Reynolds League Week 1 Standouts
The Reynolds Fall League is underway in Oklahoma City at the HIVE. The Fall League features 28 Ranked players in the state of Oklahoma with many more talented prospects who will be moving into the rankings soon. They Reynolds League was created to give basketball only athletes an opportunity to continue to work on their game against good talent in September. The Reynolds League kicked off with tons of talent on display.
Player of the Week: JJ White 2021 Norman North Guard (Team Tarheels)
White was unstoppable on Tuesday night. He dropped 33 points on just 18 shots from the floor. The smooth scoring machine is a great way to describe the game of White. As you see him pull up for a shot White has supreme confidence the shot is going to find the bottom of the net. He scored off the dribble and by moving without the ball to get open. What adds to his scoring skills is the fact he can score driving the basketball to the rim, from mid-range, and from behind the arc. White is going to have a huge junior season at Norman North. I expect he will begin to receive NCAA D1 interest before long.
Bijan Cortes 2021 Kingfisher Guard (Team Tarheels)
Cortes delivered the dunk of the night showing his ability to rise with the best of them. The talented Point Guard out of Kingfisher has a style of play similar to Ricky Rubio. The passing skills for Cortes are off the charts as he can find a guy down the court and pinpoint a pass perfectly. As you can see in the highlight Cortes is easily one of the best finishers in the state of Oklahoma. When rises through the air it is almost as if he floats through the air until he finds the perfect time to put the basketball in the hoop. Cortes pulled in an offer from TCU this week to add to his list of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Tulsa, North Texas, and Oral Roberts.
Matthew Stone 2021 Kingfisher Guard (Team Tarheels)
Stone is an absolute scorer from the Wing. He did a great job of taking smart shots from the perimeter cashing in on most of them. I also enjoyed his improvement at driving the ball with confidence to the rack. Over the last year, Stone has developed into a much better overall scorer. It is easy to see why he is starting to get more NCAA D1 interest. Oklahoma State and Tulsa have already extended offers to Stone.
Kayden Carter 2021 Norman North Forward (Team Tarheels)
Carter did a lot of the dirty work for Team Tarheels snatching down many rebounds inside. It is clear he has taken another step in his game becoming a guy you can depend on to be physical and a force inside. Carter is a prospect to keep an eye on to see how he develops over the next year. Without a doubt, he is a college basketball player at some level.
Sean Pedulla 2021 Edmond Memorial Point Guard (Shockers)
Pedulla went to work finishing with 20 points on the night for the Shockers squad. What was interesting to see is how Pedulla navigated not shooting the ball particularly well early. For many players their night would be dashed however Pedulla found other ways to be effective. Getting to the basket and finishing inside is what proved to get Pedulla going. In the second half, he started to find the bottom of the net nailing a pair of key three-pointers down the stretch. Pedulla has proven he is a legitimate NCAA Division I prospect and continues to validate it each time out on the court.
Nathan Jerel 2020 Elk City Wing (Shockers)
It was fitting for Jerel to be on the Shockers team in the Reynolds League. On opening night Jerel went to work scoring 19 points on just nine shots. Jerel had great success shooting the basketball from mid-range. The Shockers worked it to him at the high post and Jerel gave the defense fits. What also adds to Jerel as a player is an ability he has to finish inside despite traffic. Jerel competes his butt off and will without a doubt be a great sleeper pick up for a small college in the Oklahoma 2020 Class. He did not play much AAU basketball otherwise many colleges would already know his name.
Evan Sadler 2020 Metro Christian Wing (Shockers)
Very similar to Jerel, Evan Sadler was also a big surprise to some on opening night for the Shockers. Sadler had some of his own teammates who had never played with him before looking at him like man, you can ball. He finished with 16 points on eight shots for the night. Sadler was also a force on the glass both offensively and defensively. Small colleges make sure you get a close look at Sadler who is every bit of 6’5 and can play on the Wing or in the Post.
Cameron Burns 2020 Bethany Wing (Shockers)
Burns did so many positive things on the floor for the Shockers. He made a ton of hustle plays to keep plays alive or coming up big defensively. Burns was a beast on the offensive glass specifically grabbing rebounds and finishing inside for second-chance points.
Luke Seals 2020 Ponca City Forward (Team Elite)
Seals is an impressive 6’7 Forward that clearly not enough colleges have seen play just yet. The power he plays with inside helps him to snatch up rebounds or throw down thunderous slam dunks. Seals was a force all night long for Team Elite in the paint. He moves extremely well on the court for his size.
Gunnar Gordon 2022 Pawnee Guard (Team Elite)
Can you say shooter alert? No really. Gordan was on fire on Tuesday night netting five three-pointers. He finished with 21 points showing he can drive the ball to the hoop as well. When you look at his physical stature he does not jump out at you but do not judge this book by its cover.
Taye Sullivan 2022 Garber Forward (Team Elite)
Sullivan is in the process of becoming more a Wing player. He got going in the second half netting three three-pointers to extend Team Elite’s lead. Sullivan is a 2022 prospect small colleges will want to take a look at out of Garber. Depending on how much he develops and his body changes he could be a guy that skyrockets up the 2022 Class before it is all said and done.
Damian Kline 2020 Southmoore Guard (Team More)
Kline impressed me with all of the intangibles he brings to the floor. For Team More Kline was able to impact the game on defense sticking with his man, poking the ball away for a steal, or grabbing loose rebounds. Despite his lack of size, Kline finds ways to be impactful.
Sam Godwin 2020 Southmoore Forward (Team More)
It is pretty evident Godwin has taken his stock on the court to new heights. For many different reasons, Godwin is getting lots of NCAA Division I interest. The size of Godwin at 6’9, plus his constant hustle, rebounding skills, ability to score inside, and that he can stretch the floor with his jumper are just a few of the reasons. Godwin is being recruited by several NCAA Division I schools including North Texas, Southern Illinois, Wofford, Army, and he has a visit to Tulsa soon. Big things are ahead for Godwin.
Kalub Hunt 2020 Newcastle Wing (Team NC)
Hunt was nearly the Player of the Week in the Reynolds League after the show he put on Tuesday night. Ending the game with 29 points, Hunt was a scoring machine. He got hot from behind the arc early and never cooled off. More impressive than all the points he scored Hunt led Team NC on an epic comeback over Team More in the second half. Despite trailing by double digits at times in the game Hunt never let Team NC quit. NCAA Division II and JUCO colleges should give Hunt a look.