Matt’s Hot Oklahoma Takes From LA
Prep Hoops Oklahoma was in the house in Los Angeles this weekend for the Under Armour and Nike Circuit. Get a look at some quick takes from this past weekend.
Tauriawn Knight has breakout weekend
It has become evident, Tauriawn Knight at the Point Guard spot is the most under the radar player right now in the Oklahoma 2018 Class. He dominated the final two games of the Under Armour Circuit in LA. He shot the ball over 65% both games scoring 22 and 19. Knight gets going driving to the rim with his quickness and good handle. He shot the ball well from three-point range in his scoring outbursts as well. Knight knows his strengths and plays to them, which is another thing that adds to his value as a player. With good on ball defense, Knight is turning into a prospect Low to Mid Major Division I programs should keep close tabs on this summer.
Keyshawn Embery shoots the three well
Embery found his shooting touch from distance this weekend shooting near 50% from behind the arc for the weekend. He has not shot it well for the spring, but turned it around with a strong showing in LA. The performances in Los Angeles set Embery up for a great summer. Coaches will be watching Embery closely throughout the three live periods in July. He already holds several High Major Division I offers from the likes of Nebraska, Purdue, Houston and Creighton.
Jaycson Bereal shows athleticism and consistency
Bereal brought great athleticism to the floor each game this weekend. He put on a show including one of the best dunks of the weekend. When Bereal gets the ball out in transition he is at his best. Several Mid Major Division I programs are starting to show great interest in him. Bereal was consistent for most of the weekend minus the final game on Sunday. At 6’7 as a 3/4 with great athleticism, Bereal will draw a lot of attention from Mid to Low Major Division I schools this summer.
Dayten Holman bursts onto the national scene
This weekend Holman brought his A-game to LA on the Nike Circuit. He was nothing short of dominant all weekend long leading the Team Griffin 15U at the Point Guard spot. The height and length of Holman at 6’5 allows him to see over defenders and get the ball to his teammates in the best spots. Holman was top 5 in assists and rebounds for the Nike 15U Challenge. What made it more impressive is Holman was top 10 for the tournament in points. Holman got to the rim at will. The next step in taking his game to another level is to add a consistent jumper from three-point range. He projects to the Division I level, the level of Division I is still yet to be determined.
Rondel Walker excels as the man
Throughout the grassroots career of Walker he has played on the national circuit. However, this was the first weekend were on the national scene Walker was the go to guy. He commanded the ball playing off the ball at the 2 or at the Point for Team Griffin. Walker was terrific at scoring the ball from all three phases of the game. He had a great weekend averaging nearly 20 points per game for Team Griffin. He was top three in scoring for the entire Nike 15U Challenge in LA. The ability for Walker to create his own shot, shoot the jumper well consistently and put the rock on the floor with the ability to finish in traffic makes him one of the top Oklahoma 2020 players. Walker proved he can thrive as the go to scorer for a team on a national level.
Christian Cook emerges as a scoring force
Christian Cook emerged as a third scoring force this weekend for Team Griffin 15U. From three-point range Cook shot the ball lights out. He has a solid handle, but was best at catching and draining three-pointers. As the weekend went along Cook seemed to get better. One thing that allowed Cook to keep his success at scoring is mixing it up with a good drive to the hoop when teams ran him off the line. Cook is raw still in some areas, but this weekend was a starting point for him to build off of with his scoring output.
For more information email Matt@prephoops.com