Oklahoma State Tournament: 15U Day 2 Standouts (Part 2)
The Oklahoma State Tournament kicked on 5/20/2023. It features several talented teams and players, showcasing their talents to find out who is the best. There was a ton of talent throughout, so it was hard to narrow down who made…
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Continue ReadingThe Oklahoma State Tournament kicked on 5/20/2023. It features several talented teams and players, showcasing their talents to find out who is the best. There was a ton of talent throughout, so it was hard to narrow down who made the list. These were the players that stood out the most on day 2 of the event.
Sam Walkowiak
Sam Walkowiak
Sam Walkowiak played well against older competition. He rebounded the ball at a solid clip, evening coming away with a couple of offensive rebounds. He had a few drives that he took to the basket with intensity. His focus helped him finish at the basket, despite the contact. He had a couple of assists in the game, finding the open man and playing unselfish basketball. His defense was good. There was one play that he stole the ball and pushed the pace to draw the foul. It was a solid game for him against older competition.
Nolan Bilby
Nolan Bilby
Nolan Bilby had a great game against older competition. He finished with a double-double for points and rebounds. On the boards, he was aggressive and passionate, fighting and diving for loose balls. He would utilize size or fight to get into position to rebound the ball. He knew how to use his size, driving and finishing over defenders on more than one occasion. There was more than once, that he would position himself well and finish inside. During the game, he also had a couple of blocks. It was a great game for him in multiple areas.
Jayden Pullen
Jayden Pullen
Jayden Pullen showcased a prolific shot , that utilized a smooth release. It is quick, but accurate. I watched him for a game and a half and he was not phased by a late contest. Over the game and a half that I saw, he knocked down five three pointers. This includes the game-tying three that sent his team into overtime and eventually getting the win with seven seconds left. He was not bothered by the pressure. Cool, calm, and composed can describe him as he rose up for that three to tie it. He also showed the ability to score on a drive and with a floater. His impact expanded beyond his shooting ability, as he pulled down several rebounds. It was a great game and a half for him. He has the potential to be one of the best shooters in Oklahoma in three to four years.
Leland Wilson
Leland Wilson
Leland Wilson came out of the gates on fire. He knocked down a couple of threes, was grabbing rebound after rebound despite a size disadvantage, and was making hustle plays. His hotspot that he was doing the most damage was from the corner. He showed the ability to finish inside on a couple of different occasions. What I loved most about his game is that he was willing to dive on the floor for loose balls and was trying to set his teammates up in good positions. He cooled off a bit in the second half, but the other team made some adjustments to focus more on him. It was a solid game from him in this one.
LJ Scott
LJ Scott
LJ Scott played some of the best perimeter defense that I saw this weekend. He was harassing the ball-handler all the way down the court, utilizing his quick footwork and ability to read the ball-handler. While he was harassing the ball-handler, he would use his quick reflexes to force steals. This led to him having four steals in the game. Off of some of these steals, he finished in transition and had an assist. He had a few assist in the game and he also rebounded the ball well for a guard. When I watched him on defense, it reminded me of some elite perimeter defenders like Michael Ray Richardson, Andre Roberson, Lu Dort, and Kawhi Leonard. That is great company to be compared to and something that will always be valuable to the game of basketball.