The “You Can’t Teach Heart” Squad

You hear the phrase "that kid is all heart" a lot around the gym. Usually it’s used to refer to players who are undersized and work hard. Sometimes it’s used for a player who just isn’t really good at anything, but really tries. Something like that. It isn’t the case with these players. They aren’t undersized. They are good scorers and do a lot of good stuff. What we mean by "you can’t teach heart" here is that these players are leaders, good teammates and very good players. They have a lot of heart; the kind that you just don’t see everyday. Parker Simonsen Parker Simonsen 5'7" | CG Mustang | 2024 State OK | 5-6 G | Mustang | 2024 | @p3faith15 Heart - in the case of Parker Simonsen Parker Simonsen 5'7" | CG Mustang | 2024 State OK - means that she has a heart for basketball. She loves the game. She is happiest in the gym working on her game and it definitely pays off. On the PGH Circuit this Spring she has been putting on a show following a very good freshman season at Mustang. It’s this gym work that helps her to be calm in the face of pressure. When the opponent runs a press and tries to trap her, she does a very good job of trusting her abilities, splitting the double team and finding the open teammate. She can stroke the three with a nice quick release and is just a really heady player on defense. Simonsen is one to watch and with several more years playing for a very good Mustang (and OK Swish 2024) team, she is going to be an absolute beast on the Oklahoma basketball scene. Nevaeh Johnson Nevaeh Johnson 5'11" | PF Hilldale | 2022 State OK | 5-11 PF | Hilldale (Muskogee) | 2022 | @J04Nevaeh When people ask - the sort of awkward question - "who is your favorite player in Oklahoma," I always come back to Nevaeh. She is just a great kid. Very personable. Very friendly. Most of all, very encouraging to every other player. Her Twitter is full of congratulations to her fellow players (from seemingly everywhere) who have committed to colleges. Her Twitter bio says it all - "#willmoveanywhere." She just wants to play the game. She is clearly a great kid and a great teammate, but more than that, she is a baller. If you’re looking for a player who does all of the little things, look no further. She is a tremendous rebounder who has great length. After the rebound, she gets her eyes up court and starts the team into transition. Johnson is going to be a very good player and with her willingness to move anywhere, you’d be crazy as a coach not to take a look. She would be an asset to any squad if for no other reason than her tremendous character. Julianna Matlock Julianna Matlock 5'11" | C Will Rogers | 2023 State OK   5-11 PF | Will Rogers (Tulsa) | 2023 | Highlights Another player that is just really fun to watch and looks to be a really, really good teammate. She is talkative and clearly enjoys the game. She has a ton of heart. She doesn’t get discouraged with her game and is an absolute force inside. She goes hard all game, gets up and down the court and is one of those players that clearly just wants to win. That is the kind of heart we are talking about here. She is a player who just is not going to let her team lose if it is up to her. Her scoring has gotten better and better as she has grown in the game and is just beginning to really reach her potential. Matlock is going to be dangerous as her footwork down low improves and her teammates begin to depend on her as an inside scoring threat. In the meantime, she is a tremendous rebounder who secures a lot of offensive rebounds and gets her team another chance. Watch the linked highlights then get out there and see her in person with her Oklahoma Swift 2023 squad.