David Douglass will be a name to mention in this GPOY conversation. He has been putting up some crazy stats this season and has been consistent while doing so. The sophomore already holds offers from Arizona State, ORU, and UT Arlington.

Douglass is a crafty guard who possesses elite speed. To add to that, he plays with poise and under control, giving him the ability to change pace at any time. He is a natural scorer who can score from anywhere on the floor. He is physical and plays fearless on both sides of the ball.

Douglass’ numbers prove why he deserves to be in the conversation for Gatorade Player of the Year.

If picking any Oklahoma sophomore to go win a high school or AAU game right now, the clear pick would be “Bubba D”. He’s a rare competitor in this current age of basketball. Often rising to the occasion in the biggest moments and playing with an edge that is refreshing to watch. The edge is most apparent on the defensive end when he turns turnovers into automatic points for himself or teammates. He has explosive and acrobatic finishes around the rim, a nasty mid-range pull game and showtime passing to his teammates. Those traits make Douglas a blast to watch, especially when combined with his competitive nature. His three point shooting can be streaky, but he does appear to be improving at it this season. For his long term potential, he’ll need to become more of a traditional half court point guard. Or he could possibly appeal to the right college system that prioritizes tempo and flexibility.

Bubba D is an all action guard. He gambles on defense, but has a near supernatural sense for it. Made a couple key steals in the second half when gambling in EC’s zone. Which is key for his success, as transition is where he thrives. But he had some good moments in the halfcourt too. When he’s set and under control, he can hit deeper threes or get to the rim.

A problem he ran into in the game is East Central spent much of the game chasing from behind. Which led to some out of control play for Douglass. Especially when they got down double digits, even on stream could tell he was pressing. And instead of stringing consistent production to chip away at the lead, some of his decisions felt like he was trying to hit a homerun. And get it all back at once.

East Central was a little slow out of the gates, then David Douglas David Douglas 6'1" | PG East Central | 2028 State OK happened. It felt like “Bubba D” create a 15-2 type second quarter run out of nowhere. He scored for part of it, including a transition dunk. But his transition playmaking and havoc causing defense directly led to more easy points for his teammates. Was credited with a triple double for his efforts. And his ability to turn defensive rebounds into transition opportunities makes his rebounds even more impactful. The absolute engine and heart for the talented Cardinals, who can produce even when plays aren’t ran for him.

Douglas is the current top dog in Oklahoma’s Class of 2028 for a variety of reasons. There’s the fact that he plays like a dog on both ends of the court. He always stands out as an athletic and aggressive “energy giver”. But he also has the most poise in the class. There’s the highlight reel plays in transition. There was a spin move that he hit on a fast break that was simply “wow”. But he showed the savviness by helping his team adjust to a zone. He did that on Sunday morning by going to the high post and moving to the openings. Where he’s nearly automatic in the mid-range. Or made the right reads to open teammates. It’s little aspects like that speak to how complete of a guard he already is. To put it simply, “Bubba D” is one of those dudes.

Oklahoma’s headliner for the Class of 2028 has always played the game with an advanced feel. Skilled handles, fantastic vision and scoring punch when needed. Complete with an infectious energy that his teammates for LEGYNDS 15U seem to thrive and feed off. Especially now as his bounce is starting to fully come in, providing rim rattling highlights at the rim. They’re an uptempo and athletic bunch, with Douglas at the controls as the ringleader, table setter and scorer himself.

There’s hard to pinpoint a weakness in the talented youngsters’ game. After a touch and go freshman season, “Bubba D” is cleared for take off with a national schedule that heats up in May.

While Douglas missed a chunk of his freshman season due to eligibility rules following a mid-season transfer, it still ended with a State Tournament appearance for a rising program. It’s also very apparent how dynamic “Bubba D” is with the ball in his hands. He’s not only a dynamic scorer, but also as a teammate elevator who gives energy and high percentage looks with his passing. He pushes the tempo to create easy scores, and also can get paint touches in the halfcourt to set up teammates. There’s always a feel of excitement when the ball is in his hands. With a complete game and one of the more advanced basketball education of any Oklahoma freshman, Douglas will continue to be a very appealing option to college coaches.

It’s no surprise that the quick processing, charismatic lead guard is at the top of the class. He played up nationally at the 15U level with Team Griffin , and it’s hard to pinpoint a hole in his game. There’s great vision and processing speed with how he sees the game. He’s a hunter on defense, with quick hands and instincts. As a scorer, there’s the developing foundation as a three level scorer, with off the dribble jumpers or crafty rim finishing. It only takes a viewing or two of “Bubba D” to watch how he carries himself, plays and communicates on the court to see he has “it” when it comes to being a big time guard.

Douglas plays with great vision and processing for his age. Was the best for GRIND at getting downhill, and kicking out to shooters. Knows how to misdirect with his eyes and fire off quick touch passes. It was good to see him to still find ways to impact the game, as his usually efficient scorer was off on the night. Still earned some trips to the line and had a big time contested finish late. One of Oklahoma’s brightest young talents.

David Douglas David Douglas 6'1" | PG East Central | 2028 State OK is a physically dominant guard who looked far more developed than the majority of freshman guards across the state. His strength on offense is attacking the rim as he is explosive both laterally and vertically but stands out with the level of control that he uses on the interior. Douglas also shot the ball consistently from deep throughout the summer and will undoubtably turn heads if it carries over into the high school season. He is set to play his freshman season for Grind Prep and should be given a decent opportunity to make a quick impact early into his high school career. His very mature game should continue to grow alongside his physical tools as he continues to draw attention from college coaches as he is given more exposure.