Here are the Holiday Hoops Tournament candidates for the Antonio's Pizza Prime Time Performer. You can vote once every 12 hours until the polls close on Friday at 5pm. The winner will receive a $20 gift card to Antonio's Pizza!
Xavier Bishop (Lanphier Guard) 'Tis the season for Bishop to shine. The Lions have won the Pekin Tournament in three of his four trips and he made the all tournament team all four years. This year, he averaged just under 25 points per game on an astounding 47 percent from the floor. Bishop and the Lions still haven’t lost to a team from the state of Illinois and if he continues playing like he is, it’ll be tough for a team to knock them off.
Cole Greer (Plains Guard) Yeah, the Cardinals got dump trucked in the championship game against Warrensburg-Latham, but getting to the title game in that tournament is a pretty impressive thing. The junior point guard for Plains is a big reason why they’ve had such success this season. In the birds’ rematch with PORTA, Greer stuffed the stat sheet and really put the team on his back when PORTA was able to slow down Isaac Collins. He scored 24 points, dished out four assists and had three steals in that game. In the quarterfinal, Greer scored seven points, had nine assists and grabbed five boards. Against Calvary in the Williamsville tourney opener, Greer had 12 points, eight boards, five assists and four steals. Fro gang out here representing on the hardwood.
Matt Wendling (Athens Forward) After making it to the championship game last year and running into the buzzsaw that was Pierson Wofford and the Lutheran High Crusaders, Matt Wendling and his boys were on a mission to take home the top spot in the Waverly Holiday Tournament this year. 107 points later, Wendling walked away with an all tournament team trophy as well as the first place team trophy with a double digit win over Lincolnwood in the ‘ship. Even more impressive was Wendling’s 36 point output against West Central, which included three free throws with four seconds left to send it to overtime and get the Warriors into the title game.
Logan Clayton (Taylorville Guard) The Tornadoes went 2-3 in their holiday tournament but may have found an emerging star in junior guard Logan Clayton. He scored 21 points twice in the tournament, against Mt. Zion and Rochester, two big rivals for the Tornadoes. He also threw in 19 points against Rantoul and added nine each in their other two games. Coach Ryan Brown’s guys are still trying to figure out his system, but the Tornadoes (8-6) have played some great competition and are hoping to have things firing by February and Clayton will be a big piece in that.
Makenzie Bray (Glenwood Guard) The Titan baller made her name known at the State Farm Classic over the holidays, placing herself on the all-tournament team in the large school division after putting up 103 points in five games as Glenwood took the consolation championship home. While the Titans already have three conference losses, the emergence of Bray in that lineup could cause some teams to worry in the second half. Bray followed up her all-tourney team performance with 27 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter to get the Titans a win over Jacksonville on Saturday.
Kyra Webster (Springfield High Guard) The Springfield High Senators were tripped up in the quarterfinals at the State Farm Classic, but it wasn’t because of the effort of Kyra Webster. She averaged just over 16 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in the tourney and made 14’s three-pointers, which was good enough to place her on the State Farm Classic all-tournament team in the large school bracket. Webster’s Senators are on a mission in the CS8 this year and with a leader like her taking the reigns, Coach Brad Scheffler’s squad is in good hands.
Lyric Boone (Rochester Guard) The Rocket engine is powered by Angela Perry and Meagan McNicholas but Boone brings the gas to that engine. With a third place trophy on the line, Boone brought it at the State Farm Classic. She scored 17 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and dished out three assists against Wheaton Warrenville South. If the Rockets want to win the Central State Eight and make another deep postseason run, they’re going to need Boone to be a key player and that double-double under the bright lights shows she can do it.
Zak Merchant (Riverton Guard) The Hawks flew onto our radar just before the holiday season and stayed hot with a great showing at the St. Teresa tournamet, bringing home a second place trophy. Riverton now gets into their Sangamo schedule where their opponents will have to watch out for Zak Merchant. He scored 50 points total in their four games, including a 24 point performance against Maroa-Forsyth, in which he went 6 for 9 from three-point range. Merchant’s a guy who can get you rebounds, buckets and do the little things to put a check mark in the win column.
Madi Epperson (Athens Guard) The Tournament MVP has to get a nod for the Prime Time Performer right? When you step up and make three free throws to force overtime in the semifinals against a previously undefeated team…we'll give it to you. Epperson emerges as another stud for an Athens’ team that seems to finding their stride at the right time again. Madi made us pay attention to her by bringing home the MVP honors, while the Warriors brought home first place. The Warriors knocked off Warrensburg-Latham with ten from Epperson, came back from double digits to beat Tremont with 19 from Epperson, handed Hillsboro their first loss of the season with a 21 point game from Epperson and then she addd eight in the title game in a blowout of Sherrard.
Isaiah Bowers (Lincoln Forward) The Railsplitters returned from Collinsville with a fourth place finish, instead of a usual first, but Bowers brought home his own hardware. An all-tournament team selection, the sophomore scored eight of Lincoln’s final 16 points in their comeback win over East. St. Louis. He had 16 points in Lincoln’s loss to MacArthur in the semifinals and then chipped in 15 to lead the team in points again in the third place game against Quincy. If Bowers can bring that type of performance along with the steady game from Aron Hopp and the sharp-shooting of Garrett Aeilts, Lincoln be a major player in the CS8 in the second half.
D’Angelo Hughes (Southeast Guard) Another member of the all-tournament team from the Collinsville Classic is the Spartan senior. D’lo threw down 23 points against the host school in the fifth place game. Hughes had a heck of a tourney, averaging 16.8 points and going 41 percent from three-point range. He also had a team high 14 points in their tourney opener against McCluer North and then had 13 against MacArthur.
