Mizzou, K-State recruiting targets highlight high school basketball showcase in KC

The fourth annual 810 Varsity Showcase is scheduled for Saturday at Lee’s Summit High School. The six-game schedule — which includes both boys and girls matchups — begins at noon.

A preview guide:

Grandview back at full strength

The Grandview Bulldogs are 10-2, despite playing most of the season without star point guard Jordan Lathon, who has been sidelined with an injury. But Lathon, who has signed with Northwestern, returned last week and is projected to be in the lineup on Saturday.

In his absence, Mason Taylor thrived as the go-to option. He is averaging 17.3 points per game on 46 percent shooting. Taylor made a game-winning layup as time expired in the third-place game of the Patterson Division of the William Jewell High School Holiday Classic last month. He will attend Air Force on scholarship.

The No. 1 team in Kansas Class 6A

Grandview’s matchup for Saturday? A date with Blue Valley Northwest, which sits at No. 1 in the Kansas Class 6A boys rankings released earlier this week by the state’s coaches association.

The Huskies, the defending state champions in the class, are led by Parker Braun, Joe Pleasant and Sam Ward, who on Wednesday were announced as the only players from the state to be nominated as McDonald’s All-Americans. Lathon was also on that list on the Missouri side.

The out-of-town foe

Christian Brothers College will make the trek from St. Louis for the showcase. CBC is just 5-6, but it doesn’t lack talent.

Sophomore Davion Bradford is ranked No. 25 in his class, per ESPN. Bradford is 6-11 and drawing interest from Division-I schools, including Missouri. So is one of his teammates. Sophomore guard Caleb Love, who leads CBC in scoring at 18.6 points per game, has already picked up an offer from Kansas State, and he’s also drawing interest from Missouri.

The No. 1 team in Missouri Class 5

The top-ranked big-class teams on both sides of the state line will play in the showcase. Lee’s Summit West, No. 1 in Missouri Class 5, will face CBC in the nightcap.

The Titans (9-1) have been mostly dominant this season, with seven of their nine victories coming by double figures, but they’re coming off their first loss of the season. Rockhurst defeated them 70-62 on Tuesday.

Lee’s Summit West is playing with a shorthanded lineup, but it still has top wing Christian Bishop, who has signed with Creighton.

Top girls team

The showcase also features a pair of girls games. Lee’s Summit West, which faces Blue Valley, is 8-2, and it has won its first three Suburban Gold Conference games. It is only two victories shy of matching last season’s win total.

This story was originally published January 11, 2018 at 6:19 PM with the headline "Mizzou, K-State recruiting targets highlight high school basketball showcase in KC."