Instant Impact – Freshmen Guards

<!-- 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>On October 1st, basketball practices opened up all across the state of Oklahoma. And in November, scrimmages opened up and for some of the smaller schools, they've started playing regular season games! We've been taking an in-depth look at some of the top teams in the state over the last month. But in this post, we're looking at some of the freshmen that you need to know about coming into this season. This post will feature some of the top guards that can make an impact this season as freshmen. For a breakdown on some of the top forwards in the freshman class, check out that post <strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/2022/11/instant-impact-freshmen-forwards/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://prephoops.com/2022/11/instant-impact-freshmen-forwards/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RIGHT HERE</a></strong>. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1552362"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"We're starting this breakdown off with an Owasso Ram in freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id='1552362' first='Boden' last='Williams']. The Rams definitely need to be considered the team of the future in Class 6A as they have three freshmen who are either going to start or see significant playing time this season. Williams is a guard that will provide toughness, scoring and defense to the Rams this season and he should pair well with senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1358850' first='EJ' last='Lewis'] in the backcourt. Williams has already stood out to us this preseason and did so in a big way. At the recent East/West scrimmage in Edmond, Williams locked down one of the best shooters in the state's 2023 classes. The ceiling for not only Williams, but the Rams as a whole coming into this season is incredibly high. There's no doubt that Owasso is talented, but they are still unproven. They're hungry to show that not only are they the team of the future, but of the present as well.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1552375"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Moving down to Class 5A with our next guard to watch with Southeast freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1552375' first='Davon' last='Chaffin']. The Southeast standout is one that we wrote about quite a few times during the offseason. The Spartans made a run to the Class 5A semifinals a year ago and they bring back the majority of their production from last season. Adding a freshman like Chaffin to the mix is going to give Southeast more depth and ability to not lose any scoring when getting some of their upperclassmen a rest during moments in a game. Chaffin was one of the better players we saw playing on the Prep Hoops Circuit during the summer. He also showed that he can be an impactful player with his high school team already. Chaffin played with the Spartans at various team camps during June and found a way onto the court. Chaffin is definitely a name to keep an eye on as the Spartans will be in the mix again in Class 5A.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["1672779"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"The next guard has a very familiar name in the small school ranks as freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1672779' first='Denton' last='Forsythe'] looks to provide depth and scoring for the defending 2A champions from Dale. The younger brother of star junior [player_tooltip player_id='1367217' first='Dayton' last='Forsythe'], Denton is also looking to make a name for himself on a team that literally has everyone returning from last year's state championship team. So Forsythe is going to be an interesting team to keep track of this season. Not only how much of an impact he has but how he can show what he can do to stand out an individual and not just be grouped into the rest of the team. When teams run into the Pirates this season, a lot of attention will be on Dayton, that could certainly open things up for Denton to make a name for himself. We're looking forward to seeing the Forsythe brothers and the Pirates in the Tournament Of Champions at the end of December in Tulsa.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["1552333"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"It's obviously very early in the high school careers of the 2026 class, but the early frontrunner for best shooter in the class is Community Christian guard [player_tooltip player_id='1552333' first='Destin' last='Edwards']. This sharpshooter can absolutely light it up from beyond the perimeter and should provide the Royals with plenty of scoring this season. Edwards already has the reputation of being an outstanding shooter from outside so he's probably not going to sneak up on anybody this season as that kind of shooting has just become expected of him. And for good reason after what he's done so far in the past month. In one scrimmage recently, Edwards lit it up from beyond three-point range. Not only is he scoring at volume, but he's also being incredibly efficient with his shot selection and accurate when he puts it up. Community Christian is moving up to 4A after a run to the 3A title game and they'll look to remain a contender.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["1552339"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Southmoore is a team that stood out to us during the Broken Arrow scrimmage earlier in November and specifically the guard play was off the charts. One of the young guards that shined during the afternoon was freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id='1552339' first='Kolton' last='Brammer']. The Southmoore standout is definitely in the conversation with Edwards from Community Christian as one of the top shooters in the 2026 class right now. Brammer lit it up from beyond the arc in Broken Arrow and Southmoore's coaches have made sure that we know to keep an eye out for this young standout. The sky is the limit for Brammer as he works his way into a lineup with several senior guards that have a ton of experience coming into this season. The Sabercats seem to be a team in Class 6A that might be considered a dark horse heading into the season, but they definitely have the ability to jump up and surprise a team or two.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["1437034"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"Similar to Forsythe at Dale, we have another 2026 guard who definitely has the DNA to be a high level prospect in the state when it's all said and done. Putnam City North freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id='1437034' first='Mekhi' last='Thomas'] is the younger brother of former PC North point guard Micah Thomas. We got a chance to see Thomas a few times during the summer and he was playing up and showing out. He didn't back down from any challenge during the early July weekend and had a great mix of playmaking ability, getting others involved and scoring. Just like several of the other guard prospects that are joining varsity teams that have quite a few upperclassmen and experienced returners, it will be interesting to see how Thomas makes an impact early on during his freshman season. But after watching him in person this summer and also factoring in the DNA, we're going to go ahead and bet on Thomas to have a successful prep career.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["1552382"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"Our final guard to watch is another 2026 prospect that got on our radar after standing out at the Freshman Showcase in August. Hugo guard [player_tooltip player_id='1552382' first='Quincy' last='Shelton'] was one of the top overall performers at the event and the thing that stood out to us about his game was his on-ball defense. Like we wrote back in August, the thing that's impressive at events like that is seeing how locked in guys are to play defense. And Shelton was arguably the best on-ball defender at the event. Not only does Shelton have the defense to lock up an opponent's point guard, he also showed off plenty of skills on the offensive side of the floor. Shelton is definitely a name worth paying attention to going into this season. He's one of the smaller guards in this group but he's up near the top of the list in terms of his skill set already going into this season.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":7,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6380e3480751b"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->