2023 Rankings – A Closer Look at the Top 5
The 2023 Oklahoma rankings were released yesterday. Over the next few weeks we will take a closer look at as many players as we possibly can. The 2023 class is absolutely loaded and these top-5 players could be some of…
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Continue ReadingThe 2023 Oklahoma rankings were released yesterday. Over the next few weeks we will take a closer look at as many players as we possibly can. The 2023 class is absolutely loaded and these top-5 players could be some of the best in the state in any age group.
Landry Allen Landry Allen 6'3" | C Tuttle | 2023 State OK | 6-2 C | Tuttle | @landryallen25
Allen is an absolute defensive machine. She swats shots left and right. Enter the paint when Allen is on the court at your own risk. During her freshman season, Landry averaged 8.9 rebounds per game. It won’t be long until she is one of the few players in the state to average a double-double for the season consistently considering that she averaged 14.2 points per game as a freshman – ranking third among all 2023’s. The sky’s the limit as she improves over the next three seasons. Oh… and by the way… did I mention that she can dunk? Allen already holds offers from several big-time programs in TCU, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Tulsa, Oklahoma State and Kansas – with plenty more to come.
Stailee Heard Stailee Heard 6'0" | CG Sapulpa | 2023 State OK | 5-10 SG | Sapulpa | @StaileeH
You will hear coaches in every gym talking about players who play multiple sports. It is something that college coaches crave in these days of such specialization at a young age. Heard is the embodiment of mixing things up. She is one of the best cross country runners in the state of Oklahoma. She also runs track and plays volleyball. Oh… and she’s also very, very good at basketball. There are times that it seems she can score at will. She is a vicious defender who relishes the one-on-one battle. Heard will be one of the top players to come out of Oklahoma for a long time. The daughter of two former Tulsa University stars already holds an offer from her parents’ alma mater to go along with Eastern Michigan, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Arkansas.
Alyssa Nielsen Alyssa Nielsen 6'0" | PF Bixby | 2023 State OK | 6-0 F | Bixby | @AlyssaN2023
Recently a picture made the rounds on Twitter of Alyssa Nielsen Alyssa Nielsen 6'0" | PF Bixby | 2023 State OK in the famous Michael Jordan “Wings” pose. She is about to begin her sophomore high school season and can palm two balls at once with her arms extended. Not only is this feat impressive, it shows you a little about Nielsen’s personality also. She is always laughing and having fun. She clearly enjoys the game. Don’t get me wrong, though… Alyssa is an extreme competitor. She fights hard for every ball and wants to absolutely own the paint. Like the pretty good player featured in the original “Wings” poster, Nielsen sports one of the best fadeaways that I have seen in high school girls’ basketball to this point. She is a scoring machine who just knows how to put the ball in the basket. Alyssa has had an unofficial visit to Oklahoma State thus far, but the offers should begin pouring in following another outstanding grassroots season.
Boston Berry Boston Berry 5'7" | CG Jones | 2023 State OK | 5-7 PG | Jones | @boston_berry
Cool name aside, Boston Berry Boston Berry 5'7" | CG Jones | 2023 State OK is just a cool basketball player. But, her name is pretty sweet too! Watching tape of Berry will show you immediately how smart she is. Anything she may be lacking physically – which isn’t much at all – she makes up for in her anticipation of the play. She is great at playing the passing lanes and making life tough on the opposing team. She sees the play ahead in order to find her teammates at the absolute perfect time. She is the best point guard in the class of 2023. She can also shoot the ball very well from anywhere on the court. If you give her the space, she is going to drain it. Speaking of space, Boston Berry Boston Berry 5'7" | CG Jones | 2023 State OK can make some space. Her handles are insane. She leaves defenders in her wake as she deftly dribbles the ball behind the back and through her legs. It’s clear to see why schools like Tulsa and Texas Tech have already offered her. – they wanted to get in early before she is absolutely bombarded with D-I offers.
Aaliyah Henderson Aaliyah Henderson 5'8" | PG Norman | 2023 State OK | 5-8 CG | Norman | @AaliyahH2023
Henderson stood out – as a freshman, mind you – on what was arguably the best team in the state in 2019-20. She is a ballhawk who always seems to be around the action. She has quick hands and forces a ton of turnovers from her opponents. She is quick with her cuts and finds her way to the basket with ease for her patented left-handed finish. Perhaps the best on-ball defender in the class, she is also no slouch with the offense. She has a smooth, sweet stroke from deep. Aaliyah averaged 2.3 steals per game along with almost six rebounds from the guard position. As the years go by and the focus of the Norman team shifts toward putting the ball in her hands more out of necessity, expect Aaliyah Henderson Aaliyah Henderson 5'8" | PG Norman | 2023 State OK to show everything she has to college coaches and see a flood of D-I scholarships coming her way.