to another level in the second-half of the season. If the Lady Chiefs can continue that pace for two more games, they may leave Columbia with a state championship.
