Previewing the Field at the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions (Jan. 17-19)
McEachern (GA) 14-0
McEachern will enter the tournament after taking the title at the City of Palms Classic and notching statement wins over Findlay Prep and Imhotep Charter at the Cancer Research Classic. The Indians are still undefeated and hold wins over numerous Top 10 teams in the country. McEachern checked-in at No. 2 in the latest USA TODAY Super 25 rankings.
Isaac Okoro is the team’s do-it-all player. Okoro can handle the ball, post up defenders and spot up for corner threes. He’s considered the 38th-ranked player in the Class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Okoro is the guy who wants to bring down the hammer and loves posterizing his defenders. His defense also gets heavily overlooked. His opponents routinely score below their averages under his watchful eye.
The 6-foot-5, 200-lb small forward will take his talents to Auburn next season.
Point guard Sharife Cooper is one of the most exciting and flashy players in all of basketball, regardless of class. Cooper is not the biggest guard, but he is extremely quick and explosive off the dribble. Making his way to the paint and then dishing to open teammates for open threes is his specialty.
Still, don’t mistake Cooper’s smaller frame as being a weakness. The 6-foot junior finishes through contact with the best of them.
Cooper produces highlights on a nightly basis. He will be one of the main draws for fans and college coaches at this year’s Tournament of Champions. He currently holds offers from a multitude of schools with Auburn and Kentucky following him closely.
One more important puzzle piece for McEachern’s success is Jared Jones.
Jones is a 6-foot-9, 230-pound center committed to Northwestern. He is very fundamentally sound; he makes the right plays at the right times and does the dirty work that often goes unnoticed.
At most other schools he would be the top option, but Jones has welcomed his role at McEachern and will do whatever his team needs to win.
Belleville West (IL) 17-0
Belleville West is undoubtedly one of the most overlooked teams in the country. The Maroons play a style of basketball that is not flashy. They score roughly 64 points per game, and they do it in efficient fashion.
The team recently faced its toughest test of the season while squaring off against a talented Vashon (MO) squad. Belleville came out on top by a score of 79-72, while playing arguably the team’s most complete game of the year.
The Maroons rely heavily on stud E.J. Liddell (Ohio State commit) to carry the weight. This 6’6″, 220-pound power forward is a Swiss Army Knife.
Liddell is a Top 50 player in the country; however, he doesn’t often receive the same type of hype as other elite players around the country. If you haven’t heard his name yet— you certainly will at Ohio State next season. Liddell is relentless, making up for his size with a high-motor and strong ability to stretch the floor.
Belleville’s other big, Keith Randolph, makes his presence felt by grabbing rebounds and bullying his way into the paint. Randolph is a strong kid at 6’5″ 270-pounds, and he’s a tremendous athlete at that size. Randolph is also headed to the Big Ten next season; however, his future lies on the football field at Illinois instead of the hardwood.
Big @Randolph_22 is gonna be royalty around here! #ILLGang19 #ILLINI pic.twitter.com/dt4rJ5ZJSc
— Travis Perry (@travisperry12) December 19, 2018
Between Randolph and Liddell, the Belleville West interior defense is suffocating. The two big men compliment each other extremely well and make the front court a difficult matchup for most high school teams.
Not to be overlooked is Lawrence Brazil. The 5-foot-11 senior is Belleville’s lead guard. He doesn’t have any offers yet, but ask anybody that’s watched him play— and they’ll tell you that he deserves some.
Brazil is the player that makes this offense go by distributing the ball to his explosive teammates. He is currently averaging 13 points per game, which is a huge lift for a team that scores most of their points from the inside.
Dylan Freeman is the Head of Media Relations and a contributor for Mars Reel
