The Closed Session: Day II note-taking
In this article:
OKLAHOMA CITY — I elected to post this morning’s entry from Team Griffin’s Closed Session in a note-taking format to be able to send quicker updates to our readers. Here were a few standouts from the morning session(s):
Red Team |
v. Black Team |
Red / HC John Roby
Trey Alexander Trey Alexander 6'4" | SG Oklahoma City Heritage | 2021 State #55 Nation OK | G | Heritage Hall (OK) ’21
- Handling responsibilities in numerous facets of the game. Bringing the ball up the floor, not turning it over and pushing pace.
- Passing well on the drive-and-kick.
- Hitting shots in motion on the fade-away with D-I accuracy.
Makale Smith Makale Smith 6'1" | PG Midwest City | 2021 State OK | G | Midwest City (OK) ’21
- Converted on one face-up against Wallace.
- Played a two-way role, excelled on both ends of the floor, though his handle did not always serve him.
- Passed well, pushed the pace and transition and distributed a crafty lob from about 50 feet to Roland.
Rickey Hunt Rickey Hunt 6'0" | PG Millwood | 2023 OK | G | Millwood (OK) ’23
- Really impressed on both ends of the floor; spent a few possessions handling 6’9” Oyana by himself and did not get exposed.
- Defensively limited great talent, overpowering forces.
- Offensively finished well near the rack.
Jaden Greathouse Jaden Greathouse 6'3" | PG Austin Westlake | 2023 TX | G | Westlake (TX) ’23
- Finished very well at the rack with either hand, great down-hill speed and could weave his way and accelerate through traffic. Definitely not just a football player.
- Hit spot-ups when his name was called.
Gloire Houmba | G | Sunrise Christian (KS) ’21
- Player coming into his own on both ends of the floor.
- Athleticism has been there, but is more developed where he was previously a raw speedster.
- Converted on a tough bucket on a mid-range pull-up and hit some spot-ups from 3-point range.
Caden Fry Caden Fry 6'7" | C Owasso | 2022 State OK | F | Owasso (OK) ’22
- Second-half, found his gear in rebounding game and was very competitive on the boards; found great positioning on often taller players and used athleticism to his advantage.
- Used touch around the rim to score. Can go from aggressive-to-gentle on attack in the blink of an eye, aiding him in scoring with either hand at a high percentage from putting range.
- Took advantages of miss-matches in the paint
- Some passing presence from the post, showcasing his awareness and vision for the game.
Parker Friedrichsen Parker Friedrichsen 6'4" | SG Bixby | 2023 State #165 Nation OK | G | Bixby (OK)
- Stepped to the occasion and converted on shots from the catch while also showcasing some on-ball talents by keeping the ball in Reds’ hands.
Tobias Roland | G | Putnam City West (OK)
- All-around game on full-display; slashing, passing scoring at the rack, hitting shots and defending any threat that came his way.
Black / HC DJ Lemons
David Oyana | F | Sunrise Christian (KS) ’23
- Vicious rebounding presence, even with a host of tall players on the other side — 6’8/9” Yalden, 6’7” Fry — Oyana’s vertical advantage allowed him to leap for boards.
- Excelled in enforcer role
LJ Gurley LJ Gurley 5'10" | PG Choctaw | 2021 State OK | PG | Choctaw (OK) ’21
- Playing an important on-ball defensive role; gave Fiedrichsen a lot of trouble on one possession and forced a turnover from adherence alone.
Brandon Garrison | F | Del City (OK) ’23
- Presence in (I assume) his best competition to-date showed a lot of promise.
- As a defensive enforcer, he competed without struggling in the foul count.
- Put pressure on opposing slashers.
Cason Wallace Cason Wallace 6'4" | CG Richardson | 2022 State #6 Nation TX | G | Richardson (TX) ’22
- First glance; exceptionally gifted athlete with polished skill. Shot and drove with precision, has some handles and explosive energy to play above the rim in the half-court.
- Good shooting mechanics and coordinated footwork.
- Hit one shot from the short corner, behind the backboard with Alexander breathing down his neck. Great defense, better scoring.
