810 VARSITY TIP OFF TEAM MVP - Marcus Denmon 17s
Jackson Graham, Lee’s Summit North 
6’5” 170
2025, Small Forward

Wowser! Saw him for the first time on Saturday night against KC Spurs (minus 2 of their top 3 players for the Spurs) … Where in the world did this kid come from? I saw them play twice this year. He was nailing trey balls o ball screens. Long and athletic. Decent mid range game. This team plays really hard, Graham was the longest with the most skills. If he works hard on his game, July could be a real coming out party for the North newcomer.

PJ Moore (Piper, 6’0” PG) was really solid running the show. Aiven Riley (Shawnee Mission Northwest, 6’3” SG) was really good shooting the ball deep. Tyler Holmes (Bishop Ward, 6’4” F) is very active on the glass. Devin Kerr (Piper 6’6” C 2024) can score down on the low block, a graduating unsigned senior. I like this group, but I REALLY like Graham’s upside. Marcus Denmon is a team to be reckoned with this Spring and Summer, 2024.

810 VARSITY TIP OFF TEAM MVP - Marcus Denmon 16s
Landon Van Pelt, Lee’s Summit
6’8” 270
2026, Center

Van Pelt looks like he could be an NFL tight end or o ensive tackle, sooner than later. He is a mountain of a young man! Sometimes, the game comes so easy to him, he doesn’t take it very seriously on the floor at times because he’s so good at it. However I’ve seen absolutely NOBODY that can consistently stop him down on the low block. And he’s an equal nemesis out on the trey line as a trailer in transition. He shoots it deep with every 3-man in Missouri in his class in the KC metro area. Really skilled, really big, and really talented.

Now D J Childs (Lee’s Summit West 6’4” PF) has his elevator shoes on ‘going up’ at every opportunity, playing above the rim. Blaine Marshall (Blue Springs South 6’1” CG) is a really athletic combo, plays really hard, good skills. Ontarius Emmot (Shawnee Heights, 6’3” SF) is really smart and steady and fundamental playmaker with maturity. Tre Paulding (Lee’s Summit North, 6’4” power forward) is a raw young power player in the paint. But if Van Pelt can end up at 6’10”, every mid to high D1 school in the country will be recruiting him, sooner than later, and he IS the MVP for Denmon 16s.

810 VARSITY TIP OFF TEAM MVP - Marcus Denmon 15s
Keenan Poulson, North Kansas City
5’9”
2028, Point Guard

So I always have a special place in my heart for kids that play up a grade during AAU. That shows me moxie and confidence. And Keenan’s just an 8th grader at Paseo MS and he’s averaging 15 ppg on the Denmon 15s, even more impressive. Momma played the game and had ACL surgeries on both knees. She teaches school, and she’s taught her son how to carry himself and how to communicate well with teammates as well as adults. He tells me his mom gets him to the gym every day to get up 500 shots a day. Ed Fritz will truly enjoy coaching this incoming freshman later on this Fall. If he grows to 6’2”, he has a chance to be special. Plays the game with a high basketball IQ. Really good skill set. Probably a JV lead guard next season, the sky is the limit afterwards. This team lost to the KC Spurs 15u team in the early afternoon. They play hard. Just missing a couple of pieces. Not the point guard. They have that one wrapped up solid.