I was already unsure of my decision to make a career move… and then Bass Pro dropped the 2017 Tournament of Champions roster and I immediately felt nauseous. I’ve had a chance to cover the last four TOCs, with the 2014 edition, featuring Malik Monk, Lonzo Ball, Ivan Rabb, Harry Giles and Dwayne Bacon being the best I’ve ever seen as a fan or member of the media, but 2017 could give that group a run for its money. In fact, I believe this field will have the most surefire future pros than any other tournament in the history of the event.
It’s early… but never too early to look forward to the product that you’ll see next January. Here is the 2017 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions by the numbers.
0
Marvin Bagley III didn’t get to play a single game with Sierra Canyon last year after transferring from Arizona’s Hillcrest Prep. But, the arrival of the top player in the Class of 2018 will immediately make SC not only a contender to win the TOC after a runner-up finish last year, but this will be a top five team in America next year. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see Bagley play, although he did make the trip to Springfield; I had the chance to watch him work out and he’s every bit as gifted as advertised. He’s 6-foot-10 and can play with his back to the basket, but also has legit perimeter skills, including a smooth face-up jumper. He is a rare, rare talent. To put it in perspective just how special he is, ESPN grades several hundreds of kids in every class. As of now, there isn’t a higher-rated high school basketball player in the country than Marvin Bagley III and that includes 2016 top dogs Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum and Josh Jackson. He's been killing it in the EYBL so far this spring, averaging nearly 20 PPG and 10 RPG for Phoenix Phamily. Expect that to continue next winter… Oh, you'll also get a chance to see a young man named Marcus Bagley, who just so happens to be Marvin's kid brother. The 6-foot-6 8th grader has already pulled offers from USC and Nevada.
3
They don’t have a nickname yet, but Montverde Academy’s frontcourt threesome of Silvio De Sousa (No. 2 in 2018), E.J. Montgomery (No. 3 in 2018) and Simi Shittu (No. 13 in 2018) will be one of the more physically imposing frontlines you’ll see in a high school game. Montverde is no stranger to loaded rosters, championships or Springfield. Remember, back in 2013 Kasey Hill (Florida), Dakari Johnson (Kentucky) and D’Angelo Russel (Ohio State/Lakers) ran through the tournament before being upset in the championship by Paul VI. The next year Russell and some guy named Ben Simmons came back and destroyed everyone in sight on their way to a championship. Kevin Boyle has built Montverde Academy into one of America’s premier programs and with 4-star guard Marcus Carr back in the mix, this team will again be worth the price of admission.
But back to the Big 3… All three have incredible size already, but have slightly different games. De Sousa is the most physically imposing (6-foot-9, 220lbs) and is more of a traditional 4-man, while Montgomery is more of the long, athletic, versatile modern forward. Without spoiling just what you’ll see next year, here is a taste of why you probably want to see Montverde play at least once next year.
Simi isn’t quite as explosive as these two, but he averaged 13.8 PPG and 11.4 RPG in last summer’s FIBA Americas U16 Championship. While he is No. 13 according to ESPN, Shittu is No. 6 in Rivals 150 and has drawn comparisons to Andrew Wiggins due to his 6-foot-8 frame and Canadian roots.
84
This is the height of Greenforest Christian Academy C Ikechukwu Obiagu in inches. The 7-footer has drawn comparisons to former Kentucky standout and Philadelphia 76ers C Nerlens Noel because of his defensive prowess and is widely considered the best shot blocker in the nation. He reminds me of another tournament alum, former Syracuse C Fab Melo because of how raw his game is, but also the limitless potential he has. There is no telling what he could develop into, but his game is still coming together and he’s but definitely a guy to keep an eye on. His offers include Kansas, Virginia, Missouri, Auburn, Florida, Memphis and SMU.
102
This is how many 3s that Findlay Prep’s Markus Howard hit last year. ESPN has the junior guard ranked as the No. 32 player in 2017 and he will be the best shooter in this year’s field. He’s just 5-foot-11, but Howard is a gifted, gifted scorer, leading the team with 18.4 PPG last year. We freaked out about Steph Curry’s 50-40-90 season this year and how rare it is, well Howard shot 55% from the field, 53% from 3 and 92% from the line. He committed to Marquette earlier this month.
