The Platform: Oklahoma/Texas Standouts

As the month of July gets into full swing, the Prep Hoops Circuit heads to Birmingham, Alabama. This is the first of several Prep Hoops events in the Midwest as we converge onto the Grit Region Finals in Indianapolis at the end of the month. There were a ton of very intriguing games over the weekend, and now, let’s take a look at some of the Standouts from Oklahoma and Texas.   [player_tooltip player_id="1205428" first="Eric" last="Brown"] (TX) - 2022 SG - Steele (Arnold Elite National 22/23) Brown is a smaller guard who can make plays all over the court. He always has his head up when the ball is in his hands, and he wants to get his teammates involved in the game. He has a quick first step which allows him to attack the rim, and he showed off some nice finishing moves including a smooth finger roll inside. Brown did struggle shooting it from the outside, so this is something that I am not sure about with his game. However, it was a pretty good performance by Brown in this one.   Pablo Francis Jr. (TX) - 2023 PG - Steele (Arnold Elite National 22/23) Francis is a very small guard who still finds a way to create matchup problems for the defense. He is incredibly quick with the ball in his hands, and he is nifty around the rim. He has a quick crossover and knows how to create and finish through contact on the inside. Francis also runs the break very well by looking for his teammates or finishing if it is there. On the defensive end of the floor, he has great hands and can pick the pocket of the ball handler. He also seemed to always be putting pressure on the ball throughout the entire game. He is like an energizer bunny on the floor, and he can provide a spark to his team at any time.   [player_tooltip player_id="967379" first="Parker" last="Friedrichsen"] (OK) - 2023 SF - Bixby (Tulsa Hawks 2022) Friedrichsen is a good-sized wing who may have been one of the better players that I saw throughout the entire weekend. He can score the ball in many different ways, and he seemed to always create his own shot beautifully. Friedrichsen is smooth around the rim and always attacks the rim hard. He also has a quick first step which helps him keep his defender on their heels. Friedrichsen was knocking down shots from all over, and he should really be heavily recruited in the coming year.   [player_tooltip player_id="955383" first="Reid" last="Lovelace"] (OK) - 2022 PG - Crossings Christian (Tulsa Hawks 2022) Lovelace is a smaller guard who is incredibly quick with the ball in his hands, and he seemed to give his team a nice calming presence when he had the ball. He has very good court vision and passes it well, and he seemed to always put himself into the right spots on the floor. Lovelace also shot the ball well from the outside, and he never once hesitated to pull it from the outside. He is an unselfish, pass-first point guard who will score when he needs to, which makes him a very intriguing college prospect.   [player_tooltip player_id="1153457" first="Jalon" last="Munoz"] (TX) - 2023 SG - O’Connor (Arnold Elite National 22/23) Munoz is a smaller guard who is not afraid to get in amongst the trees on the inside. He has smooth ball handling, and he can finish very well inside. He attacks the rim strong and knows how to protect the basketball when going inside. Munoz also showed a nice little pull-up jumper. Overall, he didn’t shoot much, but he had it in his bag which kept the defenders honest. It was an impressive game from Munoz in this one.   [player_tooltip player_id="1158048" first="Joshua" last="Udoumoh"] (OK) - 2022 SG - Victory Christian (Tulsa Hawks 2022) Udomouh is a bigger guard who is not going to ever shy away from contact. He was the second-best player on his team, but he was still one of the better players that I saw all weekend. Udomouh attacked the rim strong through the whole game, and he was able to draw contact and finish through it and get to the rim. He’s also a smooth finisher and is smooth with the ball in his hands. Not only was Udomouh able to attack downhill, but he was able to hit a pair of triples to keep his defenders honest. He should really be a target for Division 2 programs.   [player_tooltip player_id="1035097" first="Michal" last="Woolridge"] (OK) - 2022 PF - Bethany (Tulsa Hawks 2022) Woolridge is a big, powerful post player inside, and he seemed to always be working hard in the post. He is always looking to get into a better post position, and his footwork was top-notch. He had good post moves and hit a nice little baby hook with his left hand, but he is also looking for his teammates and won’t hesitate to kick it out. Woolridge also attacks the glass hard. He already holds a couple of Division 2 offers, and he may be able to get the attention of some lower-level Division 1’s.