Top Prospects from the Class A State Tournament
The smaller classes in Oklahoma do not produce a ton of college prospects each year number wise, but always have several hidden gems who make an impact at the college level. This year there were several prospects who caught our…
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Continue ReadingThe smaller classes in Oklahoma do not produce a ton of college prospects each year number wise, but always have several hidden gems who make an impact at the college level. This year there were several prospects who caught our eye as potential college basketball players at the small college level. We begin with the seniors who will have an opportunity to play at the next level and finish with young guys who left great impressions for years to come.
Kellen Hines 2019 Fort Cobb-Broxton Guard (Signed SWOSU)
All tournament long Hines was tremendous for his team. The 35 point performance he posted against Garber was very impressive especially considering Hines saw even triple teams thrown at him for the final three quarters. The end result was not what Hines wanted, but three state titles is nothing to be ashamed of whatsoever. Hines is going to fit in well at the NCAA Division II level with his knack for scoring the basketball at all three levels. You get a player that knows how to beat his defender off the bounce with deceptive quickness and change of pace. The benefit of Hines having a consistent jumper from mid and three-point range makes him so valuable in today’s game. The biggest area Hines will need to improve to get big minutes early will be on the defensive end.
Cason Mclemore 2019 Cyril Guard
Mclemore led his team to win the Gold Ball knocking off the Fort Cobb-Broxton dynasty. When the lights were the brightest, Mclemore came up clutch leading the way in the state championship game. When diving into where Mclemore fits at the college level he is best suited at the NAIA level in the KCAC. The pace of play he plays with being able to score the ball effectively with his jumper will be key to his college success. In college, Mclemore will need to improve his ability to drive the basketball to the hoop against better athletes. The thing Mclemore has over the majority of guys in high school is leadership and the will to win.
Dante Lightfoot 2019 Frontier Point Guard
Lightfoot did not have his best showing in the last game of his high school career. However, you can certainly not discount his value to Frontier and going forward to his college career. Due to his ability to share the ball with good court vision and feel for the game, Lightfoot should get a shot at an NAIA or JUCO program. In the right system, Lightfoot could develop into a strong role piece providing stability as a player who does not need to score to add value to the team.
Braiden Clark 2019 Glencoe Forward
Clark is the most under the radar kid in Class A in my opinion. The length he has as a stretch four man is super valuable at the college level. He will give a small college program rebounding, toughness, shooting from both mid-range and three-point land. Not to mention this kid is a winner and will be great for the locker room. This kid could play at any small college level it depends on the system as to what level of success he will have of course. I left the state tournament thinking that kid should get a shot somewhere.
Kaleb Carpenter 2019 Glencoe Wing
Carpenter is a high volume shooter from the outside that always has the green light to shoot with his parking lot range. The defense of Carpenter will be the biggest thing holding him back in college. One of the benefits is the young man has been in the fire so many times in close game situations and knows how to come through and hit big shots down the stretch. He fits at the NAIA level.
Cale Lazenby 2019 Glencoe Guard
The ball was in the hands of Lazenby a lot over his senior season at Glencoe. The big positives he brings to the floor are being a playmaker, shooting from the perimeter, and his leadership. As a high volume shooter in high school, Lazenby will have to adjust early on in high school to a lesser role, which can be tough on primary scorers. However, Lazenby has great council within his family that should help with the transition to the college game. If there is one thing we know about the Lazenby name they work hard and are winners. The college program that gets him will get a guy hungry to help his team win.
Underclassmen Watchlist
Tyson Eastwood 2021 Fort Cobb-Broxton Guard
Eastwood battled a bum ankle throughout the weekend but still was super productive. The mid-range jumper of Eastwood is a lethal weapon. Next year Eastwood will have to transition to being the guy every opponent keys upon with Kellen Hines graduating.
Jakobie Kaesemeyer 2020 Cyril Point Guard
Coming into the weekend Kaesemeyer was an unknown to Prep Hoops, but he made sure we were well aware of his talents. The scoring skills of Kaesemeyer make him a prospect to keep an eye on as he can get to the basket quickly or pull up from distance and hit the bottom of the net. He will have a lot of the scoring load on his back for years to come at Cyril.
TJ Bennett 2021 Garber Point Guard
Bennett is a polished Point Guard for being a sophomore. In the 2021 class, he is the guy I point to having an opportunity to be a legit NCAA Division II level guy. The high basketball IQ plays he makes along with his shooting stroke are what instantly stick out. He is a big-time playmaker for Garber. For Bennett to take that next step he will have to prove he can score on elite defenders this spring and summer.
Taye Sullivan 2022 Garber Wing
Sullivan has a bright future on the Wing. It does not take long to see he does things on the court most freshmen simply cannot do yet. The leadership he showed at such as young age stepping up in key moments against the four-time defending champions was very impressive. Sullivan has a nice jumper and was big on the boards as well. Ball handling and quickness are the two areas he will need to improve upon to take his game to another level.
Ty Chester 2022 Garber Forward
Chester was a pleasant surprise this weekend in the paint. The footwork he brings to the paint allowed him to have success down low. He is one of those players you hope he continues to grow because he fights hard in the paint for rebounds and has a lot of the qualities of a good big man. Height will be the biggest question about Chester when projecting him to the college level.
Ryan Hart 2022 Cyril Guard
Cyril does not win the state championship this weekend without the shooting from Hart. He was a deadeye from behind the arc. Over his high school career Hart will need to continue to develop the rest of his game but is certainly a dangerous shooter you do not want to lose track of.
Brandon Warrior 2020 Frontier Guard
In a lopsided first-round loss, Warrior was the guy who would not go quietly into the night. In the opening half, he was excellent from behind the arc. Shooting is a key component of the game today. With that said he will need to improve on defense and handling the basketball better to make a college roster.
Kyler Denton 2021 Fort Cobb-Broxton Wing
Denton stepped up big for Fort Cobb-Broxton shooting the ball well from behind the arc. The last shot in the championship game did not fall, but Denton has nothing to hold his head about considering his team would have never been in the situation if it was not for his breakout performance from behind the arc earlier in the game. Denton is an intriguing prospect to watch moving forward because of his size and shooting skills.
For more information email Matt@prephoops.com