Top Five Breakdown

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're only a few weeks away from the high school season officially starting with practices opening up on October 1st. To get you ready for the upcoming season, we're updating all of our rankings on Prep Hoops Oklahoma. This week, it's all about the 2025 class as we released our <strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/oklahoma/rankings/2025-rankings/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://prephoops.com/oklahoma/rankings/2025-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Top 45 Sophomores on Monday</a></strong>. In this post, we're putting a spotlight on the top overall prospects. The top five has not changed since June as these five players have had a stranglehold on the top spots. Stay tuned to Prep Hoops Oklahoma throughout the week for more prospect breakdowns. And stay tuned throughout the rest of the month for more ranking updates!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>1) [player_tooltip player_id='1391439' first='Jaden' last='Nickens'] - Millwood</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Millwood sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1391439' first='Jaden' last='Nickens'] remains in the top spot when it comes to the 2025 class. Nickens was such an impactful freshman and his role is certainly going to continue to expand as he heads into his sophomore season with the Falcons. Nickens an the Falcons captured the state championship last season and he was a big reason behind it. His skillset continues to develop, showing why he already had D1 offers before his freshman season began. We're looking forward to seeing the improvement in Nickens on the basketball floor in the next few months. While Nickens has been the top prospect in this class since we started ranking the 2025 class, his future has become much more interesting. Nickens has joined the Millwood football team and has already gained attention from D1 coaches on the gridiron as a wide receiver prospect. It will be interesting to see where Nickens ends up at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>2) [player_tooltip player_id='1391433' first='Carlsheon' last='Young'] - Newcastle</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Newcastle guard [player_tooltip player_id='1391433' first='Carlsheon' last='Young'] is neck and neck with Nickens for the top overall spot in this 2025 class. These two have emerged early on as the top guys in the class and have been recruited as such. Just like with Nickens, Young has received D1 offers from several Big 12 programs and his recruitment should continue to move in a positive direction. Young is incredibly dangerous with the ball in his hands because he has a unique blend of size and speed. But what puts him near the top of this list is that it's in control. He knows when to flip that switch on the offensive side of the ball. And when Young is on defense, he has the ability to shut down the opposing team's best guard. Young is a prospect that we're very interested to see this winter as he has moved to Newcastle. Class 4A is absolutely loaded this year and with Young now at Newcastle, it makes it even deeper and will certainly be one of the best classes to watch. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>3) [player_tooltip player_id='1391435' first='CJ' last='Nickson'] - Weatherford</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Weatherford standout [player_tooltip player_id='1391435' first='CJ' last='Nickson'] was a walking double double every time he stepped on the floor for the Eagles last season. He helped lead them to the state tournament and he performed well on the biggest stage in the state. The expectations are for Weatherford to be in the mix again this winter but as we mentioned with Class 4A, it's going to be an absolute gauntlet run just to make it to the Big House. But Nickson has the chance to be arguably the best forward in Class 4A this winter. Just like with Nickens, we're interested to see what else he's added to his game in the last few months. But Nickson has also joined Nickens in that dual-sport category. Nickson had an outstanding season last year for Weatherford's football team as a wide receiver and he has the potential to be a breakout star this fall. Just like with Nickens, the Weatherford standout is going to start getting just as much attention on the gridiron as he is the hardwood. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>4) [player_tooltip player_id='1391440' first='Kaidon' last='Rayfield'] - Putnam City West</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Out of the five prospects within the top five, you might have to put the "Biggest Upside" label on Putnam City West big man [player_tooltip player_id='1391440' first='Kaidon' last='Rayfield']. As a freshman at PC North, Rayfield was a dominating big man in the paint. He's had an outstanding offseason and we've been incredibly impressed about not only what he is now but his continued work at the various skills that you need in a game that is going away from the traditional positions. At the high school level, Rayfield is going to be a dominating force in the paint on the offensive and defensive side of the ball with his athleticism and length. But over the last six months, Rayfield has made tremendous jumps on the offensive side of the ball as a playmaker. His shot continues to improve and he's getting more and more comfortable with the ball in his hands. As Rayfield becomes more of an overall playmaker, he's going to be a scary prospect to watch moving forward. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>5) [player_tooltip player_id='1475983' first='Brady' last='Hancuff'] - Edmond Memorial</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Edmond Memorial forward [player_tooltip player_id='1475983' first='Brady' last='Hancuff'] is right there with Rayfield for that "Biggest Upside" tag as the jump that he's shown this offseason has been off the charts. At 6'6, Hancuff has some legitimate athleticism to his game and as his shooting and perimeter skills continue to progress, he's going to be a dangerous player at the high school level and he's going to gain plenty of attention from college coaches. Right now, Hancuff is a kid who can jump out of the gym and the athleticism, especially on the defensive side of the ball, is the main thing that stands out right now. He performed incredibly well this offseason, especially in events that we got a chance to see in person. And then there's the Edmond Memorial factor, which how can you ignore it? Head coach Shane Cowherd knows how to develop players into absolute stars and it's going to be very fun to see how he utilizes a player like Hancuff this winter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->