Top 250 Expo – Favorite Standouts

I mentioned this in our Gamechangers article, spotlighting the top overall performers, but we tried to warn you that Union 2024 guard Dalen Fuller Dalen Fuller 6’4″ | CG Union | 2024 State OK was going to put on a show. Fuller has been one of our favorite athletes to watch over the last 18 months and he earns the honors of being this weekend’s “Highlight Machine” after his performance on Sunday. Fuller got out into the open court several times and threw down some monstrous jams. Even some of the dunks that he didn’t get down were impressive from a pure athleticism standpoint. And as we mentioned in the article on Sunday, Fuller wasn’t just throwing down dunk after dunk and that was his only skill. The lefty was showing off his shot throughout the morning and afternoon. Fuller is expected to take on a bigger role within the Union offense this winter and that should be fun to watch as he is on the short list of players worth the price of admission to see in person.

Fellow writer Sam Duren took a look at some of the top standouts from the 2025 class in an article on Monday. But my favorite sophomore that I got to see in person on Sunday was Booker T Washington guard Jamarri Simpson Jamarri Simpson 6’3″ | CG Booker T Washington | 2025 State OK . The Booker T Washington standout is absolutely primed for a breakout season this winter as the Hornets have to replace some big names from last season’s state tournament team. For me, Simpson was the best “Breakout” prospect on Sunday and we’re looking forward to seeing how he plays this winter. Simpson was on one of the best teams at the event with 2023 forward Buddy Hammer Buddy Hammer 6’7″ | SF Westville | 2023 State OK and star 2024 guard Chiante Tramble Chiante Tramble 6’2″ | PG Edmond North | 2024 State #262 Nation OK . He could have been overshadowed but he found a way to make plays and be an important part of the team’s overall success. Now that Simpson is taking on a larger role this winter, he should become a bigger name within the 2025 class.

The second player that was also featured in that Gamechangers article is Nathan Hale guard Kabron Lewis Kabron Lewis 6’2″ | CG Hale | 2024 State OK . Again, these are just my picks and preferences but my MVP pick would be Lewis after watching him in several games. The consistent high level play from Lewis is what put it over the top for me, in addition to being a good teammate and incredibly vocal and supportive while on the floor. Lewis made it a point to keep his teammates involved in the flow on both sides of the ball. But when it was time for him to take over, it wouldn’t take very long. He would heat up in a hurry and in the blink of an eye, he could go on a mini run by himself. From forcing turnovers into easy buckets at the basket or knocking down shots from the perimeter, Lewis was one of the top players I watched. Lewis is a 2024 prospect that feels like he’s on the verge of exploding in terms of becoming a statewide name. It just seems like a matter of when at this point.

Another 2025 prospect that was outstanding throughout the day was Purcell guard Kobe Freeman Kobe Freeman 5’11” | PG Purcell | 2025 State OK . He took away the “Midrange Master” title after watching him in person and hearing about his performances from other writers. Freeman was outstanding at driving, stopping on a dime and knocking down jumpers. Whether it was a pull up jumper or floater, Freeman had a great feel for the game and would find a way to get the separation needed to get his shot up. Freeman wasn’t just a shooter in the midrange, he also showed off his range throughout the event, knocking down several shots from the perimeter. He could also finish at the basket as well as get his teammates involved. Freeman has been a player that I watched a lot of this offseason and he once again performed and was one of the better players in attendance. Purcell is going to be a fun team to watch when the season tips off in the next few months.

We had several sophomores that stood out throughout the event as the 2025 class had several standouts that played prominent roles. But it’s always interesting in settings like Sunday when players are playing with new teammates and essentially playing pick up games throughout the day, how does each player accept their role? One player that asserted himself early on as a vocal player and teammate as well as a player that was giving maximum effort while he was on the floor is Washington guard Seth Bunch Seth Bunch 6’1″ Washington | 2025 OK . He was on a team that featured fellow standouts Christian Reed Christian Reed 6’5″ Elgin | 2023 OK , James Johnson James Johnson 6’0″ | SG Piedmont | 2023 OK and Triston Driver Triston Driver 6’0″ | PG Bixby | 2025 State OK . And it was Bunch that established himself as a player that was going to be the “Energizer Bunny” of sorts and do the little things that it takes for a team to win. Bunch was one of the very first players that stood out to me on Sunday and we’re looking forward to seeing how he plays this winter with Washington.

Last month, we updated our prospect rankings and it usually doesn’t take very long to realize we’ve left a few names off or names far too low on the list. And on Sunday, I had that realization about Collinsville 2024 big man Zac Brown Zac Brown 6’8″ | C Collinsville | 2024 OK . While we watched a few big men dominate on Sunday, there is no doubt that Brown was the best “Big Man” that I watched in person from start to finish. And each writer that saw him on Sunday agreed that he was incredibly skilled for his position. Brown has soft hands and can absolutely dominate the paint. The size advantage helped him out tremendously but even when he was going against another prospect similar in size, the outcome never changed. Brown would get to the basket as well as show off some touch with turn around jumpers and little baby hook shots. Brown should have been ranked in the 2024 class and he should be considered one of the best forwards in the class.