Craig Wind scouts and delivers a breakdown of Kansas City area teams and players to 810 Varsity through the upcoming season. Wind is the owner-author-founder of Midwest Basketball Recruting Intel, an NCAA-certified recruiting service. Winds sends his reports to 270+ D1 college coaches around the USA on a weekly basis about players who will play basketball at all collegiate levels.

Follow Wind on his Twitter account @MBRIwindo

The Wildcats won the Patterson Division of the Jewell Classic (Dec 27-30), trouncing Oak Park (72-45), escaping Kearney (62-59, OT) and rolling Raytown (51-39). Blue Springs is now 5-2 for the year, and in the top 10 in the 810 Varsity Top 25.

Wind’s analysis on team:

“This is a really talented team, perhaps the most talented in the Jewell Classic, especially the starting five.”

KYLE BRUCE (JR) 5’7”

• Not very big, but dynamite comes in small packages.
• Pretty quick and he shoots it deep better than what I saw coming

XAVIER LOYD (SR)  6’3”

• Long and lanky slasher
• Ability to get the ball to the rim and make plays

MICHAEL HARRISON (JR) 6’3” 

• Really handled it well and almost plays a pure PG role with this team. 
• Long and talented
• If he can continue to not turn it over, probably the glue guy and key in winning championships in March

BRADEN APPELHANS (JR) 6’7” 

• May grow some more and just coming into his game, much improved from 2019. 
• As his shooting mechanics improve, his game will ascend as he is at the least a low-mid D1 player and perhaps mid-high in time. 
• LH with range and nice bounce at the rim for a big guard-small forward. 
• I love his upside! Loves the game. Great character

IKE EZEOGU (JR) 6’6” 

• More perimeter oriented during the AAU season, more post ups now playing HS, you gotta do what your team needs. 
• Could have a big time body when it’s all said and done. 
• I’m thinking low-mid D1 at least, as his range increases shooting it out on the floor and he gets more aggressive scoring the basketball in the paint, mid-high D1s may well get involved

ELI WINGERT (SR) 6’9” 

• Good hands and decent overall skills
• Likes to face up and shoot it some with range
• As Eli sells out to the weight room and continues to put on muscle mass, he will get more aggressive and productive and move up the ladder in the eyes of college coaches