Oklahoma State 2022: Saturday Stars

<p>Saturday saw the tip off of another Prep Hoops Circuit Event, with Solid Rock in Edmond, Oklahoma hosting the 17U games for the Oklahoma State Tournament. Home state Oklahoma teams did battle with programs from Texas and Kansas. Here’s a mixture of Oklahoma and Texas players that stood out in pool play games on Saturday, </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Jamouri McCalister, 6’2 Guard, Next Level Oklahoma </p> <p>In a Saturday morning opening victory, the Del City guard exploded for 37 points. It’s an impressive sign of the development of the defensive minded guard for the Eagles. After seeing that McAlister opened the event with such a loud statement, it became a priority to check out his second game of the day. His scoring outpoint was a more modest 17 but his signs of improvement this spring were still evident. He remains a terror on defense but looks more explosive with the ball in his hands. Evidence of that was when he got up in transition and punched one home with authority. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1">Cole Denton, 6’2 Guard, Jayhawks Elite</p> <p>The Jayhawks Elite went 2-0 the day, which included Denton having a 16 point outburst in a victory over Next Level Oklahoma. Burst is a fitting term for Denton, as he does have an extra gear when attacking the basket, especially in transition. Add in a couple threes and he had a good balanced scoring game. With Denton at the helm, the Jayhawks Elite are an unselfish team that shares the ball well.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1">[player_tooltip player_id="1295864" first="Justin" last="Buenaventura"], 6’0 Guard, Hard Hoops</p> <p>The guard from Texas is a strong shooter, but is more than just a catch and shoot option. He has good defensive awareness and energy, which often translates into transitions opportunities where he’s unselfish in setting up his teammates. Add in a good Pick and Roll read or two, and Buenaventura is a good all around guard for Hard Hoops. He had an efficient 14 points in a Saturday victory. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1">Cameron Smith 5’10 Guard, Black Diamonds</p> <p class="p1">Smith filled up the stat with a double figure scoring performance that had listed with at 14 points. It felt like more and maybe that’s because he did it in a variety of ways. The Moore Lion knocked down multiple catch and shoot threes and operated in the mid range as well. At the rim he’s a good finisher for his size with an understanding of how to get off his shot in traffic. Smith is a good example of a modern combo guard, who can help with ball handling responsibilities but really excels when allowed to attack as a scorer.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Quency McVay, 6’0 Guard, Servant Baksetball</p> <p class="p1">The Servants have a roster filled with Class of 2024 and 2025 players playing up in the 17U Division. In the first half good ball movement led to open threes and they busted open a huge lead against the Oklahoma Runners. One of the biggest beneficiaries of those three point opportunities was McVay. The Class of 2024 guard buried four triples on the way to 20 points on the day.   </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Cody Brown, 6’2 Guard, Oklahoma Showtime-1</p> <p>Only caught the ending of what would become a double overtime victory for Showtime. The reason this game went to OT was because Brown buried a deep three while double teamed as the buzzer sounded. Anytime a player hits a clutch shot like that, they’re definitely a star of the day. </p> <p>https://twitter.com/PrepHoopsOK/status/1525527156188643329</p>