Grind Region Kickoff: Solid Rock Saturday Standouts
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A quick look at a group of prospects who caught the eye during Saturday’s action at the Prep Hoops Grind Region Kick Off. With four courts and games all day, this is a small selection of the prospects that made…
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Continue ReadingA quick look at a group of prospects who caught the eye during Saturday’s action at the Prep Hoops Grind Region Kick Off. With four courts and games all day, this is a small selection of the prospects that made big time plays on both ends of the court.
Ransome lived at the rim throughout a Saturday morning victory for the Oklahoma Icons. He’s bouncy, with a good second jump that particularly stands out with the way he gets on the offensive glass. But he’s also capable of slamming it home with authority when given a clear lane, and had a nice switch hand finish on a drive as well. Energy and athleticism at his size will always open doors for the Douglass Trojan at the next level. In the game watched, he went 0-2 on catch and shoot threes. But his shooting form and rhythm looked fine. Becoming a consistent floor spacing, catch and shoot threat would help raise the ceiling of Ransom as an interesting hybrid forward type prospect.
Highlights
The 2026 prospect did not look out of place playing at the 17U level, as he was an energetic havoc causer for Next Level Swarm’. He flies all around the court, living in passing lanes or closing with speed as a trapper. His quick hands further help with the steals and deflections. Narty also looks more confident in his offensive game, with an apparent burst and extra gear that shows in transition or when getting downhill on drives. Having a reliable jumper is crucial for smaller guards to make it at the next level, and the Deer Creek guard did look confident with a nice mid-range pull up.
Fresh off a Class 5A State Title, Nash plays with the swagger and attitude of a bigger guard. Especially on the defensive end. He’s a bully defender, who mixes textbook moving of his feet to hound defenders, with the timing to rip out sloppy ball handling. Offensively he did most of his damage on drives. Where he explodes to finish high or gets to the other side of the rim to use it as a deterrent to shotblockers. He even powered through a hard foul for an “And 1” in the final minute that helped put an exclamation point on his squad’s win.
Highlights
Johnson had a “he’s on fire” moment in the second half of the Mindset 17U win. He went back to back to back on three pointers from all over the court. Including at least one that was from college range. The junior has flashed good shot making skills from three over a couple different viewings over the last few months. Along with the barrage of second half threes, he also hit a good 18 footer that set up with a pump fake, and one dribble to relocate.
After a knee injury wiped out a large portion of his junior season, Wallace has shed the bulky knee brace and looks to be making up for lost time. Last summer he was impressive in Grassroots and Team Camp settings as a quality decision maker, who rarely made a mistake and was crafty off the bounce. That was once again apparent, but he added a flame throwing performance from three that helped his Team Griffin Select squad put away a quality opponent in the second half. Look for the BA Tiger to continue to shine this spring in preparations for the next level and a huge senior season for likely one of the Class 6A favorites next fall.
Highlights
After a quieter first half with a focus on the defensive end, Clayborne caught fire from deep in the second half. Helping to turn a close game into a run away victory for the Oklahoma Servants. His gritty mentality is a common sight among 405 guards, with a willingness to do the dirty work as a smaller but physical guard. But if Saturday’s afternoon contest is an indication of his shooting abilities, then he looks set for a big summer of development.
Highlights
The 2026 guard was everywhere on the defensive end for Mindset 16U in a tough battle against Dallas Showtyme. His quick hands and timing allowed him to feast as either a help defender or making plays in the press. Which was a catalyst into instant offense, and saw Sanders improve throughout the game as a scorer at the rim. His combination of quality athleticism and defensive acumen will give him a platform for a strong summer on the 16U circuit before looking to play a bigger role for Norman next winter.