Witnessed: Week 2: Top Scorers/Shooters
In this article:
I watched two games this week: Bixby vs Sand Springs and Muskogee vs Union. To start off, Bixby narrowly escaped a resilient Sand Springs team that came ready to play. Bixby has several good commits, including the #2 ranked player…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingI watched two games this week: Bixby vs Sand Springs and Muskogee vs Union. To start off, Bixby narrowly escaped a resilient Sand Springs team that came ready to play. Bixby has several good commits, including the #2 ranked player in the state: Parker Friedrichsen Parker Friedrichsen 6'4" | SG Bixby | 2023 State #165 Nation OK . Sand Springs has a pretty young roster, only having five seniors listed on the roster. Parker showed every ounce of why he is the #2 ranked prospect in the state, as he was able to perform in front of the Notre Dame coach, where he is committed. The coach got his money worth to say the least. As for the Union and Muskogee game, it was close at halftime, but Union’s phenomenal junior trio showed to be too much for Muskogee, as they pulled away for an easy victory.
Parker Friedrichsen Parker Friedrichsen 6’4″ | SG Bixby | 2023 State #165 Nation OK put on an absolute show, showing why he is the #2 player in the state. He scored an efficient 40 points, leading his team to a 77-72 win over Sand Springs. At half-time he had 21 points, then he had 28 at the end of the third quarter, before scoring another 12 points in the fourth quarter to help close out the game. He is an elite shooter from both mid-range and three-point range. He also showed the ability to knock down his free-throws, shooting 15/16 from the line. He is not just a catch and shoot player either, as he showed the ability to knock down the three off of the dribble or to put the ball on the deck and hit a floater inside the paint. He showed multiple times throughout this game that he can score at the basket, finishing for multiple and-ones: both off of the offensive rebound and driving to the basket. During the game, he showed some sneaky handles and athleticism. On more than one occasion, he left the defender in the dust with some insane dribble moves that faked out multiple defenders. There was one play that he broke the defender’s ankles, before driving across the paint and dunking it with authority. His game expands beyond his offensive game, as he played good on-ball defense and came up with multiple steals. There is a reason why several notable schools offered him, including: OU, Oklahoma State, Memphis, and Iowa.
Highlights
The younger brother of Parker Friedrichsen Parker Friedrichsen 6’4″ | SG Bixby | 2023 State #165 Nation OK , Luke Friedrichsen Luke Friedrichsen 6’0″ | PG Bixby | 2024 State OK showed some flashes on the offensive end with shooting the ball. He knocked down a couple of threes in this one. He has a smooth jump shot and nice release to guide the ball. To go along with the two three-pointers, he shot 4/4 from the free throw line. This helped him finish with 10 points and he had a steal to go along with it. He played solid on-ball defense in this one and showed hustle by diving for the ball.
Triston Driver Triston Driver 6’0″ | PG Bixby | 2025 State OK made a big impact on both sides of the court. On offense, he was scoring at the rim, in transition, and showed the ability to shoot. He knocked down a few mid-range shots and also a three- pointer when the defense closed out slightly late. He ended the game with 15 points. On defense, he had a huge impact. He was a pest to the ball handler, harassing him continually and coming up with multiple steals. He stole the ball by playing the passing lanes and scored in transition, stole the ball from the ball-handler and then drew the foul- where he went 2/2 from the free throw line, and he came up with a steal and found an open shooter in transition. I felt like every time I looked up in the second half, he was on the floor. He plays with hustle and heart, which leads to him diving for the ball. He had a big impact on both ends of the court.
Highlights
Alijah Roper
Alijah Roper
Alijah Roper had a good game and was a key reason in why his team was in a close ball game. He scored 19 points, as his team lost 72-77. He showed the ability to act as a playmaker and to score. He used a nice hesitation move to get to the rim and finish. A big part of his scoring came from knocking down threes, as he hit three of them. He showed the ability to create, as he knocked down an off-the-dribble three pointer. To end the first quarter, he made a phenomenal pass to an open shooter in the corner through a double team. This resulted in an assist. He also had multiple other assists with perfectly placed passes in this one. One thing about him is that he is shifty and knows how to use that to his advantage. Either to get to the rim and draw the foul, create an open shot, or to set up a teammate for an assist. To go along with this good offensive performance, he had a steal, as well. It was a good game for him.
Michael Foster
Michael Foster
Michael Foster put on a shooting clinic in the second half to keep his team in this game, before eventually falling short 72-77. He is the leading scorer for the Sandites on the season and showed why in this one. In the game, he shot 6 for 9 from the field and 6 for 9 from three point range (66.67%). He displays a smooth shooting form that he a beauty to watch. It was an impressive shooting performance for him. To go along with the 18 points, he had a steal, as well.
Jamarian Ficklin
Jamarian Ficklin
Jamarian Ficklin is the #7 ranked football recruit for the class of 2025, but he showed that he can excel at more than one sport in this one. He is athletic and quick, which showed with his ability to blow by the defender and get to the rim. Almost all of his points (12 points) came from him getting to the rim and scoring. A couple of them were easy, as he scored off of his steal. Others he had to earn, like getting to the rim and finishing over the tallest player in the state: 7’1 Erik Madrid Erik Madrid 7’1″ | C Union | 2024 State OK . He came up with a couple of rebounds and a block in this one, as well as a few steals. It was an impressive finishing display from him.
Cedric Dixon Cedric Dixon 6’3″ | SG Grind Prep | 2024 State #323 Nation OK is one of the best shooters in the state and ranked as the #17 ranked junior in the state for a reason. He was flat out impressive, as he showed off a masterpiece jump shot. He knocked down several threes in this one (I recorded 4 of them), showing range as some of them were deep threes. He played phenomenal perimeter defense and came up with multiple steals. One of these steal resulted in finish at the other end. Shooting is not all that he can do, as he showed the ability to pass the ball. He fired a perfectly placed pass to Erik Madrid Erik Madrid 7’1″ | C Union | 2024 State OK (tallest player in the state at 7’1) for an and-one. This is a player that is an amazing 3-and-D type guy and has the ability to expand to be a great all-around player.
Dalen Fuller Dalen Fuller 6’4″ | CG Union | 2024 State OK was amazing in this one and showed why he is the #18 ranked junior in the state. He finished with a game high 20 points and made a big impact defensively, as well. He played sensational defense on a regular basis, which resulted in multiple steals. There were some times that he came up with a steal and finished at the other end. One of the times, he stole the ball and finished with a crazy dunk. On defense, he had a great shot contest that forced an air-ball, as well as other great shot contest. He also blocked a shot off of the backboard in transition. On offense, he finished several times at the rim, one of them being an alley-oop dunk. Most of his points came at the rim, but he also showed the ability to hit a three pointer or mid-range jumper. If I was to choose a player of the game in this one, it would be Dalen Fuller Dalen Fuller 6’4″ | CG Union | 2024 State OK , because of his dominance on both ends of the court.