2020 is upon us but that doesn’t mean we can’t give a quick look back into 2019 where three highly talented 2021 prospects wrapped up the decade in strong fashion. Here’s a quick look at the efforts of all three to close out 2019…
Jordan Nesbitt 6-6 St. Louis Christian Academy – The Nesbitt show just gets better and better. The 2021 guard has hit his stride and continues to open the eyes of evaluators. The ultra-competitive wing has added playmaking and a much-improved shot to his arsenal this season and it has had a tremendous effect on his overall impact on the game. The 6-6 guard already known for his driving ability is now firing shots up from well behind the arc which forces defenders to guard him closer which then makes them vulnerable to his already accomplished driving and finishing ability. Couple that with his ability to see teammates and deliver timely passes and maneuver in tight spaces and one can easily see why his team was able to come out undefeated in route to winning the Legends of Winter Championship at Saint Louis University High School. Nesbitt averaged 25ppg during the event. The highlight was a semifinal match that pit St. Louis Christian against the CBC Cadets which were led by North Carolina Commit, Caleb Love. St. Louis Christian won the match 59-55. Jordan Nesbitt scored 29 points and Caleb Love scored 26 points in the contest.
Aminu Mohammed 6-4 Greenwood Laboratory School – The consensus top performance of the holiday weekend came in a match featuring two of the top 2021 players in Missouri, Anton Brookshire of Kickapoo and five-star guard Aminu Mohammed of Greenwood Laboratory School. The two began the game with back and forth scoring, but after the dust had settled, Aminu Mohammed of Greenwood Laboratory School finished the game with 49 points, 22 rebounds, and 9 of 9 free throws. The super human performance netted Greenwood a 65-55 win over Kickapoo and the Gold Division Championship at the Blue and Gold Tournament.
In a contest that will be talked about for years to come, Mohammed broke two tournament records and was the only player on his team to score a field goal in the second half. In fact, he scored all but one of the total points scored by his team in the second half. Aminu scored 22 first half points which was enough to surpass the four-game tournament scoring record. He then went on to score 27 second half points which surpassed the single game scoring record which had been attained by the previous recordholder following multiple overtime periods. Aminu was on fire and igniting the nets from all three levels. His cross over pull up is sick. And if that weren’t enough, he would also occasionally add a step back to create additional space for the shot even out to beyond three. For Greenwood, winning the Blue and Gold Tournament title at JQH Arena was 74 years in the making and this was simply a historic performance.
Anton Brookshire 6-0 Kickapoo - If not for the historic performance of Mohammed, the spotlight would have focused squarely on Brookshire who also put up a stellar tournament performance including 22 points in the title game. Let me just get this out of the way – Anton’s range is one of the best and most consistent among prospects at any grade level in the state. He cemented this fact for me when he comfortably pulled up for three while standing on the MSU Bear logo at center court. Brookshire sank a total of four 3’s for the night. In addition to his shooting he also showed a lot of other tools in his kit. He has breakaway speed and his use of the dribble is successful at evading defenders and keeping them off balance to create space for the shot or blow by for the layup. He is also an accomplished passer and was successful at hooking up teammates in transition. Brookshire showed why he is one of Missouri’s most sought-after players.