The eastern Oklahoma standout spent the first two EYBL sessions finding his feet. As he only had flashes of the outstanding scoring that has made him one of the most exciting players in watch Oklahoma. In July, he was settled in and getting to work with a Legynds squad that reached reach Peach Jam. He attacked off the bounce with confidence and swagger, allowing him to hit giant killer shots over bigs or absorb contact and still finish “And 1s”.  Add in deep shooting and it was great to see Owens find his form against the nation’s best.

Good luck to Eastern Oklahoma when it comes time to slow down Owens this winter. 

Owens led the game with 20 points and was efficient as a below the rim finisher with a couple crafty layups in traffic at the rim. Owens was tough to stop at the point of attack and showed impressive body control at the rim avoiding shot blockers. Owens was also incredibly active and the ball found him in the right spots whether it was off a missed shot or loose ball. Owens was named third team Super 5 in Oklahoma as a sophomore and should see an increase in his recruitment following this weekend. 

Owens settled in more this past weekend at the national level. Helped his team with a hard earned Friday night OT victory by scoring in double figures and even getting on the glass. Was more decisive and confident off the dribble than in he was in Memphis. Including a great two foot stop and score in the previously mentioned overtime. That was his best game of the weekend, but he still had promising moments throughout the four games. It was good to see the prolific scorer at the high school level start to find more of his usual swagger in Kansas City. And going against the speed and athleticism of the 16U level should make Oklahoma feel slow for a player who already can score with the best of them in Oklahoma.

The 5’10 guard finished this season with the most points in school history at 639. Owens scored 20 points in the title game loss to Millwood and looks to be the best player in 3A heading into next season. Damonte has a sweet left-handed stroked from outside and compliments that well with his ability to handle the basketball. He is a willing passer and is able to find teammates that have even the smallest openings within the defense. Owens averaged over 24 points per game this season and will look to build off his ability to attack going left next season.

Even on a court with three of Oklahoma’s best seniors, there were moments that the sophomore was the best player in the game. He took it right at the best defense in the state, putting on a show to start the game. Unbelievable balance and core strength for his age and height, able to take the bumps from older players and navigate his way to the rim or hitting in the mid-range. Only hit one triple in the contest, but have seen him have serious range from deep before. Clearly after two high school seasons he’s one of the best players in Oklahoma, regardless of class.

Another evening rematch pitted Roland heading to Sequoyah Tahlequah. These two teams met in Roland to start the season, with the Rangers winning by just three points. Roland had won five in a row coming in and looked to continue playing well. Owens was a big reason why the Rangers jumped all over Indians early and never looked back. The sophomore seems to play his best in the toughest matchups. His ability to keep opposing defenders on their heels was evident early and often. Owens showed an ability to blow past defenders, which set up his outside shot. From there, he continued to play aggressively, getting downhill and finding teammates while also putting his floater to good use as help defenders tried to impede his drives to the basket. Owens does an incredible job of letting the game come to him while also being aggressive when he reads the defense. When he is decisive early in games, his teammates gain a lot of confidence and seem to follow his lead.

Owens has his Rangers undefeated and ranked second in Class 3A. Last Thursday, they hosted the third ranked Chargers and the Ranger came out gunning. Was pulling from DEEP and hitting, leading to an early lead. After his deep shooting cooled off, he kept Roland up by attacking the rim. On drives he has quick first step, very good balance and control to snake around defenders. Finishes with either hands. Including on floaters in the 4-6 foot range. One of his biggest scores came in the fourth, an old fashion three point play. Where he took the bump, stayed in the air and still finished. He may be young, but he simply scores like an upperclassman.

Owens is a bucket. Plain and simple. Capable of catching fire from deep. Can score with “giant killing” finishes on drives. He profiles as a 2,000+ point career scorer, and already has led Roland to one State Tournament appearance. Producing wins and being a leader are always desirable traits to college coaches. And his sheer ability to shoot the ball from deep could tilt the scales into him becoming a higher level recruit.

The rising eastern Oklahoma standout has played up with the 17U Hoyas and never looked out of place. In fact, he seemed to process the game quicker than a lot of the opposition. Outstanding handles and great vision allows him to thrive as a set up man. While also still finding time to get a bucket or two. Especially with his microwave ability to string together multiple off the dribble threes in a hurry. Smooth and in control, exciting young guard.

Crafty and smart, Owens has already won acclaim for his eastern Oklahoma program by leading them to the Class 3A State Tournament. He’s equally capable of scoring in bunches or playing set up man for his teammates. One of the best dribblers in the class, especially when factoring in his poise. Plays fast but never looks out of control, capable of shifting gears when attacking the mid-range with ball fakes and strong footworrk. His long range shooting ability is a crucial part of his profile, with the ability to stretch the floor. Like the headiness he plays with on defense, will be important for him to be an active nuisance on that end of the floor to counteract his smaller height.