Logan Applegate - Drury University

We Are United and Yanders Law alum Logan Applegate is taking his talents across town to Drury University.

After his prolific high school career with the Nevada Tigers, Logan Applegate chose to reclassify and go the prep route, attending We Are United. This decision was based on faith in his AAU coach, Rob Yanders, who founded We Are United and has a proven track record of player development.

Once the time came to decide on a college, Applegate chose to stay in Springfield, MO, at Drury University.

“With the transfer portal and how crazy things are, me and Coach Rob decided on something close,” Applegate says. “He’s my guy. This way, I can keep working out with him and always have his voice and have him in my corner.”

Logan had an impressive high school career and showed out in his time with Yanders Law. For We Are United, he took his playmaking and well-rounded guard play to the next level.

“My biggest takeaways (from We Are United) were improvements in my individual skills as a basketball player,” Applegate says. “I was able to round out my game and perfect my craft. With Rob, I was also able to completely learn the process that goes into that.”

In addition to individual skills, Logan also says he learned much about team skills. “I got better at being a team leader and knowing how to deal with every situation,” he says. “I’ve learned a lot about every part of basketball and unwritten stuff that many don’t know about. Just raising my IQ about the game.”

Already declared as an accounting major, Logan admits he is currently locked in on Drury basketball.

“Right now, I am getting to know the coaches,” Applegate says. “We haven’t practiced yet, but there have been open runs, and I’m learning offensive and defensive systems. I’m figuring out what I can do to help the team win and how to be a system player that can make it happen.”

Wanting to win and doing anything it takes is what Logan’s new coaches and teammates can expect out of him.

“I will be a team-first guy,” Applegate says. “A quality I have tried to make evident over my years playing is that I try to make everyone better when I’m on the floor.”

His passion for the game and dedication to his craft have already carried Logan a long way. These qualities do not just disappear, so Drury Panther fans can expect a hard-working young man that will not stop improving. We wish him luck this season!

Kanon Gipson - Missouri State University

From Logan-Rogersville to We Are United to Missouri State University… Kanon Gipson is keeping the local hoop scene strong.

Yanders Law alumni, Kanon Gipson, is living out his childhood dream of becoming a Missouri State Bear. We have had the privilege of watching and aiding Kanon along his journey. Through Yanders Law, Logan-Rogersville, and We Are United, Kanon has transformed from a kid with a good-looking outside stroke to a leader, facilitator, and Division I collegiate talent.

“I’ve always wanted to be a Bear,” Gipson says. “So many kids around here want to do that - to play for the hometown team.” Staying local has always been ideal for Kanon, but he was close to choosing a different path.

“I was close to committing to another school,” says Gipson, who played for Rob Yanders’ We Are United prep last season. “Really (Missouri State) just fell in my lap at the right time. It was too big, too good to pass up.”

When asked about his biggest takeaways from his time with We Are United, Kanon could not help but gush a bit about his Coach, Rob Yanders.

“Where do I start with that guy,” Gipson says. “I used to think that I knew what hard work was. He showed me what hard work was and drilled it into me. With We Are United, things were really focused on teamwork and leadership. So I would say leadership and work ethic are the biggest pieces I’m taking away from Rob and The Basketball Movement.”

Currently, Kanon says he is working on his strength ahead of his first NCAA season. “We are practicing, and I’m going up against these guys and getting stronger,” Gipson says. “We are learning roles, and since we have some older players, I am able to pick their brains as well.”

Gipson, who would like to coach someday, aims to be the hardest working player on the court and one of the loudest. He knows he has his work cut out for him to be a leader as a freshman. But, he says that he is ready.

With so many players moving around through the transfer portal, Gipson has a chance to shine for a MSU squad that will need to find its identity in a hurry. He is thrilled to be a part of the Missouri State family.

“It is what I’ve dreamed of,” Gipson says. “I’m excited for my parents. (Staying local) also means that Rob and guys like Coach Craig that have helped me get to watch me. Younger kids from the area can as well and see what they can do.”

We wish Kanon luck as he continues his journey in basketball, but as he knows, skill trumps luck more often than not. He will undoubtedly keep grinding and make our area proud!

