Best Passers from the Reynolds League Finals
A great many of talented athletes was on hand at the Reynolds League Championship in Oklahoma City last weekend. Of the players I was able to watch, these were the players that were the best at moving the ball:
Kyle McAlester 2019 Wilburton (Tulsa Grape)
Kyle McAlester has a sixth sense for finding open players. He is developed in many other aspects of his game aside from passing. However; moving the ball may be his most dangerous skill. At only 5-foot-10, McAlester had some of the best court vision at the Reynolds League. He plays a heads-up style of basketball and is a true floor general.
Conner Calavan 2020 Fort Gibson (Tulsa Red)
Conner Calavan is a great facilitator and generates plays off the dribble. He has great vision and is good at making things happen for other players while he’s on the floor. Calavan is a very talented transition player and is able to find players down the floor in full stride.
Caden Hale 2020 Metro Christian (Tulsa freeway)
Caden Hale is very crafty and knows where and when to put the ball, and how to put it there at the right speed. He understand tempo very well and has great vision, like a quarterback knows what speed and trajectory to place a ball in a receiver’s hands. Almost all of his passes are no-look as well, which makes his passes all the more difficult to predict.
Israel Hart 2021 Midwest City (OKC Green)
Israel Hart has good court vision and can pass well while moving and in traffic. Hart is good at letting the game come to him and moving slower or faster to allow open passes to reveal themselves. He had especially good chemistry with the players on OKC Green, and he was able to find cutting wings often.
Bo Jackson 2020 Union (Tulsa Ballers)
Bo Jackson’s ability to score allows him to use his passing skills even more. Even if you can manage his ability to shoot and drive, you just open up the opportunity for him to use his vision, quick passes, and basketball IQ even more. At the Championship, he had a piece of the ball for a large portion of the Ballers’ scoring
Drew Brunson 2019 Tulsa Memorial (Tulsa Chargers)
The thing you may appreciate the most about Drew Brunson is his ability to do the basics very well. He is masterful with the pick-and-role. He is unselfish and appears to genuinely take pride in how he moves the ball. The adage, “if you have your eyes up, you’re going to see more,” is exactly what Brunson is best at.
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