Muddy River Showcase: Future of JWCC men’s basketball program to be on display

The inaugural Muddy River Showcase is taking place June 18 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The Illinois vs. Missouri format for senior prep basketball players will feature a girls game at 3 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 5 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door and all seating is general admission.

QUINCY — Brad Hoyt had no idea it would play out this way.

Last fall, well before the high school basketball season began and far in advance of Hoyt’s push to find players to join the John Wood Community College men’s basketball program, the subject of a summer all-star basketball showcase was broached.

Serving as both the JWCC athletic director and men’s basketball coach, Hoyt fully embraced the idea of bringing 40 of the top senior boys and girls from West-Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri to the Trail Blazers’ campus for a one-day bragging rights event.

“It was a no-brainer that we wanted involved,” Hoyt said.

At that time, his latest recruiting class remained a blank slate.

So thinking the Muddy River Showcase would be a dress rehearsal for what fans can expect next winter would have been premature.

That’s no longer the case.

Saturday’s all-star game, which takes place at 5 p.m. at JWCC’s Student Activity Center, will feature five players — three from Illinois, two from Missouri — who have signed with the Trail Blazers.

“This will be the first chance for many of our fans to see some of these guys on our floor,” Hoyt said. “That’s exciting for our campus community and our basketball program. We’re blessed these players wanted to be a part of our culture, and I think the fans who will be on our campus for the Showcase will be treated to something special.”

The players who have signed with JWCC are Quincy High School forward Jeremiah Talton, Liberty forward Logan Robbins, Southeastern guard Ramsey Fry and Monroe City guards Joshua and Josiah Talton.

Here’s what the Trail Blazers have coming:

• Jeremiah Talton led the Blue Devils to the program’s 24th Western Big 6 Conference championship and the first sectional championship in 22 years. The 6-foot-6 swingman was named the WB6 MVP and an Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 4A first-team all-stater. He averaged 18.5 points per game and finished his career with 1,487 points, the eighth most in QHS history. He also set the single-season and career 3-point records with 104 treys last winter and 229 total.

• Robbins became the Eagles’ defensive dynamo as they chased a Class 1A state championship. The 6-foot-5 forward shut down three consecutive all-staters in the postseason, holding them a combined 27 points below their season scoring averages. He blocked 92 shots, while averaging 10.1 points and 5.6 rebounds as Liberty finished second at the state tournament.

• Fry proved to be the ultimate team leader for the Suns last winter, guiding them to a 30-5 record and a berth in the Class 1A super-sectionals. The 6-foot guard led Southeastern to a 12-4 record during the absence of first-team all-stater and leading scorer Danny Stephens, shouldering more of the scoring and ballhandling roles. Named a third-team all-stater by the IBCA, Fry averaged nearly 15 points per game.

• Joshua Talton helped the Panthers to 101 victories, two state final four appearances and a 28-0 record in the Clarence Cannon Conference during his four-year varsity career. Named the Class 3 Co-Player of the Year by the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association, the 6-foot guard averaged 19 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.8 steals while finishing his career 1,603 career points.

• The playmaker to complement his twin brother’s scoring ability, Josiah Talton helped the Monroe City offense run smoothly. A second-team All-Clarence Cannon Conference selection, the 6-foot guard averaged 7.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.3 steals per game for a team that willingly and efficiently shared the basketball.