246,752 (and counting…)
This is the amount of views that Michael Porter Jr. got on his filthy, disrespectful, delightful, dirty, unreal, Jordan-like free throw line posterization of some poor high school kid last December. It made SportsCenter and turned one of the nation’s top prospects into a social media sensation. Here in Missouri we know the Porter name well and after guiding Father Tolton to the Class 3 state championship this year, everyone is excited to finally get a chance to see Michael and Jontay Porter in Springfield. While both have had several once-in-a-lifetime type dunks, neither player is relegated to being just a dunker. Michael, the oldest of the two brothers, is a physical anomaly. He’s pushing 6-foot-10 and can comfortably play 2-4, which is why many in the hoops world refer to him as “Baby Durant”. In March he went for 31 points and 19 rebounds in the state championship game against a Barstow team that featured Nebraska commit Jeriah Horne and North Carolina preferred walk-on Shae Rush. Porter is considered a top three prospect in the Class of 2017 regardless of the recruiting service with many in the know believing his is the best recruit in the nation. He’s a gifted scorer at all three levels and will remind you a little of Jayson Tatum and while his offensive game (particularly his footwork) is not as refined as Tatum’s, Porter bigger and more athletic. He's narrowed his list to 10, which includes Duke, Kentucky and Kansas. Also making the cut is Mizzou, where is dad is an assistant coach with the woman's basketball program.
Jontay Porter is no slouch either. He’s the No. 45 player in the Class of 2018 and Rivals gives him a 4-star. He’s already committed to Washington and at 6-foot-9 with a varied skillset, he’s only going to become a more dynamic player.
2004
The last time a player from the Ozarks won Mr. Show-Me Basketball was 2004 and that could all change next year with Jared Ridder and Cam Davis returning for their senior campaign with Kickapoo. After several rumors this spring, Dick Rippee will be back at the helm and returns several key pieces from this year’s Class 5 state runner-up team. Ridder cracked Rivals 150 this year, debuting at No. 142 and he has done nothing to hurt his stock so far, picking up offers from Arkansas, Boise State and Elon in the last 10 days. Xavier head coach Chris Mack made a trip to Springfield for an in-home visit with Ridder in early April. His ability to stretch the floor and his sneaky athleticism make him an extremely attractive prospect, which is why more Power 5s will be involved moving forward. If the 6-foot-7 wing plays his cards right this summer he could be looking at adding a fourth star to his profile, more high-major offers and the first top 100 ranking by an SPS player since advanced scouting began… Davis isn’t far behind either. Like Ridder, the 6-foot combo guard spends his offseason playing with nationally renowned MOKAN Elite, along with the Porter brothers and Oklahoma City prospect Trae Young. Davis is still waiting for the D-1 attention to pick-up, but it seems like it should be coming. Davis can mix it up defensively and has shown the ability to score at all three levels. The knock seems to be can he become more of a true point guard, something he will have a chance to prove moving forward. Assuming that his recruitment hasn’t gained any traction by January, this will be another opportunity for Davis, who scored 18 points in the state championship game against Chaminade, to make a name for himself… A darkhorse in all of this is Kickapoo guard Donyae McCaskill. If you happened to show up early to any Chief game this year then you had a chance to see the freshman do very unfreshman-like things. McCaskill is the “next” big thing at Kickapoo and at 6-foot with elite athleticism, this will be a chance to see just how bright his star could shine moving forward. Playing alongside Ridder and Davis will give him another full year to mature and understand just what it takes to become a great player.
