Denver Miller Wrap

I had taken a look at Earl Austin Jr.'s post on Players to Watch for the Denver Miller Kirkwood Tournament over at his Prep Hoops site and thought it would be interesting to analyze how these top players were performing in the three games.  Of course, the tournament got all jumbled by weather and, while McCluer North won the championship last Wednesday, over a game Jennings team, the third place game between Eureka and Ladue may never be played, being cancelled today, again, due to weather.

Anyway, I looked at the Value Point System score (VPS) for each player Earl had mentioned and have listed those below by Class, as he had them arranged in his column, and then by school.  These are all great players and a VPS above 1.0 is good, above 2.0 outstanding, above 3.0 great.  There was a lot of great talent in the tournament.

What stood out to me, was the VPS for each team.  the best teams had a bunch of top players, as scored by VPS, which takes into account more than just scoring with equal emphasis on rebounding, steals, assists, turn-overs, fouls and accuracy (made and missed shots).  In fact, as you look through the table (sorry, this blog site does not format well), you will actually see that top scorers don't also get the best VPS.  A balance of accuracy, rebounding, assist and safe-guarding the ball play a big role in making a great player.

Hat's off to Earl for touting the top players in the area.

Denver Miller Tournament
Players to Watch by Class	VPS	PPG	RPG	ASTs	STLs
2019
A’Tavian Butler 6’2″ McCluer North	2.16	21.3	7.7	3.33	2.33
Avery Taggert 6’5″ Eureka	2.35	30	5.5	3.5	0.5
Damien Loyd 5’11” Kirkwood	1.68	27.7	4	3.33	4
Patrick Evans 6’3″ McCluer North	2.96	13.7	6.3	1.67	1.67
Elijah Hicks 6’3″ Jennings	2.8	17	1.3	0.33	0.33
Buck Bowling 6’5″ Jennings	3.24	6	1.3	0.67	0
Bryce Bussard 6’2″ Ladue	1.03	7.5	5	1	1
Javon Fultz 6’2″ Hazelwood East	2.38	22.5	7	2	5
Mekai Ray 5’8″ McCluer North	2.5	9	1.3	3.67	2
Moses Okpala 6’7″ Ladue	1.23	4	4	2	2
Jonah McDowell 6’4″ Kirkwood	1.29	12	4.3	2.33	0.67
2020
Evan Schneider 6’6″ Ladue	1.9	11.5	8	1.5	1
Jaylen Boyd 6’1″ Ladue	1.63	21.5	4.5	2.5	2
Jordan Gilmore 6’3″ Hazelwood East	0.56	3	0.5	1	0.5
Tohrez Simms 6’2″ Hazelwood East	1.24	9.5	3	0.5	1
Jay Maclin 6’0″ Kirkwood	1.35	2.7	1.7	2.67	1.67
Jhalon Asher-Sanders 5’8″ Eureka	1.46	13.5	2.5	4.5	2.5
2021
Trevon Love 6’0″ Jennings	1.51	4.7	0	2	0.67
Damarion Shanklin 6’2″ Jennings	2.57	7	0.3	1.67	0.67
Jonathan Brown 5’11” Hazelwood East	1.67	1.5	1	2.5	0
Will Lee 6’1″ Kirkwood	2.48	16.7	3.3	0.67	1.33
Justin Holland 5″11″ University City	0.63	7	1.5	1	0.5
Jalen Hampton 6’5″ University City	4.07	14	8.5	0	2
Nate Parker 6' 3"  Eureka	3.91	7.5	5	3.5	1
Drew Tebbe 5'8" O'Fallon	1.1	6.3	0.7	0.67	1.33
Shaun Riley II 6'5" O'Fallon	1.53	12.3	8.7	1	0.67
2022
Larry Abbey 5’9″ University City	1.41	8	0.5	4.5	2.5
Caleb Burton 6'0" O'Fallon	0.89	12.5	1	0	1.5
Denver Miller Tournament
Players to Watch by School	VPS	PPG	RPG	ASTs	STLs
Jhalon Asher-Sanders 5’8″ Eureka	1.46	13.5	2.5	4.5	2.5
Nate Parker 6' 3"  Eureka	3.91	7.5	5	3.5	1
Avery Taggert 6’5″ Eureka	2.35	30.0	5.5	3.5	0.5
Average	2.57
Javon Fultz 6’2″ Hazelwood East	2.38	22.5	7	2	5
Jordan Gilmore 6’3″ Hazelwood East	0.56	3	0.5	1	0.5
Tohrez Simms 6’2″ Hazelwood East	1.24	9.5	3	0.5	1
Jonathan Brown 5’11” Hazelwood East	1.67	1.5	1	2.5	0
Average	1.46
Trevon Love 6’0″ Jennings	1.51	4.7	0	2	0.67
Damarion Shanklin 6’2″ Jennings	2.57	7	0.3	1.67	0.67
Elijah Hicks 6’3″ Jennings	2.8	17	1.3	0.33	0.33
Buck Bowling 6’5″ Jennings	3.24	6	1.3	0.67	0
Average	2.53
Damien Loyd 5’11” Kirkwood	1.68	27.7	4	3.33	4
Jay Maclin 6’0″ Kirkwood	1.35	2.7	1.7	2.67	1.67
Will Lee 6’1″ Kirkwood	2.48	16.7	3.3	0.67	1.33
Jonah McDowell 6’4″ Kirkwood	1.29	12	4.3	2.33	0.67
Average	1.7
Bryce Bussard 6’2″ Ladue	1.03	7.5	5	1	1
Evan Schneider 6’6″ Ladue	1.9	11.5	8	1.5	1
Jaylen Boyd 6’1″ Ladue	1.63	21.5	4.5	2.5	2
Moses Okpala 6’7″ Ladue	1.23	4	4	2	2
Average	1.45
A’Tavian Butler 6’2″ McCluer North	2.16	21.3	7.7	3.33	2.33
Patrick Evans 6’3″ McCluer North	2.96	13.7	6.3	1.67	1.67
Mekai Ray 5’8″ McCluer North	2.5	9	1.3	3.67	2
Average	2.54
Drew Tebbe 5'8" O'Fallon	1.1	6.3	0.7	0.67	1.33
Shaun Riley II 6'5" O'Fallon	1.53	12.3	8.7	1	0.67
Caleb Burton 6'0" O'Fallon	0.89	12.5	1	0	1.5
Average	1.17
Justin Holland 5″11″ University City	0.63	7	1.5	1	0.5
Jalen Hampton 6’5″ University City	4.07	14	8.5	0	2
Larry Abbey 5’9″ University City	1.41	8	0.5	4.5	2.5
Average	2.04