The 2023 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions enters the final day with a dunk contest and championship basketball on deck.
The 2023 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions will begin its third and final day in just a few short hours. Starting with the seventh-place game at 2:30 pm (CST), this will be another full day of some of the best high school hoops the area will see live this year.
The seventh-place game will feature the Bartlett Panthers (TN) against the hometown Kickapoo Chiefs. Trae Oetting has been effective getting into the paint for Kickapoo, who will need improved efficiency from their big men to put together a complete game and get a win. Bartlett has not shot the ball well in the tournament and needs to turn things around quickly.
Next will be Staley (Kansas City, MO) vs. St. Rita (IL) in the fifth-place game at 4:00 pm. Staley is coming off a big win against fellow Missouri Class 6 Kickapoo. Senior guard Kyan Evans shot perfectly from the field for Staley in that one going 9-9, including five threes and seven assists.
St. Rita defeated Bartlett last night, led by juniors Nojus Indrusaitus and Morez Johnson, who both eclipsed the 20-point mark, adding 16 rebounds between them.
Next tonight will be the Slam Dunk Contest, which typically features some area high school dunkers as well as talent from the teams of the tournament, should they choose to participate. Keep an eye on The Basketball Movement Instagram for highlights!
Duking it out in the third-place game will be the Calvary Christian Eagles and the Christ the King Royals at 7:00 pm.
Christ the King put up an excellent fight last night, holding Link Academy to 37 percent shooting from the field. The Royals went 7-15 from deep, led by senior Devin Vanterpool. For Calvary Christian, a balanced attack has been the name of the game, though they only managed 41 points against Sunrise Christian. Look for guards Jaylen Curry and Carl Cherenfont to continue their strong play.
As many anticipated ahead of the tournament, the championship game (9:00 pm start) will feature Link Academy (Branson, MO) and Sunrise Christian (KS). Two of the top 10 teams in the country will clash in this one, promising a great game with plenty on the line.
Link Academy did not shoot well last night but was still able to win with their insane defensive athleticism and fluid offense. If they can find their shooting stroke, they will be difficult to stop.
Sunrise Christian has been keeping one of the tighter rotations in the tournament. They faltered last night shooting the three-ball, though that appeared to be one of their better weapons night one. Triples will be a significant factor in this one if they are to pull off a win. The 7’2 John Bol had a double-double last night for the Buffaloes and will need to continue to use all that length against Link Academy, who has plenty of size of their own.
Remember to follow along as The Basketball Movement covers the tourney! We also have day 1 game highlights on our YouTube channel if you missed any of the impressive action. See you at the games!
