Scouting the State: Small School Standouts
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The last round of in-season tournament for Oklahoma is taking place this week. With it brings some opportunity to see unique match ups from the small school ranks. Find out who were some of the stars from today’s action among…
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Continue ReadingThe last round of in-season tournament for Oklahoma is taking place this week. With it brings some opportunity to see unique match ups from the small school ranks. Find out who were some of the stars from today’s action among teams that are aiming to be at the Big House in March.
The hero of the night for the Pirates. Schilreff started the game with physical drives and post ups. Before turning into an one man wrecking crew down the stretch. It started when his heady defensive instincts allowed him to successful double the ball, produce a steal and race out for a two handed dunk. From that point forward he was nearly unstoppable, draining big off the dribble threes and getting to the rim with tough scores. Including a go ahead old fashion 3 point play in the closing moments. The senior would score 23 points, over half of them coming in the closing moments of the game. It was the type of performance that is often seen by seniors in “win or go home” playoff games next month.
From the opening tip, Freeman pushed the tempo and found ways to take advantage of the Pirates’ defense. He has that lead guard knack of being able to push it off defensive rebounds and even able to push it off makes from the opposition. In the opening frame he lived in the lane, with points at the rim and creating for teammates with his drives. The junior does an outstanding job of being able to manipulate the defense by initiating contact and similar traits that allows smaller guards to succeed against giants.
Eventually, Byng was able to slow down the breakneck pace that Freeman played at. But he still continued to do damage with threes and finding spots in the congested halfcourt. Generally he’s an outstanding ballhandler, who seemingly always plays under control But he did have a few rare mistakes late where he tried to do a little too much down the stretch. One played involved a turnover when he attempted to split a double team. And another where he went baseline and his passing attempt got walled off, and deflected. The second in particular will be an interesting watch since the passing windows will be tighter at the next level.
Still, Freeman has an unflappable playing style and even drilled an off the dribble three in the final minute that tied up the game. He also had a chance to tie it late from deep, but didn’t get as clean of a look as he did the possession before and missed it. The junior finished with a game high 27 points.
The sense of the senior urgency seems to be kicking in for Williams as he looks set to play a key role in putting the Falcons in contention for their third straight 3A title. He continues to impress with toughness for his skinny frame and more explosiveness on his drives. He’s turning into a dynamic slasher and was the Falcon who got to the rim and drew the foul with the game tied in the closing seconds. He calmly drilled both free throws, which gave his team the opening round win at the John Nobles Tournament.
The junior seems to be maturing from a sharpshooting specialist into more of an all around guard. This was most apparent in the second quarter when he had a strong burst of havoc causing (steals and blocks) on the defensive end. It’s the second straight game when Davis had a strong spurt where he appeared to be everywhere and impacting the game in a major way. The next step in his development from good to great will involve more sustained and longer periods of influence. When he seems more capable as he can now punish the defense more with improved driving ability.
McCollister is a cool customer at the guard spot with a smooth game that allowed him to weather the pressure that the Falcons threw at him. In the half court, he’s able to slip by defenders and it’s seemingly automatic if he’s able to get 4-6 feet out with a consistent floater. Willing to play off the ball as well, that gave him more driving opportunities and even knocked down open jumpers. The senior made some clutch plays late in a close contest, with his Cougars falling just short in their bid to take down the 405 squad.
Highlights
Jaben Bray
Jaben Bray
Andarko has been one of the steadier teams in Class 4A, earning a top 10 ranking with balanced play. In this contest it was Bray who had a game high 19 points. He’s a steady off guard who can connect from distance and provided a strong early scoring punch for the Indians to build an early lead before they eventually ran away with the contest.
Trenton Walker Trenton Walker 5'11" | PG Andarko | 2025 State OK
Trenton Walker Trenton Walker 5'11" | PG Andarko | 2025 State OK
One of the key parts in keeping Andarko’s balanced offensive attack rolling is the junior guard. He’s a ball mover, who often makes the simple little plays that add up to a big impact. From pitching it ahead in transition, post entry passes and more he was the straw that stirred the Indians’ drink. When called upon he did hit a few shots on his way to 9 points, including cutting to an open corner to end the first half with a corner three.
The small town guard is one of the members of a promising Class of 2027 in Oklahoma that is starting to make waves. He’s a well drilled freshman with a good handle, who leaned on spin moves and eurosteps to navigate through traffic. Summers looked comfortable and fluid stepping into his shots off the dribble from distance as well. He has a good foundation and will be interesting to watch as he grows.