Freshmen to Know in the Playoffs

<p>March Madness is nearly upon us, as the playoffs in Oklahoma high school basketball heat up after delays from winter weather. Here’s a look at a handful of the talented freshman class that will be making noise in the upcoming weeks. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1391439" first="Jaden" last="Nickens"], 6’3 Guard, Millwood</p> <p>The headliner of the class, Nickens has shown this year why he has already earned a handful of Division One offers. The freshman guard always has the making of next level size and athletic ability. But that’s not the only reason he standouts, Nickens also has an elite skill level as a scorer. He’s a deadeye off the bounce or as a spot up threat. And has the ability to breakdown the opposition with a tight handle and a variety of dribble moves. The Falcons opened Class 3A regionals play with a 74-49 win over Morris, and take on Rejoice Christian on Tuesday night with a Regional Championshop on the line. </p> <p>Carlsheon Young, 6’4 Guard, Putnam City West</p> <p>One of the players that will have opportunities to make the mark in the state’s biggest classification is this promising lead guard. Under Lenny Bert, the Patriots have had no qualms about playing youngsters in big moments and during their playoff run Young will be following in the footsteps of Tyson Jolly, Rondel Walker, Marquis Johnson and many more West freshmen that played key roles on State Tournament teams. The freshman is most noticeable for his combination of length and athletic ability, which makes him a terror on defense and dangerous off the bounce. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1391435" first="CJ" last="Nickson"], 6’5 Forward, Weatherford</p> <p>The tall and physical youngster is a monster around the rim. But he’s also starting to step outside and extend his range as a shooter.  Nickson is likely still growing, as his father was a 6 foot 9 post player for Southwest Oklahoma State not too long ago. If the youngster matches his father’s height, he’ll likely be one of the most highly coveted recruits in the region. After a 65-62 win over Douglass, Nickson and his Eagles squad has a stern test in the Regional championship game against Tulsa Central on Tuesday night. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1358852" first="Cal" last="Furnish"], 6’1 Guard, Crossing Christian</p> <p>Entering the year it was expected for Furnish to play a strong supporting role next to standout Crossing Christian senior [player_tooltip player_id="955383" first="Reid" last="Lovelace"]. A midseason injury put more on the shoulders of the freshman, and Furnish shined with the increased role. He nailed a game winner in the Tournament of Champions and showed poised beyond his years as a playmaker. Now with the playoffs here, he’s playing a key role alongside Lovelace for a Knights team that has made the jump up to 4A after winning Class 3A last year. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1391434" first="Carter" last="Roman-Nose"], 6’1 Guard, El Reno</p> <p>Another do it all lead guard, the El Reno freshman is a plus shooter and scrappy defender. He stood-out in a January win over previously undefeated 4A powerhouse Kingfisher. Since then Roman-Nose and the Indians have finished the season strong with big victories against Class 5A foes. Which set ups an exciting Regional at Carl Albert this week. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1391436" first="David" last="Howell"], 6’5 Wing, Broken Arrow</p> <p>An exciting aspect of this freshman group is the number of players already with intriguing size and athletic ability. The top freshman in the 918, David "DJ" Howell fits very well into that category. In transition it’s apparent he has the potential to be a D1 level player with how he moves athletically. What is also impressive is that he has good passing instincts and isn’t just a score first player. While Broken Arrow has very talented upperclassmen, good play of Howell will be needed for the Tigers to reach their ceiling. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1391438" first="Dominique" last="Stephens Jr"], 5’11 PG, Putnam City North</p> <p>The Panthers have a deep freshman class with the tough defensive minded guard [player_tooltip player_id="1391431" first="Anthony" last="Leonard"] along with athletic, rangy and big time upside [player_tooltip player_id="1391440" first="Kaidon" last="Rayfield"]. Joining those two is DJ Stephens, a very skilled and savvy guard that helps keep the Panthers offense flowing. Along with his playmaking abilities, Stephens’ ability as a floor spacing as a knockdown catch and shooter will be needed for the Panthers to advance in a deep Class 6A field. </p>