Matt’s Friday Night Standouts
The Finale got underway on Friday night in Oklahoma City. Over 80 high school teams traveled to the “Sooner” state for a big weekend of hoops. In this article, the best players I saw on Friday night are featured.
Eric Geter 2021 Arkansas Ice Point Guard
Geter initiated the offense at the Point Guard spot for Arkansas Ice providing his team with scoring and crisp passing leading to easy scores. He plays with a great confidence and is a clear leader for his team.
Grant Patterson 2019 Arkansas Wings Elite Point Guard
Patterson is an old school Point Guard that brings his hard hat to the court every game. “Junkyard Dawg” is a great way to describe the toughness and witty plays he makes on both ends of the floor. Patterson took countless charges throughout the game, he lays everything out on the court. On offense, Patterson does a great job of making high basketball IQ plays.
Jett Sternberger 2019 Game Changer Hoops Point Guard
The will to want to win each and every night is awesome to watch from Sternberger. He brings it full tilt on both ends every game. Most notably known for his jumper, Sternberger shined bright by distributing the ball during this game. He is starting to attack the rim off the bounce with more confidence.
Connor Slater 2019 Game Changer Hoops Wing
Slater is the sleeping giant of the Oklahoma 2019 Class. He is going to be a small college gem. On Game Changer Hoops he plays more of a role player spot for them. However, he is starting to step up into the light showcasing all of what he brings to the court. The size on the Wing with his shooting, toughness, and sneaky athleticism makes him a diamond in the rough. In my eyes, his stock has risen over this Summer to the NCAA Division II level. Look for things to pick up for him in July.
Jarius Hicklen 2019 Crab5 Elite Wing
Hicklen is a certified score from the Wing. He plays with a nice change of pace when he has the ball in his hands and is able to create openings. The mid-range pull-up from Hicklen mixed with a nice hesitation dribble to the hoop caused trouble for the opponent. Hicklen is an under the radar kid out of Texas.
Drake Helms 2018 High Plains Storm Forward
Helms was one of the surprises of the opening night at The Finale. Although his team did not have their best night he shined brightly. At 6’5 he scored the ball at all three levels with some sneaky bounce. He can really stretch the floor as a four with a good jumper. Helms could be a good late find for a small college. It will also help that he has an above 20 ACT score.
Christian Williams 2019 Arkansas Team Will Point Guard
Williams is a sparky Point Guard that dominated at getting to the basket with his blazing speed. He finished well in traffic and also passed the ball well hitting open teammates in stride. Williams will make a nice small college player at the next level.
Kevin Wilson 2019 Oklahoma Impact Wing
Wilson did a little bit of everything on Friday night. What made him stand out the most was the way he attacked the basket with aggression. Throughout the night he drew many foul calls by taking it up strong and was able to convert at the foul line.
Rylan McDaniel 2019 Game Changer Hoops Point Guard
McDaniel puts constant pressure on the defense when he goes in attack mode to the basket. He has a way of dicing up the defense inside with great quickness and he is very shifty. At the small college level, McDaniel could be a nice Point Guard that can score it as well as run the show. An underrated part of his game is the handle he has of the rock.
Alijah Comithier 2019 Texas Tigers Wing
Comithier is a bouncy talented Wing/Forward tweener. He has the height to play as a four if the team needed him to but thrives as a 3 on the outside. The athleticism of Comithier translated to lots of rebounds giving his team second-chance opportunities. Comithier is one to keep an eye on this weekend.
Kael Kordonowy 2019 River City Hoops (KS) Post
Kordonowy is a long, lanky 6’8 Post with some potential. The physical strength he has with his height is in intriguing. It takes just a little of watching him on defense to see he could be a force adjusting and blocking shots. Kordonowy was also active on the boards. The motor he plays with is infectious to his teammates. He has a solid offensive low post game that with some work could really turn into something nice.
Trey Green 2019 Oklahoma Impact Wing
Green is quietly having one of the best Grassroots seasons of any Oklahoma prospect. When the ball was in his hands on Friday night he made play after play after play. He can get to the hoop with a solid handle and deceptive speed. At the same time, he can knock down jumper shots at a consistent rate from mid and three-point range.
Justus Cooper 2020 Arkansas Wings Post
Cooper dominated on Friday night scoring 26 points and adding 10 rebounds to anchor a double-double. The 2020 big man was a man on a mission. He attacked the basket inside strong and played with high energy.
Shemar Smith 2019 Team Griffin Forward
Smith is an athletic freak that is set for a huge July. What impressed the most on Friday night about Smith was his jumper. The improvement he has shown in being able to shoot the corner three-point shot at a high clip is remarkable. Smith will have the opportunity to garner NCAA Division I Low Major looks this month. He already holds several NCAA Division II offers.
For more information email Matt@prephoops.com