3,039
Strange number, right? Well, it’s the number of points that Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway scored in his prep career in Memphis. As a basketball fan, I’ll never be able to stop wondering what the NBA would have looked like had Penny and Grant Hill not suffered career-altering injuries. Anyway, the reason his point total matters is because Penny is back in the game as a coach/director of the EYBL’s Team Penny and he also happens to have one of the nation’s top prospects in 5-star 2017 forward P.J. Washington, who doubles as the most highly touted player for Findlay Prep. Much like his AAU coach, Washington is a rare breed; he’s 6-foot-8, 220lbs with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and has been increasingly successful as a point forward. He averaged 16.8 PPG, 9.5 RPG and 4 APG for Findlay Prep’s 28-2 last year that qualified for the national tournament. Washington has been destroying people so far in the EYBL and there isn’t a single D-1 program that hasn’t expressed interest. His game doesn’t have a very strong comparison but I’ll lean towards Ben Simmons because of his ability to do so many different things, coupled with a physically advanced body type. But, Washington has flashed an improved jumper recently that Simmons still doesn’t have. He will be a fan favorite come January…
Oddly enough, Washington and Hardaway may have to face off as Hardaway is also the head coach of Memphis East. The Memphis legend took over the program this year, guiding the Mustangs to a 32-2 record and a state championship. During the regular season they also beat Malik Monk’s Bentonville team and perennial power White Station. The scary part is this team played eight underclassmen, including top 25 prospect Terrance “TJ” Moss and elite guard Alex Lomax, both in the 2018 class. Many of East’s players come from Lester Middle School, the same program that Hardaway also helped guide to state championships. Chandler Lawson, a 6-foot-8 forward, is also considered one of the top prospects in 2019… and he also plays for Team Penny. Memphis East will be a darkhorse to win the whole thing and a prime candidate for a return trip to Springfield in 2018.
Also…
Sierra Canyon is back and not only will they have Marvin Bagley III, but Cody Riley and Remy Martin are also back for the Blazers. Riley was unstoppable last year, averaging 20 PPG and 10 RPG with a pair of double-doubles this year. Riley, who for years was considered the top player in the class, has slipped in terms of his evaluation by scouting services, but if you watch him it’s hard to believe that he is not an elite prospect. Arizona, Kansas, UCLA, USC and Cal are just some of the teams still in the mix for Riley. With the entire landscape of basketball shifting to smallball and a spaced floor, Riley feels like a Draymond Green type. Remy Martin is a top 150 guard (No. 129 in 2017 by Rivals) and currently holds offers from UCLA, USC, UCONN, Arizona State and Marquette. Also back is 2017 G Adam Seiko, who emerged as one of the best defenders in the 2016 TOC, including drawing the primary assignment on Jayson Tatum and holding him to 19 points on 7-for-19 shooting. Seiko is just 6-foot-3, but his strength gives him the ability to defend multiple positions, which is why San Francisco, San Jose State and UC Santa Barbra have all offered. All three players also play with the Bagleys and Phoenix Phamily… Montverde Academy and Findlay Prep will both feature several D-1 prospects coming off their respective benches. A big summer could also catapult anyone of nearly a dozen guys from these two teams into elite status. Keep an eye on Findlay Prep's Donnie Tillman, Oshae Brissett and Tristan Clark. All three juniors hold Power 5 offers already.
$1,000,000
This is about how much money you could make if you went to Vegas right now and bet $10 on Republic winning the TOC; no disrespect to the Tigers but this just isn’t their party. While it is an honor to just be invited to play and I’m sure Coach Fisher will treat it as such, Republic will quietly challenge Nixa as the favorite to win the COC Large and unseat Kickapoo as the king of Class 5. Treydon Rackley (12.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG) will have a chance to solidify himself as one of the top guards in the Ozarks and Mitch Coiner (60 3s in 2015-16) will be a fan favorite because of his ability to shoot the basketball and willingness to do so with a short memory; few things will be more entertaining than to see him hoisting 3s over Montverde or Findlay Prep’s gigantic roster. RepMo typically doesn’t live in transition, but point guard Ty Stevens will likely get a chance to push it more over these three days than any other point of the season. It’ll be fun to see the Tigers out at JQH Arena, especially since they’ll likely be doing so after playing for a Blue & Gold Tournament championship just three weeks prior. Fisher is one of the best in the business in the Ozarks, I would be shocked if this team doesn’t use this tournament as a launching point for the rest of the season.
SPS AD Randy Stang hit a homerun in his first year as tournament director and there will be no shortage of talent and storylines in the 33rd Bass Pro Tournament of Champions. This could go down as the best field ever.
