With full slate of nationally recruited stars, Highland Shootout thrilled once again
The No. 2 ranked junior high school basketball player in the nation, Patrick Baldwin Jr., didn’t disappoint a sellout crowd Saturday at the 29th annual Highland Optimist Scott Credit Union Shootout.
And the 6-9 All-American didn’t disappoint over 25 young fans who gathered around the Hamilton Sussex, Wisconsin, dressing room hoping for an autograph following the Chargers’ 70-57 win over Chaminade (9-1).
“I enjoy doing it for the kids,” Baldwin said while signing. “It means they like the way I play the game.”
After watching Baldwin score 29 points while adding 12 rebounds and four blocked shots, it’s hard to imagine anyone who wouldn’t admire Baldwin.
Already with offers from college basketball blue bloods such as Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina, Baldwin didn’t score for the first four minutes, but ended the opening period with nine points, including a 3-point basket which came from a good 5 feet behind the 3-point line.
“He has tremendous ability, but one of his strongest assets is that he is a total team player. He is very unselfish, always looking to get his teammates involved,” Hamilton coach Andy Cerroni said of Baldwin. “Patrick is a special kid and special talent. He is the type of player who people here tonight five years from now will see him play and say I was there (Highland).
“But the best thing about Patrick is that for as good a basketball player he is, he’s even a better person, very humble and just a great young man who wants to be the best and has the attitude and work ethic to get there.”
Baldwin added seven more points early in the third quarter when Hamilton (9-0) put the game away. Kansas State recruit Luke Kasubke led Chaminade with 15 points.
Baldwin wasn’t the only future NCAA Division I star to impress Saturday. Kentucky recruit Cam’Ron Fletcher of Vashon, DJ Steward of Chicago Whitney Young (Duke) and Caleb Love of CBC (North Carolina) also provided highlights for the capacity crowd.
Steward ties scoring record
Ranked among the top 30 players in the nation, Steward tied the Shootout record with 40 points, including the eventual game winner with under 30 seconds left as Whitney Young rallied for a 66-64 win over CBC in the finale of the day.
The Dolphins (9-6) trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half, but rallied behind Steward, who tallied 23 of his 40 points in the final two quarters.
“It feels good to come out and play well. Highland is a great environment and the crowd was just fantastic,” Steward said. “We have been in a lot of close games this year and I think that helped us come back tonight. We’re used to playing in games like these.”
Steward is the third player in shootout history to score 40 points. Javon Pickett of Belleville East scored 40 in the 2017 event while Josh Pruemer of Stewardson-Strasburg turned the feat in 2002.
Love led CBC (7-6) with 19 points while Larry Hughes Jr., added 16.
Vashon rallies past Simeon
Guard Phillip Russell ignited a near flawless third quarter with four of his seven 3-point field goals to help Vashon rally past Chicago Simeon in the first of two marquee games.
Vashon (8-3) trailed the perennial Illinois state title contenders 44-35, but used a 30-14 advantage in the third period to take the lead for good.
Russell led Vashon with 31 points while Fletcher added 26. Ahamad Bynum led Simeon (9-6) with 26 points.
Trinity point guard steps up
It was supposed to be a battle of two of the top centers in the state of Missouri as 7-foot centers Ryan Kalkbrenner of Trinity and 7-foot Davion Bradford of Mehville met in the first game of the evening session at Highland High School.
Trinity point guard Rashad Weekly had other ideas.
One of the smallest players on the floor, Weekly scored a game high 36 points as Trinity handed Mehlville a 77-67 setback.
Trinity (10-2) led only 35-34 at halftime before seizing command with a 20-13 third quarter advantage.
Bradford led Mehlville with 23 points and nine rebounds, while Kalkbrenner, a Creighton recruit, had seven points and 10 rebounds.
This story was originally published January 12, 2020 at 12:44 AM.
