There’s really no time to settle in if you’re among the 18s clubs participating in the opening weekend of qualifying. There’s been limited action leading up to the start of the bid chase and now suddenly it’s time to attempt to qualify. Just about anything can happen because of it. Below, we dive into the KC MLK Tournament taking place Jan. 13-15 in Kansas City.

KANSAS CITY MLK 18s

Number of Teams: 22

Number of Bids: 3

Previously-Qualified Teams: n/a

vballrecruiter.com Nationally-Ranked Clubs (9):

10. KC Power 18 Black KS
12. Rockwood Thunder 18 Elite MO
14. Pohaku 18-1 KS
16. Premier Nebraska 18 Gold NE
19. A5 18 Marc GA
24. Academy 18E Rage IN
42. VCNebraska 18 Elite NE
47. Co Jrs 18 Sherri CO
48. MAVS KC 18-1 KS

vballrecruiter.com 5-star Players to Watch:

Lauren Medeck OH Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (South Dakota)
Faith Frame L/DS Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (Cincinnati)
Lauren Harden OH Academy 18 Rage (Florida)
Hannah Benjamin OH A5 18 Marc (Kentucky)

vballrecruiter.com 4-star Players to Watch:

Malayah Long S VCNebraska 18 Elite (Marquette)
Paisley Douglas L/DS VCNebraska 18 Elite (USC)
Payton Petersen OH Six Pack 18 (Louisville)
Heidi Devers L/DS Dynasty 18 Black (Kansas)
Mia Tvrdy MB Premier Nebraska 18 Gold (Oregon)
Janelle Green S KC Power 18 Black (Cincinnati)

Outlook: You can toss out trickle down. There’s only one method to qualify this coming weekend and that is to finish in the top three. Of the 22 teams competing, nine start off the season ranked in vballrecruiter.com’s Top 50. It might not be the biggest field but it’s a strong one highlighted by KC Power, which comes in ranked the highest at No. 10 and starts off as the No. 2 overall seed. The strength of competition should make for a fierce three days of action. While KC Power is among the top bid contenders, it’s really wide open. Rockwood Thunder, Pohaku, Premier Nebraska, A5 and Academy are all capable of earning bids. Same goes for the remaining three ranked teams in Co Jrs, VCNebraska and MAVS. It really wouldn’t surprising to see any combination when it comes to which three teams walk away with bids.

Prediction: It’s a really difficult call to make but it must be done. The pick to win it all is Rockwood Thunder, which will beat KC Power in the final. Premier Nebraska will be the third team returning home with a bid.