Kachelries, Rasas collect First Team honors

PARK HILLS – One player who transferred from a NCAA Division I program and another with active offers at that level headline the latest postseason honors for Mineral Area men’s basketball.

Sophomore guard David Kachelries and freshman center Yahuza Rasas have landed First Team selections for Region 16 and the MCCAC as announced over the weekend.

Sophomore forward Steve Wooten notched a pair of Second Team nods for the Cardinals, who finished the season 23-9 despite losing multiple starters from their original roster.

Kachelries shot a tremendous 57 percent from the field as a selective attacker, and averaged 12.9 points while going 77 percent from the line.

His most noticeable role was that of a distributor. The Emmaus, Pa. native and former NJIT player dished out 6.8 assists per contest, including seven outings with double figures.

Kachelries posted 14 assists against Olive-Harvey plus 13 in a region home victory over MSU-West Plains, and netted a season-best 26 points in a tournament win over State Fair last week.

Rasas joined Mineral Area as a product of St. Mary’s High School in St. Louis, and challenged defenses with his 6-foot-7 frame and ability to score from the post or perimeter while also serving as a key shot blocker.

He shot 63 percent from the field and a team-leading 47 percent from 3-point range while averaging 15.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

Two of his more impressive performances resulted in 33 points and 17 rebounds against Lincoln Land, and 30 points with 16 rebounds against Olive-Harvey.

Wooten capitalized on increased minutes throughout February when the Cardinals were often forced to compete with seven or eight available players.

The Northeast (Neb.) transfer from Madison, Wis. battled through an ailing shin to score a season-high 34 points in defeat against Three Rivers, and tallied 32 in an overtime loss at West Plains.

Wooten produced 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds on average, and secured at least seven rebounds in each of his last seven games. He had a season-high 15 rebounds against Lincoln Land in January.

The Cardinals ended their campaign with a Region 16 semifinal loss to top-seeded Moberly on Thursday, and will have at least four starters to replace next winter.