- Defensively was a nightmare for Alexander, at times.
Kevin Overton Kevin Overton 6'5" | SG Homeschool | 2022 State OK | G/F | Midwest City (OK) ’22
- Displayed skill on the perimeter offensively; fervent shooter as always and pulled one shot in the second half from a body’s length beyond the college line, leaving a defender under him.
- Exercised some slashing skill, drew the foul and sank free throws.
Grey 75 |
v. Red 70 |
Red / HC John Roby
Trey Alexander Trey Alexander 6'4" | SG Oklahoma City Heritage | 2021 State #55 Nation OK | G | Heritage Hall (OK) ’21
- Finding much more luck in his deep ball, nets a quick 8 points in a short span of time to start the game.
- Finishes against contact and draws the foul at a tricky angle.
- Mid-range game solidified after first-game rust.
- When his skills were the most needed, he excelled the most; scored efficiently, passed, rebounded and defended to help RED close a 12-point gap.
- Hit a triple through contact late in the match.
Caden Fry Caden Fry 6'7" | C Owasso | 2022 State OK | F | Owasso (OK) ’22
- Playing with similar aggression, fervor as he did in first game offensively.
Gus Yalden | F | Mater Dei (CA) ’23
- Finishing with the finesse around the rim, playing with efficiency while facing a crucial deficit in the second half; helped Griffin narrow a 12-point differential on back-to-back possessions.
- Size difference overpowered and outplayed numerous competitors in the paint.
Jaden Greathouse Jaden Greathouse 6'3" | PG Austin Westlake | 2023 TX | G | Westlake (TX) ’23
- Speed and slicing skills came up in big ways, utilizing drive-and-kick by concentrating defenders to the interior.
- Passes well in motion.
Rickey Hunt Rickey Hunt 6'0" | PG Millwood | 2023 OK | PG | Millwood (OK) ’23
- High-energy player, brought fire into the match late and helped Red with five points in the final minute-and-a-half of play as Red narrowed a 21-point deficit to 5.
- Also rebounded competitively and competed with players with ten-or-more inches on him.
Grey / HC Troy Lallemand
KJ Adams KJ Adams 6'7" | PF Austin Westlake | 2021 State #69 Nation TX | F | Westlake (TX) ’21
- Playing unstoppable offensively; getting to the rack from the perimeter, bullying defenders in his path.
Cade Bond | G | Community Christian (OK)
- Showed some finesse, drove to the rack and finished off-the-glass from a tough angle.
T.J. Caldwell T.J. Caldwell 6'5" | CG Faith Family Academy | 2022 State #138 Nation TX | G | Faith Family (TX) ’22
- Down-hill speed was a gear above the rest as he weaved and sliced his way through the defense to get to the rim.
- Showed off a back-scratcher in the open court in the first half.
- Finishes with such speed and elevation that Red had little answer when he got the ball with space ahead of him.
- Not a bad passer, either; plays under-control.
- Converted from 3-point range, as well.
Jacobe Johnson Jacobe Johnson 6'3" | SG Mustang | 2023 State OK | G | Mustang (OK) ’23
- Swift mid-range shot from the handle, lightning-quick release and smooth mechanics helped Grey by leveraging a tipping-point scoring presence against the Red defense. The endless
Adante Holiman Adante Holiman 6'0" | PG McAlester | 2022 State #224 Nation OK | PG | McAlester (OK) ’22
- Putting defenders in a blender as soon as he steps on the floor.
- Created separation with ease against numerous defending guards, got to the rim untouched on one possession and gave a quality pass to the interior.
- Started having fun late in the match and knocked down an impressive shot from deep following a quick hesitation move.
Jaylon White Jaylon White 5'11" | PG Norman North | 2021 State OK | G | Norman North (OK) ’21
- Absolutely lighting up the Red defense on back-to-back possessions with swift strikes from 3-point range from the dribble.
Bradyn Hubbard Bradyn Hubbard 6'6" Tulsa Memorial | 2022 OK | F | Tulsa Memorial (OK) ’22
- Stretched the floor with a deep strike from-the-catch in the second half.