Scouting the State: Mid December Gems
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Emptying out the notebook with notes from a pair of games from last week, plus a look at the guards that made Douglass go in a dominating victory on Tuesday night. Landry Ballard OK #13 CG #6 HEIGHT 6'1" POS…
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Continue ReadingEmptying out the notebook with notes from a pair of games from last week, plus a look at the guards that made Douglass go in a dominating victory on Tuesday night.
Seemingly whenever Ballard wanted to push it in transition he had the combination of burst to pull away from defenders and quickness to navigate through defenders and get to the rim. He’s a smart finisher at the rim, and even hit his trademark floater a couple times. The game breaking shiftiness of the junior isn’t anything new. But now in his third year as a key contributor for the Trojans, he’s looking a more mature floor general in the halfcourt. Playing with more patience, vocal leadership and general poise. His ability to switch from a tempo setting transition pusher to organizing his teammates in then halfcourt will be crucial as Douglass looks to repeat.
It was a complete game for Scott. He nailed his customary catch and shoot threes, while also being comfortable putting it on the floor to get to spots in the mid-range and even pulling from beyond the arc. In the past he often put together most of his points in big spurts that would change games. There were an instance of threes in quick succession, but he spread out his scoring more evenly on Tuesday. Knowing that he has the ability to score 9-12 points in a few minutes, plus the ability to keep attacking and producing for a full 32 minute could lead to some huge point totals for the junior guard this winter.
Along with his scoring, his motor ran hot all game with one particular moment standing out in the second quarter. He crashed the glass hard on the offensive end. While the defender corralled it, Scott was able to knock it loose and get on the floor to force a jump ball. Quality shot making from all of the court and a big time motor, what’s not to like?
Nkem House JR
Nkem House JR
It’s easy to see why the freshman fits into the guard rotation for the Trojans. Mid second quarter when Douglass was finding their groove defensively, he hounded an opposing ballhandler, eventually forcing the player to pick up his dribble, then House poked the ball out of bounds. In that moment, the youngster played with the poise and intensity of an older prospect. A common theme on the night for the 2027 prospect, who rarely seemed to make a mistake or look out of place in what started as an intense game. With solid size and good movements for a young prospect, he’s definitely on the list of 2027 prospects to keep close tabs on.
A trip to the Boomarang Classic was a rare game outside of southern Oklahoma for Kingston, and a perfect chance to get an in-person look at one of the most intriguing prospect in Oklahoma’s senior class. When watching Cason on video for the last year, he’s looks the part with fantastic movement for a player his size. But one thing is often missing from the average broadcast or video of a high school basketball game. Physicality. The stark contrast between watching players in person and on a computer screen has felt even more apparent in recent weeks, so it became a priority to catch a Kingston game in person.
Cason likely won’t ever be confused with a body builder. But he looks like he will be able to put on good weight with natural maturity and a college level training program. And most importantly, he plays with more of an edge than he did the last time I got extended looks at him during the spring of his sophomore to junior year. He runs the floor hard in transition, he digs his way inside to establish position down low. And most importantly, he tries to dunk everything. Late in the game with Kingston chasing points, it was Cason at the top of their zone trapping and chasing smaller guards. He did successful cause havoc, forcing a couple turnovers. Which speaks to just how mobile and agile he is for his size.
If the southern Oklahoma prospect played in either of the two metro areas of Oklahoma, the buzz around him would be quite loud. As is, with his high upside and high academic profile, Cason is shaping up to be one the best long term bets for success among the Oklahoma seniors.
“It’s not who starts, it’s who finishes.” The sophomore is a great example of this concept. Because it’s apparent the energy and change of pace he brings off the bench, that the injection of Robinson off the bench is crucial for his team. And in the win over Enid, it was the second viewing of a Santa Fe contest this short season where “Money” was on the court in money time in the fourth.
In the third quarter, Santa Fe had coughed up a first half lead and Robinson played a key role in bringing them back. In the fourth he read a baseline out of bounds play to jump the pass, he bounced the ball off an opponent as he was going out of bounds, which eventually lead to a big transition score to spark the Wolves. A few minutes later, Robinson would drill a big three pointer that would tie the contest. With his heady play, the sophomore has a knack of producing big moments that already helps his team swing losses to wins.
A physical bully guard, Schilreff’s 16 points helped Byng to a win and a third place finish at the Boomarang classic at Dale. He understands how to identify a mismatch. With the ability to post up smaller defenders on the block and earn easy points for his team. While also being able to finish with either hand on drives. His hard nose mentality also translates to the defensive end.
The junior is turning into a physical guard with a strong frame. There were flashes of him using his strength to get downhill in the first half, and he then put it all together for a great third quarter. He has a floater that on Saturday was working out to 10-12 feet, while also being able to take contact on drives. What really got him rolling in the third was making plays on the defensive end and turning them into transition points. Once the momentum of that got rolling, he even connected from distance.
Davis left it on the court with battles in the paint on offense and defense. He struggled with finishing around rim in the contest, occasionally hitting a good hook shot or strong finish. But in his third game in three days, the junior definitely let some points on the board. But he kept battling for rebounds and showed good instincts and timing when contesting shots. Davis did a great job of staying vertical and not fouling when contesting, which allows him to play bigger than his 6 foot 6 size. Hopefully in future viewings, the Plainsman is a more efficient scorer, because he does have a strong foundation with his motor and defensive instincts.