Recruiting Report: Oakley Baker (2017)
Oakley Baker is coming off a winter where he led New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva (NRHEG) to 18 wins playing many roles including lead guard, lead playmaker, and top rebounder. The 6-foot-5 Baker is a guard who obviously has versatile ability which led…
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Continue ReadingOakley Baker is coming off a winter where he led New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva (NRHEG) to 18 wins playing many roles including lead guard, lead playmaker, and top rebounder.
The 6-foot-5 Baker is a guard who obviously has versatile ability which led to him averaging 21.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game over the winter. Now Baker is playing several roles for the third ranked Minnesota Fury Zurn squad.
“I feel that, as a team, we have been playing very well but still have some steps to take to reach our full potential,” Oakley told NHR. “We want to get ready for the State Tournament and be able to keep building and growing as a team.
“Individually, I feel I have been playing very well, and want to focus on becoming stronger and more agile. The group of guys we have work extremely hard and are great to be around.”
Baker’s time at lead guard this past winter has helped him in many ways as a long win prospect.
“I want to be able to take guys off the dribble and become even more of a threat on offense,” Baker explained. “My defense and also the ability to handle the ball against pressure has really improved. On my high school team, I am relied on more to bring the ball up the court, so that has helped me get better.”
With that versatility and size at guard Oakely has several college programs calling with interest.
“I’ve heard from Sioux Falls, Southwest Minnesota State, UM-Crookston, Briar Cliff, Viterbo, St. Johns, St. Thomas, and St. Olaf this spring,” Oakley said.
“Bemidji State also contacted Coach Zurn and said they would like me to come to their camp this summer. As of right now, I plan to major in the finance/business area.”
Baker is entering his final summer of high school basketball and there are goals he has, things he wants to do, and several plans.
“I want to just continue to improve all aspects of my game and to improve my athleticism. Also, I want to be able to compete at a high level at our final tournaments in Kansas City, Sioux Falls, and Las Vegas.”