Top Players & ‘And-1’ — OPS
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The high school hoop season has started and teams, along with players, are still figuring out who they are. Most have had at least a couple players start to emerge as the top options on their teams. We will offer…
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Continue ReadingThe high school hoop season has started and teams, along with players, are still figuring out who they are. Most have had at least a couple players start to emerge as the top options on their teams. We will offer insight into who has emerged for each OPS team as their “And 1” bonus player to their bucket (top player)!
Benson
The Bucket: Antone McNair Antone McNair 6'2" | SG Omaha Benson | 2022 State NE | SG/SF | 6’0″ 150lbs | Sr | 21.3 Pts | 4 Reb |1.5 Steals | 35% FG
And 1: Cortez Gonzalaus | SF/PF | 6’4″ 185lbs | Sr | 13.8 Pts | 4 Reb | 1.5 Assists | 44% FG
Cortez has good dribble, drive game. He has a series of shot fakes that gets his opponents off their feet and can use either hand to penetrate. He has a decent midrange jumper and can slip under bigs to grab rebounds. He provides a nice lift to Benson to help take some pressure off Antone.
https://www.hudl.com/profile/12822629/Cortez-Gonzalaus
Bryan
The Bucket: Lam Kuang | SF/PF | 6’7″ 215lbs | Sr | 17.8 Pts | 6.3 Reb | 1 Block | 42% FG
And 1: Mat Tut Mat Tut 6'5" | C Omaha Bryan | 2023 State NE | SF | 6’5″ 185lbs | Jr | 7.8 Pts | 3.5 Reb | 1.5 Steals | 46% FG
Mat has shown to be a good compliment on the inside to Lam. He is long and athletic. He has a decent post game and can make shots from mid range. Mat will look to take the reigns from Lam and keep building momentum in this season and for next.
https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/mat-tut/Prw9YAM_l0CcKSQB5fGXyg/default.htm
Burke
The Bucket: Dakari Davis | PG/SG | 5’8″ 160lbs | Jr | 17.5 Pts | 6.5 Reb | 2.5 Assists | 1.5 Steals | 46% FG
And 1: Bryton Nelson | G | 6’2″ 170LBS | Jr | 13.8 Pts | 2 Reb | 1.5 Assists | 4.8 Steals | 43% FG
Bryton brings quick hands and a lot of energy. His on ball defense has been spectacular and he is a shifty guard who can pull up from anywhere on the court. With Bryton and Dakari both being Juniors, Burke could look to challenge a lot of good teams these next couple seasons.
https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/bryton-nelson/DrtL2v_7yESm7O_ytNuX1w/videos.htm
Central
The Bucket: Jayden Dawson Jayden Dawson 6'4" | CG Omaha Central | 2022 State NE | PG/SG | 6’4″ 180lbs | Sr | 22.3 Pts | 7.3 Reb | 1.7 Assists | 2.0 Steals | 59% FG
And 1: PJ Davis PJ Davis 6'2" | SG Omaha Central | 2022 State NE | SG/SF | 6’3″ 185lbs | Sr | 12.3 Pts | 3.3 Reb | 1.7 Steals | 35% FG
Jay and PJ make up one of the most dangerous backcourts in the state. PJ is an excellent three point shooter and above average defender. PJ is the type of player who can heat up and make teams pay. Look for PJ to improve the stats above as his season continues.
https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/pj-davis/I7er2_PwEeiAxKkkK9HIDg/default.htm
North
The Bucket: Mason Strong Mason Strong 5'11" | PG Omaha North | 2022 State NE | G | 5’10″ 155lbs | Sr | 20.4 Pts | 3.6 Reb | 2.8 Assists | 2.2 Steals | 50% FG
And 1: Daleron Thomas Daleron Thomas 6'0" | CG Omaha Central | 2024 State NE | G | 6’0″ 155LBS | So | 9.6 Pts | 4.6 Reb | 2.2 Assists | 1.6 Steals | 48% FG
Daleron has a terrific offensive package. He can penetrate, score from angles under the basket and shoot the 3 ball. He has gotten more confident and as that confidence grows, this North backcourt could cause problems for the other teams in the state. Daleron will be one to watch as he is only a sophomore, whos offensive game could really burst onto the scene in the coming years!
https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/daleron-thomas/dtd1xzMdEeuAzqREozo6lw/default.htm
Northwest
The Bucket: Mekhi Marks Mekhi Marks 6'2" | SF Omaha Northwest | 2023 State NE | PG/SG/SF | 6’2″ 170lbs | Jr | 12.5 Pts | 3.8 Reb | 1.8 Steals | 38% FG
And 1: Maison Johnson Maison Johnson 6'2" | SG Omaha Northwest | 2022 State NE | SG/SF | 6’2″ 172lbs | Sr | 8.8 Pts | 7.5 Reb | 1.5 Steals | 1.3 Blocks | 35% FG
Maison has great length and has proven to be a great defender. He does a great job making himself big on the blocks to grab rebounds and get easy buckets. Northwest has not had much success in the win category but Maison plays his tail off on the court and leads by example. Hopefully that can translate to some wins for Northwest in the future.
https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/maison-johnson/pJNU0Q1aEeqAzqREozo6lw/default.htm
South
The Bucket: Rickey Loftin Rickey Loftin 6'0" | SG Westside | 2024 State NE | PG/SG | 6’0″ 160lbs | So | 12.8 Pts | 3.5 Reb | 4.5 Assists | 2.3 Steals | 59% FG
And 1: Jacob Martin Jacob Martin 6'0" | PG Millard North | 2023 State NE | PG/SG | 6’2″ 168lbs | Jr | 13.3 Pts | 1.5 Assists | 2.5 Steals | 53% FG
You could easily say Jacob is the bucket since he is averaging more points but Rickey got off to a slow start but is averaging 21 Pts per game his last two starts. Jacob has a solid offensive skillset. He can take you off the dribble to get to the rim, pull up at mid range or shoot from long range. His long arms do not make him easy to defend and keep others in check on the defensive end. Jacob and Rickey will be a fun duo to watch the next couple years.