OK State 17U Game Changers

Michael Knight

May 18, 2022 @ 08:08 AM

The Oklahoma State Tournament has come to an end and we saw plenty of good basketball in the Oklahoma City area. I was posted up at the Solid Rock facility, watching the 17U division and we had some competitive basketball throughout the weekend. And during the tournament, several players rose to the top with their performance on Saturday and Sunday. In this post, we take a look at the best of the best that we saw throughout the weekend. Stay tuned to Prep Hoops Oklahoma for more coverage of the two-day event in the OKC area.

Aiden Leckband Aiden Leckband 6'0" Frisco Independence | 2023 TX – 2023 Guard – Frisco Independence
(Played With Jayhawks Elite)

It’s hard to argue that any team had a better weekend than Jayhawks Elite out of Texas. They went 4-0, won three of those games by over 20 points and won the gold championship on Sunday. They had a complete team, even though the roster wasn’t very deep. Four of their five starters averaged in double figures so picking just one player was tough. But we settled on 2023 guard Aiden Leckband Aiden Leckband 6'0" Frisco Independence | 2023 TX . He was their leading scorer throughout the tournament, averaging nearly 20 points per game. It was clear that this team was loaded and any player could go off during any stretch of the game. But Leckband was the most consistent every time they stepped on the floor. He dropped 19 points in each of their first two games on Saturday and continued to be in double figures on Sunday.

Cameron Smith – 2023 Guard – Moore
(Played With Black Diamonds)

Sticking to the similar philosophy of consistency throughout the tournament with our next pick. The Black Diamonds had a strong showing as well during the tournament but it seemed like every time we checked out one of their games, Moore 2023 guard Cameron Smith was not only playing well but he appeared to be in complete control of the game. And the stat sheet backs it up. Smith scored in double figures in all four games during the tournament and looked to be not only a scoring point guard but a playmaking point guard. We mentioned him being in control and he made things look easy at times running things on offense. Smith would get his teammates involved but also get easy offense by forcing turnovers on the defensive side of the ball.

Cole Allen Cole Allen 6'5" | SG McAlester | 2023 State OK – 2023 Forward – Pittsburg
(Played With Built Different)

I wrote about 2023 forward Cole Allen Cole Allen 6'5" | SG McAlester | 2023 State OK on Saturday night after he was one of our standouts from day one. Allen then came back and played incredibly well again on Sunday and earned his way onto this list of game changers. Most of Built Different’s squad features small town prospect and Allen is one of them. And as I wrote on Saturday, it seems like every time I see Allen in person, I wonder why more people aren’t talking about him. He has good size and his game is very advanced. He’s a legit forward that has guard skills and can play inside or outside with ease. It appears that he’s more comfortable on the perimeter and when he gets going with the shot, he’s tough to stop. Allen was very impressive once again throughout the weekend.

DJ Dill – 2024 Guard – Caddo
(Played With H&H Elite)

H&H Elite’s 16U squad played up in the 17U division over the weekend and a new addition put them immediately in contention. Caddo 2024 guard DJ Dill is a ’24 prospect that might not have as much pub as some of the other 2024 prospects but it’s only a matter of time. Dill is an incredibly talented and efficient guard and in my opinion, he’s getting up there with the other top guards in the 2024 class. Dill is a good shooter but that’s not his number one or even number two move. Before he settles for a jumper, Dill will try to get to the basket and he was nearly impossible to stay in front of. He also gets his teammates involved when defenses crash down to stop him. His ball-handling is strong and he’s in complete control at a feverish pace.

Nathan Lancaster – 2023 Guard – Norman North
(Played With Oklahoma Runners)

Our final prospect is another 2023 guard as Norman North’s Nathan Lancaster had a strong showing from start to finish while playing with the Oklahoma Runners. During the tournament, the Runners had several players step up and have big performances. But Lancaster was lights out on Saturday and it continued throughout the tournament. Lancaster started out the tournament on a red hot start. In their first two games, Lancaster dropped 23 and 22 points respectively. Lancaster was a guard that not only was a consistent scoring threat but he got his teammates involved. Oklahoma Runners could absolutely fill it up as a team and several players had big performances but Lancaster seemed to be the engine that drove the squad.