Holiday Hoops: Helias boys look to close 2020 with three additional victories

Damon Johanns of Helias shoots a short jumper during a game earlier this month against Lift for Life Academy at Rackers Fieldhouse.
Damon Johanns of Helias shoots a short jumper during a game earlier this month against Lift for Life Academy at Rackers Fieldhouse.

The Helias Crusaders would like nothing more than to post an undefeated record in the month of December.

To do that, they would have to win three games in three days in the Joe Machens Great 8 Classic at Fleming Fieldhouse.

"To go 3-0 in this tournament would be a big accomplishment," Helias coach Joe Rothweiler said.

Helias (3-1) opens the tournament Monday against Blair Oaks, then faces Father Tolton on Tuesday and Jefferson City on Wednesday.

The Great 8 Classic has dropped from eight teams to four teams this season due to the coronavirus pandemic. This year marks the first time since 2012 the Crusaders won't open the tournament against an out-of-state team.

"I think it will be quite a bit different," Rothweiler said. "Not only are you taking away the out-of-state teams - which gives you a look at teams that you don't know very well - but you're also replacing that with pretty much three big rivalry games for us."

Like Helias, Blair Oaks (4-1) reached the Final Four last season. However, the Falcons pose a challenge in the paint, led by 6-foot-9 junior Luke Northweather.

"Northweather is one of the best players in the state," Rothweiler said. "The more and more I watch him, he gets better and better.

"This year, we're a little bit undersized, and it's going to be a good experience for us to see how we handle going up against a 6-9 kid."

It will happen the next day, too, when Helias faces Father Tolton's 6-8 junior, Jevon Porter. This will be the fourth time in seven years the Crusaders and the Trailblazers (3-0) face each other in the Classic.

"It's definitely an opponent we're very familiar with," Rothweiler said. "Usually we play them once or twice a year."

The Crusaders' last opponent sets up a rivalry matchup to conclude the Classic. Jefferson City (1-5) and Helias played in the third-place game last season, the first of their three meetings during the 2019-20 season.

"Records always go out the window when it's Jefferson City and Helias," Rothweiler said.

Desmond White is leading the Crusaders with 18.5 points per game. Malcolm Davis is also in double figures with 14.5 points per game, while Drew Schmidt has averaged 13.7 points in Helias' three wins.

Monday will be Helias' first game in 11 days.

"It's been nice to get some practices in," Rothweiler said. " Even though we were playing some pretty good basketball before this layoff, it's still nice to have those practice days to get some extra stuff in."

In addition to the Classic, Helias will also play in three-day tournaments at Springfield Catholic and Bolivar in January.

"We don't have very much depth this year," Rothweiler said. "We're playing six, maybe seven guys, so we'll get to see how we handle that."