TOURNAMENT Of CHAMPIONS:TOP 10

Rechon Black, 6’7, G/F, 2018, Montverde

Kid can flat ball and showed up all three nights. He combines height and length with an impressive offensive arsenal. He can shoot it and score at all three levels. Originally from Charlotte, N.C., Black recently committed early to the North Carolina Tarheels.

Remy Martin, 6’1, PG, 2017, Sierra Canyon

An elite passer and ball handler, Martin combines speed and quickness with an exciting brand of basketball. He put together several highlight-type passes and plays and brought the crowd to their feet on several occasions throughout the tournament. He went for 11 points, 5 rebounds and seven assists in game 1 against Republic

Cody Riley,  6’9, PF, 2017, Sierra Canyon

Riley is a force in the paint, he’s a massive kid with strength and power, but also some finesse in his game. He can certainly get things done in the paint, but also has a nice face-up game with the ability to shoot from the mid-range. Riley chose UCLA after narrowing his list to three schools, including Kansas and USC.

Ikey Obiagu, 7-0, C, 2017, Greenforest

A 7’0 2017 Florida State signee, Obiagu is among the nation’s most highly sought after shot blockers and showed why throughout the Tournament of Champions, blocking 10 shots in game 1, and following with seven more in game 2.

Jared Ridder, 6’8, SF, 2017, Kickapoo

The Xavier signee showed off his outside shooting touch, scoring 19 points in the opening game against Montverde, then went for 11 in the consolation side on Friday, and 18 points and a game high nine boards in the consolation finale against Republic. Ridder is an athletic 6’8 wing.

Lamine Diane, 6’6, F, 2017,  Findley Prep

He has a funky game that is hard to describe but just finds a way to get it done. A long, athletic 6’7 forward, Diane can handle the ball, especially in transition and gets a ton of garbage buckets by just always finding a way to be at the right place at the right time. He needs to straighten out his perimeter jumper but he could be an impact player at the next level regardless. He finished with 22 points and nine rebounds in the third-place game against Montverde on Saturday.

Marvin Bagley, 6’11, F, 2018, Sierra Canyon (MVP)

The top ranked player in 2018 showed off an elite game throughout the tournament, playing high above the rim, grabbing rebounds, handling the ball and showing the ability to dominate the paint as well as play on the perimeter. He had 15 and seven against Republic in a game 1 win, then went for 28 and 14 points in a semifinal win over Findlay Prep on Friday.

RJ Barrett, 6’7, G, 2019, Montverde

He’s the No. 1 ranked player nationally in the Class of 2019. A long, rangy guard, Barrett showed off a diverse skill set and has the ability to impact the game in a variety of ways. He is perhaps at his best sizing up a defender and driving all the way to the hoop, but can also rebound and defend. He finished with a game-high 28 points and 13 rebounds in the third-place game against Findlay Prep on Saturday.

Alex Lomax, 6’1, G, 2018, Memphis East

A 6’1 2018 guard, Lomox hit one of the biggest shots in tournament history in a semifinal game on Friday, knocking down a game-winning 3 at the buzzer to knock off Montverde, 59-56. He finished with a game-high 19 points in that contest.

Chandler Lawson, 6’8, F, 2019, Memphis East

A long, rangy 6’8 forward, Lawson is a top 20 player in the Class of 2019 and showed he is capable of dominating in the paint or on the wing. He was one of the tournament’s leading rebounders, going for 13 in a win over Montverde in the semifinals. Lawson is the younger brother of  University of Memphis’ Keelon, Jr. and Dedric Lawson.

PJ Washington, 6’7, F, 2017, Findlay Prep

A big, strong forward that can handle the ball and score inside and outside. He had a stellar first game, scoring 19 points and hauling in nine rebounds, then largely went missing in game 2, finishing with four points in a loss to x. Washington rebounded with a solid performance in the third-place contest on Saturday against Montverde, scoring 26 points and hauling in 11 boards.

TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS: JOSH ANDERSON TALKS ABOUT W. KENTUCKY’S BEST RECRUITING CLASS IN SCHOOL HISTORY

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Josh Anderson showcased why he is a major part of what is widely considered the best recruiting class in Western Kentucky history as his Madison Prep squad competed at the 2017 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions.

A 6’4, 175-pound 2017 wing player, Madison Prep Anderson is considered a four star recruit by most publications. He brings the ability to score and play above the rim.

He and7’0 2017 big man Mitchell Robinson form what very well could be the best recruiting class in school history. Robinson is a five star recruit who is already projected as an NBA lottery pick in the 2018 draft by NBADraft.net.

“I was really comfortable when I went to Western Kentucky,” he said. “I really enjoyed the coaches and the campus. The recruiting class they had was another huge reason. When I found out that Mitchell Robinson committed from Chalmette, La., that was pretty big.”

Anderson played throughout the offseason for Louisiana Elite and raised his profile immensely on the grassroots circuit. He has helped Madison Prep start the 2016-17 season 16-2.

“During the AAU season I was trying to get better on both sides of the ball. I really wanted to improve my on ball defense and getting my jumper up with Louisiana Elite.”

Anderson chose Western Kentucky over Arkansas, Baylor, Flordai, LSU, North Carolina State and numerous others.

His Madison Prep squad competed against Greenforest, Ga., for fifth-place on Saturday after losing to Findlay Prep in the first round on Thursday and posting a win over local team Republic on Friday.

“It’s big to play in a tournament like this because you get to go up against other big time programs and players,” Anderson said. “You get to see where you are at as a team and an individual.”

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TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS: MEET RJ BARRETT, THE NATION’S NO. 1 PLAYER IN THE 2019 CLASS

SPRINGFIELD — The nation’s premier players in the Class of 2019 showed off an impressive arsenal of skills at the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions held at Missouri State in Springfield

RJ Barrett, a long, athletic 6’7 point guard that can rebound, pass, handle the ball and create plays, Barrett has already created a significant recruiting buzz drawing a host of high major offers.

A native of Mississauga, Ontario, Barrett spent the offseason competing for UPlay in the Nike 16U EYBL and says the experience helped make him a better player.

“I was trying to work on my shooting and a little bit of everything,” he said.

Barrett said competing in the Tournament of Champions in front of some of the largest crowds any high school event will draw was a good experience. Montverde knocked off local favorite Kickapoo in the first round and advanced to face Memphis East in a semifinal contest. Memphis East is among the nation’s top ranked high school programs and have already split a pair of games this season against Montverde.

“It was a good atmosphere especially with us playing a team from Missouri,” Barrett said. “Just great to play against such great competition in a great tournament against good teams.”

Barrett said he lets his dad and coaches handle his recruiting, but has offers from Baylor, Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, UCLA, USC and Missouri where the TofC is being played. On Thursday, Kentucky head coach John Calipari was in attendance to watch Barrett after watching Kentucky signee PJ Washington compete in the previous contest.

Barrett says he enjoys watching some of the NBAs best players and tries to implement elements of their game into his own.

“In the NBA I like to watch LeBron James and James Harden because they are both great leaders and can score the basketball so that’s who I try to get my game like.”

Montverde features a slew of high level players with several players already committed to high major college programs. Barrett says the team has high expectations for the remainder of the season.

“We have a lot of potential,” he said. “We are close on and off the court and most importantly we play a lot of great defense so that gives us a great chance to win a lot of games.”