Thanksgiving HoopFest Report
The Prep Hoops Network was in Dallas this weekend for the Thanksgiving HoopFest, which featured some of the best teams in Texas as well as two of the top Oklahoma squads. Prep Hoops has a complete breakdown of what you should know!
Booker T. Washington
The Hornets went 2-0 making it look easy against their opponents at times. Their opening game against Kimball finished 65-54. The second contest for the Hornets against Lamar was a lopsided one, 97-63. It is very clear Booker T. Washington is going to be a force in the east in Class 6A. The biggest question surrounding Booker T. Washington is will they have depth step up behind their starting five? That question is still left to be answered with plenty of time for the Hornets to find their man.
Trey Phipps 2020 Booker T. Washington Point Guard
Phipps led the way for Booker T. Washington with fellow splash brother Bryce Thompson. We were very impressed with the improvement Phipps has made over the past year in handling the basketball. He diced up the defense showing he is much more than just a shooter. The just a shooter label has been on Phipps for most of his career but it is time to take it off. Phipps, had some saying how did Tulsa land this kid? The Golden Hurricane might have snagged the steal of the Oklahoma 2020 Class early. Phipps is going to be tough to stop from scoring all year long. Another thing most do not bring up about Phipps is the competitiveness he brings every game.
Bryce Thompson 2020 Booker T. Washington Wing
Thompson had a slow start to the Thanksgiving HoopFest in Dallas on Friday. Every opponent was well aware of who Thompson was making sure to get a hand in his face at all times. Despite being guarded heavily Thompson still made his mark. Once he found his stride Thompson was tough to slow down. He thrived in catch and shoot situations. Thompson and Phipps are going to be one of the toughest duos to slow down. Thompson is being recruited by several high major NCAA Division I programs.
Jalen Breath 2020 Booker T. Washington Post
Breath is the new addition to the Booker T. Washington in the paint. Coming over from Westmoore where he was the centerpiece, Breath is adjusting to his new role with the Hornets well. You can see he is still raw at times. However, once Breath gets a better feel for the game and the light bulb clicks lookout. He has major potential to be an athlete that really rises due to his height, length, and talent. Breath did a nice job of taking advantage of his opportunities to score around the basket. He is a guy NCAA Division schools should take strong note of this season.
Seth Hurd 2020 Booker T. Washington Forward
Hurd was the cleanup guy for Booker T. Washington as he has been throughout his career. The glass is where he showed up big for the Hornets. Around the basket, Hurd battled tough scoring his fair share on open looks. Hurd could see his recruitment uptick in as the season goes along.
Putnam City West
Oklahoma has been put on notice, Putnam City West is here and ready to win a State Championship. Lenny Bert has his squad prepared to give opponents trouble with tough defense and stout guard play. This squad is loaded with Guards. The Patriots went 2-0 with wins over Justin Northwest 69-68 and Trinity 78-68. Justin Northwest was rated the #1 team in Texas in Class 5A.
Rondel Walker 2020 Putnam City West Point Guard
When Walker is healthy it is very clear he is in the running to be the best player in the state of Oklahoma. After suffering an injury in the summer Walker was a man on a mission this weekend to make sure the state of Texas knew he had some game. Walker has a great feel for the game at the Point. He shot it well off the dribble this weekend. When he is finding the bottom of the net with his jumper Walker becomes very tough to defend. Defense is an area where Walker separates himself from the pack. The non-stop intensity Walker brings embodies what Coach Bert preaches to his guys. The length of Walker allowed him to give opponents trouble on defense. Walker dropped an effortless 42 points to cap off his tremendous start to the 2018-2019 campaign on Saturday. Texas A&M was impressed enough to extend an offer to Walker.
Trentez Scales 2020 Putnam City West Guard
Scales is a newcomer at Putnam City West to keep a close eye on over this season. He provided the Patriots this weekend with scoring and defense. Scales shot the ball well in spot-up situations scoring a game-high 26 points in the opening contest for Putnam City West. Scales plays extremely hard on defense putting great pressure on opposing Guards. Scales will be a fun player to continue to scout over this year.
Jaylen Rainey 2019 Putnam City West Guard
Rainey is a super bouncy Guard that gives Putnam City West versatility on both ends of the floor. The athleticism of Rainey is off the charts helping him to rebound the ball well down low. On a squad lacking size, Rainey is going to be a big key. He had one of the best blocks of the event pinning a shot against the backboard. Rainey is the guy that will fly under the radar doing a lot of the dirty work for the Patriots.
MJ Warrior 2020 Putnam City West Point Guard
Warrior is the Robin to Walker at the Guard spot. He played off of Walker this weekend well stepping up in the spots when Putnam City West needed him to do different things. Warrior is going to be a guy that comes up big several times throughout the year because of his ability to do some many things from scoring, creating, defense, or whatever the situation calls for at the moment. Look for a huge jump in his game as he will get some big opportunities to grow this year with great minutes for Putnam City West.
For more information email Matt@prephoops.com