RUN Showcase: Small Town Gems
Last weekend’s RUN Showcase provided a great opportunity to get a look at under-recruited small town prospects from all over Oklahoma. Here’s a rundown of a few of the prospects from all over Oklahoma that turned heads at the event.…
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Continue ReadingLast weekend’s RUN Showcase provided a great opportunity to get a look at under-recruited small town prospects from all over Oklahoma. Here’s a rundown of a few of the prospects from all over Oklahoma that turned heads at the event. From a few 2024s that need college looks to a group of 2025s with promising upside.
One of the top pure shooters in attendance, the Perkins-Tyrone standout is an active hunter for his shots. From running the floor hard in transition to set up good looks from three and easy looks at the rim, to movements to open spots in the halfcourt, Shepherd has the look of an elite shooter. And on Saturday, his efficiency backed it up. With his height and lanky build, he has the potential for good defensive versatility to compliment his floor spacing ability. Shooting is always a priority, and he could be a big get for college programs willing to take chances on small school standouts.
Hidalgo at first glance appears to be a stretch forward at 6 foot 7. Some size to battle around the rim, the occasional three. But there’s a little more upside as a versatile perimeter weapon for the standout from Hooker. He’s developed the ability to put it on the floor in spurts. There were a few instances of him putting it on the floor for a few dribbles to move to openings after a defender close outs. Hidalgo even looked good as a ball handler in a couple ball screen situations, one time even having the patience to keep his dribble alive and eventually fire a great pass to a cutting teammate. To be more of a perimeter player at the next level, he’ll need to improve his foot speed as a defender but the promise of skill and size is a great starting point.
One of the biggest surprises at the event, the lead guard has next level size and athleticism that pops off the court with first glance. He has the quickness and body control to go along with his size to be a true weapon off the bounce. His change of direction and offensive feel had a couple moments where he put defenders in the blender to gain separation on mid-range and on floaters. Some players just appear to have “it” at a first glance, Bernard very well could be a great example of that. While he plays at the small school ranks, he still could be the watch for college programs looking for a gem in the Class of 2025.
Gary Raney
Gary Raney
A lanky forward prospect, Raney has a sneaky skilled game. When matched with another strong post player, he consistently pulled him away from the basket with his solid catch and shooting ability. On post ups, he’s not currently the strongest, but his big wingspan plus shooting touch allows him to still get quality looks on hook/fadeway type shots. Add in some promise as a rim protector and the southern Oklahoma standout has traits that college coaches look for when trying to add post depth.
Athletic and aggressive, Cowns was always looking for opportunities to make hustle plays. From skying for defensive and offensive rebounds, to chasing loose balls, his fingerprints were left all over each game he played. The McLoud junior also wowed with a couple dunks in transition, which were “easy points” created by his hard work. If his motor, athleticism and the occasional three were any indication, he’s shaping up to have a huge junior campaign for Class 4A McLoud.
Highlights
A newcomer to the small school ranks, the new Idabel Warrior was one of the more productive guards at the camp. While Sumo has good quickness and flashed some playmaking ability, he was at his best as an off the dribble scoring weapon. He consistently created space for quality looks in the mid-range and beyond the arc. There’s microwave scoring potential for Sumo to light up gyms in southeastern Oklahoma.