2018 TOC: Five Sleepers You Should Know

<p>Sometimes, some players just don’t get the recognition or respect they deserve. Whether it be from opposing players, the media, or even college recruiters, there are guys who, considering the surplus of talented athletes around, just fall through the cracks. This can happen by result of quite a few causations; a player may not receive the credit he deserves because he goes to a small school, or because he doesn’t fit the metrics that others would desire for him. At the Tournament of Champions, these are the players we saw that demanded respect with their play:</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Houston Greggs 2019 Hugo F</span></p> <p>Houston Greggs stands 6-foot-8-inches. The senior big man plays for the 3A seventh-ranked Hugo Buffaloes, a rural school in the deep Southeast corner of Southern Oklahoma. Greggs proved why he deserves a mention as one of the most dominant bigs in small-school hoops with the way he performed in the TOC this weekend. He averaged 8.6 rebounds per game<b> </b>on the weekend against a handful of the best teams in the State. He led<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>the Buffs on both end of the floor by playing aggressive, adherent defense and competitively pulling down rebounds.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Conner Brister 2019 Kingston W</span></p> <p>Conner Brister, surrounded with some of the best talent in 3A hoops, had a few superb performances at the Tournament of Champions this weekend, averaging 13 points a game as the third-leading scorer for the Redskins. The 6-foot-4 senior shot the ball well from the corner and made himself a tricky player to limit with his passing ability, shooting ability, and drive-and-kick awareness.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Reece Lafferty 2019 Kingfisher W</span></p> <p>Among an all-around super roster, Reece Lafferty may not always receive the praise his play warrants. Over the weekend, Lafferty was a catalyst for Kingfisher’s success with pretty much all-around play. He shot the ball well, rebounded well, made good passes, and played great defense. Lafferty started all three games for the third-place-winning Yellow Jackets</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Shelby Sampleton 2020 Putnam City West G</span></p> <p>Any player who comes off the bench and gives a 30-bucket warrants some attention. Sampleton, who finished with 32 points against Fort Cobb-Broxton, played phenomenal basketball in the TOC. The senior standout didn’t start any game at the TOC, but was the leading scorer for the Patriots in each game.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ethan Adams 2019 Whitesboro G/W</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>Ethan Adams, a 5-foot-11 senior, led Whitesboro all weekend with all-around play. As necessary for his team, Adams brought to the floor efficient play and toughness. Adams was selfless with the ball and was an effective scorer, especially in a 17-point performance against Booker T. Washington in the first round. One aspect of his game that was exceptional was his ability to get inside and draw fouls. Playing for a Class A school, getting the respect you deserve is not always easy, but don’t think for a minute that Adams can’t hoop.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">William King 2020 Hugo F</span></p> <p>6-foot-4 Will King is an athletic, strong forward with all-around skills to be a deadly swingman. He plays with tenacity and brings energy to the floor as he dominates the rebounding game and gives the Buffs more opportunities to score the ball.</p>