#GrindSZNKickoff: Sunday-morning standouts

<p>Edmond, Okla. --</p> <p><strong>Samuel Hiner</strong> | ABC Basketball</p> <p>6’4” F // Muskogee ’22</p> <p>One of the best rural gems of the weekend, Hiner is a collegiate-caliber player. He is a talented finisher at the rim with size and strength alike, coming down the lane like a freight train and rarely knocked out of his path. Hiner also isn’t a bad passer, which increases his threat to score on both fronts. He can hit shots out of the catch, although his focus tends to drop once he reaches a certain level of fatigue, a downside that, once rectified, could allow him to become a toute d prospect. Defensively, he understood and executed his role on the block in ABC’s 2-3 and tightened to post-scorers in the man.</p> <p><strong>Alex Parish</strong> | ABC Basketball</p> <p>6’2” PG // Eufaula ’22</p> <p>Rarely rattled, Parish has now had two well-performing weekends on the circuit. He struggled a bit to find his rhythm early, finding great shots that often rimmed out, but that did not stop him from playing <i>his </i>game, which paid off greatly for him. He is a talented, smooth and crafty slasher with high iQ and flow to his game.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p><strong>Garrius Savage</strong> | Dallas Showtyme East</p> <p>6’1” SG // Paris (TX) ’22</p> <p>A high-tier athlete that can score in a variety of ways, Savage is a talented player with a strong future ahead of him. He has a swift first step and can get to the rack from just about anywhere on the perimeter, and he finishes well going either way, too. The 6-foot-even guard laid down a thunderous dunk late in a game against ABC basketball.</p> <p><strong>Montana Warrior</strong> | ABC Basketball</p> <p>6’3” W // Checotah ’22</p> <p>Warrior is a superb shooter, as he lends ABC a huge advantage on a routine basis, such as he did in a match with Dallas Showtyme East in which his late-game shooting out of the catch provided ABC with much-needed relief in a comeback bid.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1049309" first="Jamarion" last="Butler"]</strong> | Team Buddy Buckets OKC</p> <p>6’4” F // Southmoore ’21</p> <p>Butler cooked defenders early against AAO Flight. His self-produced buckets came in a variety of ways as he utilized his length to create lateral separation and finish shots. The Southmoore southpaw has a keen sense for finishing in tight windows, protecting the ball on his path to the rack before finishing at rim-level. He also has a strong mid-range game and can convert on shots with a quick, blink-of-an-eye dribble to release above defenders. Defensively, he had no reservations about leaping to meet dunkers at the rim as he did on one impressive stop in the first half. Moments later, a well-placed pass from Musick allowed Butler to attack the rim at-gear, and it was goodnight for AAO Flight’s defense.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1049306" first="Keilan" last="Howard"]</strong> | Team Buddy Buckets OKC</p> <p>5’11” PG // Southmoore ’22</p> <p>Howard was positively fearless early against AAO Flight, knocking down a trio of 3-pointers early including a stare-down, face-up triple from well past the arch as he brought the ball up the floor with a defender coming to meet his release. His feel for the game is elite, and he plays with so much confidence that you can’t find it within yourself to bet against him in spite of his smaller frame.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="745381" first="Keyshon" last="Spotwood"]</strong> | Team Buddy Buckets OKC</p> <p>5’11” PG // Edmond Memorial ’21</p> <p>Spotwood was electric for TBB-OKC. Primarily, his pairing of ball-handling and speed made him one of the most controlled and capable scorers in the game against AAO Flight in which he manufactured and executed on more than a couple impressive slashing plays, including a drive from the right wing going towards the left of the rim before he took an angle on the defender and spun through him towards the right rim and finished off the glass at full pace.</p> <p><strong>Aidan Vaughn</strong> | Oklahoma Power</p> <p>6’1” G // Edmond Santa Fe ’22</p> <p>Vaughn manufactured a share of Power’s scoring plays on the pass, some of defensively, and some with his own handle. He has a good mid-range game and plays at a comfortable pace, although he can go straight to the rim himself with polished scoring moves. He also has great down-court vision to lend the ball to teammates for prime scoring opportunities. Defensively, he anticipates and hawks down opposing passes to create turnovers.</p>