Elite 14 Recap: Standout Seniors

Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! There is something special about the combination of maturity and urgency that seniors show as they realize their high school career is winding down. It leads to players reaching new levels as they hope to finish their high school careers with trips to either the Big House in Oklahoma City or the Mabee Center in Tulsa. In Wichita Falls on Saturday, there were a handful of seniors that showed they were ready to take their game to the next level. [player_tooltip player_id="963194" first="Arzhonte" last="Dallas"], 6’0 Point Guard, Lawton MacArthur The quick guard will carry a big load for the 5A State runner ups following the graduation of many of their top players on last year’s team. He’s one of the most disruptive players in the state thanks to his quickness and outstanding defensive instincts. Dallas also has outstanding body control when attacking the rim, allowing him to finish well among taller players. The next step for the senior’s development as a prospect and for his team will be being more vocal. Midway through a scrimmage against Trinity Leadership, the Highlanders suffered a stretch of turnovers and sloppy play. During that time, Dallas floated off the ball and his teammates struggled with the opposition’s press. Lawton MacArthur eventually righted the ship and rallied when Dallas got more active on the ball again. [player_tooltip player_id="955392" first="Tyreece" last="Frierson"], 5’10 Point Guard, Tulsa Memorial The Tulsa Memorial floor general is in the running for most improved player in the state. Which is impressive as he already averaged 16.8 points per game and 5.5 assists per game as a junior on a Class 5A State Tournament team. His counting number stats should improve slightly, but it will be difficult with a talented supporting cast to put up the eye popping numbers other prospects might. That’s why it’s important to go beyond the box score, watch the games and understand what is a difference making player. Frierson is a true difference maker not only at the high school level, but potentially at the collegiate level as well. He still has microwave type scoring potential with his great handles and shot making ability off the dribble. Especially from beyond the arc. Off the dribble, Frierson is in great shape and has good hang time and craftiness to be able to finish when going to the rim. Along with his scoring he also plays more in control and always leaves a mark on the game even. There were games last year where he would drift and have less of an impact. Now it’s clear the Chargers as his team and he’s at reigns of one of the top squads in Oklahoma. It’s hard for smaller guards to stand out when being recruited, especially at the Division One level. That’s why it’s important they can impact the game in more than just scoring, as it’s rare a college coach will recruit a player under 6 foot to just score the ball. One of the blueprints for success among smaller Oklahoma guards in recent years in Mason Harrell of the Class of 2018. The Carl Albert Titan is enjoying a successful career at Texas State and Frierson appears to be showing some of that same DNA as a dynamic floor general. [player_tooltip player_id="955380" first="Caden" last="Fry"], 6’6 Forward, Owasso One of the best traits about Fry is his consistency. Few players in the state cover as much ground as Fry does when flying around to grab boards, contest shots and run the floor hard for transition points. He also has maximized his athletic ability and now finishes stronger and higher at the rim. This is more testament to the determined mentality the forward has shown in the weight room and with his conditioning. Another refreshing aspect of the senior’s game is his understanding of his role and not forcing uncharacteristic play. His handles have improved enough that this is more versatility to his game, but he’s rugged player that focus on dominating around the rim first. The Owasso senior has countless D2s recruiting him, and could possibly go higher thanks to dedication to the game. <a class="pn-player-link" href="https://prephoops.com/player/bradyn-hubbard-2/">[player_tooltip player_id="1158049" first="Bradyn" last="Hubbard"]</a>, 6’6 Forward, Tulsa Memorial Joining Frierson in making the Chargers one of the top teams in Oklahoma is the versatile big man. Hubbard has a strong frame that allows him to bang around the rim and be a force in the low post. But he’s more than a physical enforcer, the senior forward looked good grabbing rebounds and leading the break. He showed good decision making once in transition, by finding teammates for scores or taking it all the way himself. Hubbard was comfortable stepping outside to hit spot up jumpers and bring spacing for the athletic Chargers to attack the rim in the half court. [player_tooltip player_id="955391" first="Kam" last="Parker"], 6’0 Guard, Booker T Washington It was a slow start for the scoring minded guard, but as the scrimmages progressed his impact grew. In the later scrimmages Parker was money from beyond the arc, while also thriving in transition to earn points for himself and his teammates. A contributing factor to his slow start was driving to the rim and into traffic against a taller team from Texas. While one of the more explosive athletes in Oklahoma, Parker can still get in trouble trying to finish over trees. In past games, he had shown an excellent mid range game, which with his ability gain separation on drives is a more effective scoring method than driving recklessly to the rim. Defensively was another standout area for Parker. He had a good combination of moving his feet to maintain good positioning, while mixing in quick and timely swipes with his hands to force turnovers. When the Hornet plays with that level of intensity and focus on the defensive end, he can be one of the best defenders in the state. [player_tooltip player_id="1164879" first="Aaron" last="Potter"], 6’4 Guard, Booker T Washington Potter has been one of the more intriguing prospects in the Class of 2022 thanks to a high motor playing style and a good combination of physical traits. Consistency and playing too fast were some of the question-marks holding him back. If Saturday was any indication, the consistency will be there this winter. Not only was Potter a blur in transition and on defense, he was a weapon in the half-court. He routinely drained threes off of spot ups and impressively off the dribble as well. He was a complete player on both sides of the ball for the Hornets. There were still times the aggressive guard lost control, but he was quicker to recover and make the right play. And in general it’s better to be able to fine tun a player’s motor to play in control than looking for sparks to light the fuse that makes them play harder. At his height and big wingspan, there is big time collegiate upside to Potter’s game. Saturday was a promising sign that he’ll realize that upside this winter.