PHOK State Tournament: Top Standouts from the AM Session
The Prep Hoops Oklahoma State Tournament is off to a great start and the Saturday morning session of games showed the type of talent that is featured on the Prep Hoops Circuit. Here are some of the standouts:
Jake Gendron 2021 Tulsa Hawks
This junior wing was one of the main highlights of the Tulsa Hawks lopsided victory this morning. At 6’4, Gendron was able to find his spots and got his jumper going.
Efficient scorers have the ability to score from all three levels of the floor on offense. With his size, he was able to get his shots off with ease and he took of advantage of the mismatch inside as well.
The Hawks are filled with guys who can fill it up from deep however in morning Gendron seized the moment and got hot.
Jerry Tullis 2020 Oklahoma Eagles
Tullis is one of the most crafty guards I have seen this year. When he steps on the floor you are not expecting a guy who has high level creativity with the ball and who can be a foundational piece of an offense.
In the morning session he showed off his ability to shoot from deep while also showing skill around the rim while finishing with both hands using up and unders and the “jelly” technique.
This 5’11 guard plays and entertaining brand of basketball while also showing a high level of knowledge and feel for the game.
Paul Otieno 2020 KC Pacers Blue
Otieno looks like a created player in NBA 2k or Madden. At 6’7, Otieno has all the physical gifts you could ask for a post player going into their senior year.
He put on a dominant performance this morning finishing everything around the rim with explosiveness yet he still was able to complete the play with touch and skill if the situation called for it.
The Pacer guards knew that all they had to do was get in the lane and feed him and it was going to be a successful play.
Having an elite finisher around the rim frees your offensive for more possibilities. His team ended up losing a close one but Otieno did everything in his power to put his team in position to win the game.
James Locke 2020 Oklahoma Power
Locke couldn’t not be stopped in their matchup this morning. The senior guard showed his entire offensive package in a spirited win over a talented Oklahoma Eagles ball club.
There was no guards on the floor who could stay in front of Locke in the half court. He also showed off his nice stroke as he came off stagger screens and made the defense pay for not chasing him off the three point line.
He showed the he is a legitimate prospect to keep an eye out for going forward. The Oklahoma Power’s fortunes in this tournament will heavily depend on if Locke can continue to put together performances like in the AM session.
Jerome Washington 2020 365 Hoops Elite
Washington was one of the more impressive prospects in the gym during the morning session. He is 6’6 with the mobility of a guard and he has a very nice jumper from deep.
He didn’t force anything or eat up minutes with the ball in his hands. He went about scoring in a different way as he found his spots while letting the offense run its course.
Washington showed off his versatility on the offensive end by scoring around the rim but also knocking down most of his spot up opportunities.
With the game coming to a close, 365 Hoops needed Washington to bring them home and he delivered with clutch free throws.
Sean Pedulla 2021 Buddy Buckets 16U
There was no better guard in gym than Sean Pedulla. His stock continues to skyrocket and his performance in the morning session is just a preview why.
At 6’1, Pedulla is an assassin who is ready to destroy who ever steps in his way. He dominated their morning opponent with off the dribble threes and crafty layups and floaters at the basket.
He put his head down and got down hill and found his shooters or fed his bigs/cutters at the rim.
The junior guard has led his 16U squad to an impressive start to the Prep Hoops Circuit and they will be a tough out in the 16U bracket due to dynamic guards ability to score and make plays.