Terrell Gaines - Yanders Law

The Basketball Movement chats with Yanders Law standout, 2024 PG Terrell Gaines.

Yanders Law has been a competitive grassroots program for years. However, the talent level over the last several of those has been through the roof; Terrell Gaines is starting a new chapter in our now storied AAU affiliate.

The 2024 PG stands at 5’8 but plays well beyond his stature. He is still coming onto the scene and will catch fewer and fewer opponents by surprise, but he is working daily to make sure he stays a step ahead.

Gaines says his strengths are “shooting, looking for open teammates, and defense,” and his bag is growing deeper as he focuses on constant improvement.

“I am trying to improve by being a leader for my teammates,” Gaines says. “I need to have my voice be heard.”

The level of competition Gaines is now facing with his Yanders Law 16u team is fierce. However, he says that he is adjusting by using that improved leadership and elevating his play. His squad is already taking shape as a contender.

“(Our guys) are looking really good,” Gaines says. “We are playing as a team… moving the ball around, shooting well, and defending well.”

Yanders Law’s promising young squad is coached by Rob Yanders himself, who has had a significant personal impact on Gaines.

“(Coach Yanders) is tough on me, but I like how he coaches and pushes me to be the best I can be,” Gaines says. “When he pushes me it is letting me know what I need to fix so that I can get better.”

Gaines attends Liberty High School in the Mountain View area. Another prominent Yanders Law baller from that neck of the woods is Northwestern State’s Isaac Haney. Gaines said he heard a lot about Haney and had the opportunity to watch him play. Speaking to Haney’s Father is what eventually led Gaines to Yanders.

Asked if he may be the next Isaac Haney for Coach Yanders’ squad, Gaines says that he will “try to be.” While parallels can certainly be drawn, Terrell is certainly his own player and will forge an exciting path in the world of basketball.

“I want to make it as far as I can,” Gaines says. “I want to get anything I can out of basketball, whether it is becoming a better leader or a better person.”

So far, so good for Terrell Gaines.

Trevon Brazile on the other side of the portal

Kickapoo and Yanders Law alumni, Trevon Brazile, has ended his short stint in the transfer portal by committing to Arkansas.

Trevon Brazile described the transfer portal as a “crazy process,” but it has worked out well for the promising second-year big man out of Springfield, MO.

“As soon as I hit the portal, my phone blew up,” Brazile says. “It was a little overwhelming but good to have so many options and a chance to talk to so many different schools.”

Brazile, a Yanders Law AAU alumni, shocked Southwest Missouri by transferring to Kickapoo his senior season. That move worked out well, with the Chiefs winning a state title. After earning his stripes at Mizzou, he is confident that he is making the right move once again.

In seeking out a new school, Brazile says that he was looking for a program with similar goals to his own.

“(Arkansas) is all about winning and competing,” Brazile says. “They laid out a game plan for what they wanted to do with me. They are a hardball school that wants to win.”

Another standout attribute that the explosive athlete noticed was how meticulously the program went through every aspect of the game. Sounds like the owner of a training facility that we know.

“The attention to detail stood out when I was making my decision,” Brazile says. “On my visit, I could tell everything was done with precision. It just felt right.”

While Trevon is focused on winning in his second college season, he will always lean on the lessons he learned in his first.

“I didn’t play the first nine games (for Mizzou) due to health, so that helped me on the mental side - handling adversity,” Brazile says. On the basketball side, I got used to the pace and really just learned the college game.”

Still evolving as a player, Brazile is one of the highest-upside guys to come out of the Yanders Law program in a long time. Strength is the area he is trying to improve upon the most right now.

“I am working on ball-handling - keeping the ball on a string,” Brazile says. “Also, shooting off the dribble. Really, I am working on getting stronger with the ball AND getting stronger in the weight room.”

Asked what Razorback fans can expect from him, Brazile sums it up nicely by saying: “a hardworking kid.”

“I am going to play my role,” Brazile says. “… and yeah, high-flying plays, alley-oops, and blocked shots.” There it is.

Brazile has always been a blast to watch on the hardwood, and Arkansas coaches, teammates, and fans just scored a helluva recruit. Good luck next season, Trevon!

Check out more photos of Arkansas’ top recruit here!