Top 250 Expo: Super Sophomores

In an exciting afternoon contest, the 918 sharpshooter took part in a fun back and forth duel with a fellow sophomore foe from the 580. Driver showcased his impressive scoring package with a mixture of dribble combos to create space to hit jumpers from beyond the arc and also get by opponents to attack the rim. He proved he’s a tough shot maker, requiring little separation to hit contested jumpers. After being a steady contributor as a freshman, it’ll be interesting to see how his improving scoring game fits into the Spartans’ attack this winter.

The other half of the 918-580 duel was the sharpshooter from Lawton, Padilla. He showed off exemplary scoring skills throughout the day, but especially shined with his ability to hit from well beyond the arc. After a slower start on drives, he broke out a good floater game that helped him finish more effectively at the rim. His scoring bonafides are not in question, but long term as a smaller guard it will be interesting to see how he develops his playmaking skills to get more teammates involved.

Continuing the theme of smaller guards but big production is this newcomer to Oklahoma. Based on film and notes from others in the network, it looked like Baker would be an exciting addition to Oklahoma’s Class of 2025. After Sunday, that proved to be true. He’s already one of the quicker guards in the state, shining in transition and also able to consistently get into the paint in the half-court. Long term, his shooting will need to improve, as while he was an eager shooter from deep he struggled. His shooting form looked like he was pushing too much from the upper body, often with little english/spin on the ball.

A productive small town product, Cowns plays with a fearless mentality. He’s got a good burst when it comes to attacking the rim off the bounce, or even surprisingly skying for a few rebounds. Mix in a couple made threes, and it looks like the improving athletically and aggressive small town guard is ready for a big sophomore year in a competitive Class 4A for McLoud.

Another small town prospect, Hidalgo is promising due to size, wingspan, athleticism and high motor play. He even looked comfortable as a pick and pop threat from beyond the arc. Right now he looks to be more of a 4/5 than a true perimeter player, but if he keeps growing Hidalgo could emerge as a sought after college prospect in a few years.