Bass Pro Tournament of Champions: Eric Bossi's Takeaways

RANKINGS: 2019 Rivals150 | 2020 Rivals150 | 2019 Team Rankings

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Bass Pro Tournament of Champions stands right at the summit of great high school basketball tournaments. Arizona State-bound Jaelen House and others made sure that the 6,000 or so fans in attendance were entertained from the opening tip to the final buzzer of a loaded four-game tilt.

MORE: The Evans Seven

... Jaelen House

Look, I've always appreciated the skill and scoring ability of the Arizona State-bound point guard. He can shoot, he has the ball on a string and he sees open teammates in transition and the halfcourt. But, I've always been of the opinion that he's mostly a scorer.

That's an undersell because House is also one of the most intense competitors on both ends of the floor that I have seen this winter. After Bass Pro and a few other events, I'm now seeing House as a junkyard dog who isn't the biggest floor general but backs down from nobody. He is an energy giver and his teammates feed off the energy of he and head coach Mike Bibby. House finished with 31 points, seven rebounds and three assists

A quick note on House's teammate, Jovan Blackshear. Like House, he's an intense competitor and tough on-the-ball defender who can go and create a bucket for himself or others off the dribble. He's a terrific get by Grand Canyon and projects to have a great career there.

... N'Faly Dante

I get it, it's hard to watch him and not be taken by Dante's combination of size, college-ready body and ability to protect the rim. He's one of the premier shot blockers in the country regardless of class, and he's capable of dominating a game through his presence and ability to control that glass.

Here's the thing, though, Dante is pretty skilled too. He showed off a nice little jump hook. He can make a free throw-area jumper and should be able to do some things in pick-and-pop situations. But watching him dissect double teams and make the right decision whether it be to pass or go strong to the rim, I could see a level of feel for playing in the post that has been underrated.

Kansas had an assistant on hand and Iowa State, Kentucky, LSU and Oregon are prominently mentioned with him. He didn't miss a shot from the field and led Bel Aire (Kans.) Sunrise Christian with 18 in a win over Seattle (Wash.) Rainier Beach.

... James Wiseman

At times, the discussion about the Memphis-bound big man has centered around how hard he plays and how bad he wants it. I've raised some of those questions. However, as I continue to evaluate him I'm realizing more that Wiseman plays plenty hard and that winning really matters to him. What's really starting to stand out are his poise and maturity.

By deciding to go play for Penny Hardaway at Memphis, Wiseman has helped to set an already rabid fanbase into a frenzy. He's the talk of the town, expectations are sky high and there is undoubtedly a lot of pressure on him to come up big in what will likely be his only season in college. If you are asking me, he is built to handle that pressure because of his maturity and poise. That he's big, can run, has great hands and continues to round out his impressive game don't hurt either. He had 21 points and 19 rebounds.

Another quick note about Memphis. Malcolm Dandridge doesn't generate the headlines that Wiseman does, but he's hugely important to what Hardaway is looking to build. The chiseled big man is going to be around for a bit, is happy to do the grunt work and if Memphis reaches an elite level, Dandridge will be a big part of the foundation. Dandridge didn't miss a shot in his 13-point, seven-rebound night.

MORE MEMPHIS: TigerSportsReport.com

... Sharife Cooper and Isaac Okoro

When we are talking about teenagers, we have to understand that they are going to be inconsistent and that their effort, focus and approach is going to vary at times. Especially when they totally overmatch an opponent.

The 2020 point guard, Cooper, and Auburn-bound senior Okoro along with their Powder Springs (Ga.) McEachern teammates don't suffer from any lapses in effort or intensity. It's really impressive to me when guys don't drop the level of their play or get caught up in clowning around for the cameras when they are blowing out a team the way they did Springfield (Mo.) Catholic.

Cooper was relentless to the rim, spearheaded their defensive pressure and scored 28 in just 17 minutes of action. Okoro is easily one of the toughest and most versatile defenders in the senior class. He's worked really hard to diversify his offensive game and that shows as well. He was good for 16 points and six rebounds in the same 17 minutes of time during McEachern's 75-42 win.

... E.J. Liddell

So, Phoenix (Ariz.) Shadow Mountain unleashed a plan dedicated to allowing anybody on Belleville (Ill.) West but Liddell beat them. They surrounded him with two and three players each and every time he touched the ball. They hacked and grabbed at times and Liddell was saddled with some questionable foul calls that really limited him.

That said, you can't convince me that he won't eventually be All-Big Ten at Ohio State. His inside/out combo forward game are a great fit for the current college game. He's tough, he can shoot and he's a flat-out ridiculous shot blocker for a kid his size. Shadow Mountain blew things open late, but Liddell never stopped competing during a 16-point, nine-rebound, seven-block night.

... Marjon Beauchamp

The five-star junior at Seattle (Wash.) Rainier Beach didn't end up with a huge statistical night (11 points, seven rebounds and two assists) against Bel Aire (Kans.) Sunrise Christian but he sure showed a lot of versatility.

He's a legit 6-foot-6 wing that is capable of serving as his team's primary ball handler and he's got a smooth ease about his game that I appreciate. He can get into the lane, is dangerous as a jump shooter and can be an athletic finisher. Sure he needs some strength and to be a little more consistent, but the skill level, size and athleticism all back up his five-star status.

Beauchamp officially visited Washington in the fall and said that Arizona, Oregon State and UCLA (once the Bruins sort out their coaching situation) are on his mind as places he's looking to visit.