Oklahoma Freshman Showcase: Top Defenders

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Hoops hosted the Freshman Showcase in Edmond, Oklahoma on Saturday, August 26. This event featured a lot of great freshman from across the state of Oklahoma. With around 80 players across eight teams formulating the roster, there was some great talent. Here is the evaluations of the top defenders from the event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":2142426,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='2135864' first='Oliver' last='D. Wallace']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027 ","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'9u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"77246","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Booker T. Washington","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Pinnacle Academy 2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='2135864' first='Oliver' last='D. Wallace'] made a massive impact on the defensive end. While several other players were trying to show off their skills on offense, Wallace was bringing an unmatchable tenacity on the defensive end. He was harassing the ball-handler continually and playing great perimeter defense. He came away with steals from both playing the passing lanes and poking the ball away from the ball-handler. It is between him and one other player as the best perimeter defender at the showcase. His impact went beyond his defense, as he showed the ability to knock down a pull-up jumper and to finish inside off of a drive.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_1_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='2327618' first='Daniel' last='Creepingbear']","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_1_player_details_graduating_class":"2027 ","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_1_player_details_height":"6'1u0022","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_1_player_details_position":"77247","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_1_player_details_school":"Riverside Indian School","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_1_player_details_club_team":"[program_tooltip program_id='2078402' first='Team' last='Griffin']","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_1_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='2327618' first='Daniel' last='Creepingbear'] is a player that has shown great offensive skill and shooting ability at other events, which he also flashed here. At this showcase, he tried to show his ability to lock down the best players on the other team. He was very successful at this, as he was one of the best two-way players at the event. Creepingbear in one game alone came away with multiple blocks and multiple steals. He had an emphatic block on one possession and then was coming up with a steal and scoring in transition a minute later. It was remarkable seeing what he was capable of, as he was constantly hustling and bringing aggressiveness. He showed that he has a high motor, as he did this in all three games.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":2144005,"_player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='2140774' first='Merrick' last='Gregory']","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"6'3u0022","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"77247","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"Dickson Public School","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_2_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='2140774' first='Merrick' last='Gregory'] showed the ability to score inside and to knock down mid-range jumpers. That is just scratching the service of his impact. He grabbed several rebounds and would fire a good outlet pass to a teammate in transition for an assist. On defense, he was playing the passing lanes, utilizing his length and awareness to come up with steals. These steals would then turn into fastbreak points, more often than not. It was a great showcase by him, as he did these things in multiple games.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["2140782"],"_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":"[player_tooltip player_id='2140782' first='Pierson' last='Vanlandingham'] played extremely well in the couple of games that I saw him. Throughout both games, he was a rebounding machine. I think he pushed 10+ rebounds in both games. These rebounds would turn into second chance points or good outlet passes a lot of the time. He showed the ability to score inside and he knocked down multiple three pointers in one game. Outside of that, he was utilizing his great length and size advantage to come away with several blocks. If he was not blocking the shot, he was affecting it to force a miss majority of the time. He provided a good interior presence that could score and set his teammates up in transition. Despite not being the most athletic, his I.Q and skillset helped him make a big impact. I would say that he was playing similar to how Bill Walton played.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='2140741' first='Ezekiel' last='Wehr']","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"6'4u0022","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"77243","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"Epic Charter","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"[program_tooltip program_id='2075773' first='Oklahoma' last='Wolfpack'] 2027","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_4_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='2140741' first='Ezekiel' last='Wehr'] brings great size for his age, in which he knew how to use it. He was utilizing his length to lock down the paint and affect shots. Not only did he have good shot contests, he was coming up with some big blocks. He rebounded efficiently and would turn offensive rebounds into second-chance points. His offensive game expanded beyond that, as he showed the ability to hit a pull-up jumper, knock down free-throws, and to utilize his size to finish inside. It was a good all-around performance over the two games that I saw him.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-64ee60c86bfe5"} /-->