PH Top 250 Expo: Team 8 Evaluations
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One more in the team by team breakdown series from last Sunday’s Top 250 Expo, this time it’s a spotlight on team 8. Alex Alston Alex Alston 6'8" | PF Destiny Christian | 2024 State OK Alston surely has to…
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Continue ReadingOne more in the team by team breakdown series from last Sunday’s Top 250 Expo, this time it’s a spotlight on team 8.
Alston surely has to be shaping up to be one of the more sought after developmental stretch forward 2024 prospects in Oklahoma. For the second straight weekend, he proved there is more steel to his game with the way he’s setting screens, battling for rebounds, running the floor hard and attempting to assert himself in the paint. He’s still not a finished product, as there were moments he needs to be stronger with the ball, and needs to continue to improve his foot speed. But for a prospect like Alston, it’s not about what they are as a player at this exact moment. It’s what he could be in 18 months. The Destiny Christian Wildcat is mixing his shooting ability with the “want to” and now it’s on a college program to believe in him and bring out the further steps in his evolution.
London Smith –
After a quieter first game, the Bridge Creek standout came alive from beyond the the arc in the second contest. The lefty pulled from a few steps behind the arc with confidence and hit a three that would be a sign of things to come. Smith is developing a wide array of dribble moves to create separation to hit from distance, including a nice, smooth snatch back three. A newcomer to Bridge Creek, it will be worth watching this winter to see if Smith has a breakout sophomore season as a small town sniper.
JaShawn Davison –
After starting the camp with good moments in a variety of ways, Haydon finished the event showing he’s got more juice than just being a solid role player. From concise, quick moves to hit from distance to even a couple slams, the El Reno Indian hinted at a strong upside down the road. Before he ended with a flash, he was a Swiss Army knife type. Playing passing lanes, solid driving to the rim, even blocking a shot on the perimeter, gathering the loose ball and scoring himself. It looks like there’s some grit to go with the potential of flash for the Class of 2026 prospect.
A lead guard that was always in attack mode, Russell grabbed defensive boards to push it in transition and another time was rewarded for his hustle with a good putback in transition. His handle looked solid and along with trying to get to the rim, he hit a good pull up 12 footer. The energy he plays with is a net positive, but it led to some wildness and turnovers. From the occasional wild pass to trying to split a double team with his handle, Russell had moments of not valuing the ball. Still the energy the Moore Lion plays with is a plus as he gears up to help his high school make their third straight 6A State Tournament.
The small town sophomore from Okay set the tone early with aggressiveness on defense. He’s a good athlete that was jumping passing lanes and looking to play uptempo. He has some wiggle and pop when attacking downhill, and it’s easy to see why he averaged 15 a game as a freshman for the Class A semifinalists, Okay Mustangs. If anything he looks ready to take another leap as a scorer, all while maintaining a defensive impact and being the type of player to pass up a good shot to get his teammate a great shot.
Another small town standout, Jubara has a good patient game when attacking. He had some moments on drives, from at one point showing more burst than expected on a finish to another time using patience and pump fake to draw the foul. Long term the western Oklahoma standout will need to improve his foot speed as at times it looks like he was playing flat footed and was bothered by quicker guards.