Classen SAS vs. Bixby Scrimmage: Bixby Team Report

When you get the chance to go see two of the absolute best teams in the state face off against each other, you do not miss it. When you get there and find out that Classen SAS was only able to bring six players and Bixby had a few of their starters out, you don’t even worry with these two teams. The six that Classen SAS brought proved to be more than enough to give the 6A favorites a good practice and the youngsters (and a few of the usual suspects) that Bixby ran out there were impressive in their own right. After six quarters of ball, here is what I noticed about the players from Bixby that were on display at Whitey Ford Gym on Monday afternoon. Stay tuned for the second part featuring Classen SAS. <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Bixby</span></strong> <strong>Haley Prince | 5-11 C | 2022 | <a href="https://x.com/haleyprince52">@haleyprince52</a></strong> Prince doesn’t get the headlines on this team loaded with youngsters. In fact, she’s the only senior on the squad, but probably won’t be the one that gets the headlines this season. That being said, she is still a very, very good player who has gotten progressively better and better each season. We all know the coaching is great at Bixby and as the level of play has improved, the challenge in practice and the steady competition has definitely paid off for Haley. She is a strong rebounder who does a good job of boxing out and getting position on the rebound. She can score it, but she mostly makes her money as a defender inside and as rebounder who can get the ball back to any of the many scorers that the Spartans have. Prince could slot in nicely at a D-III, NAIA or JuCo and continue to develop her all-around abilities. <strong><img class="size-medium wp-image-356127 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/DSC_0288-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" />[player_tooltip player_id="197956" first="Gentry" last="Baldwin"] | 5-6 G | 2023 | <a href="https://x.com/GentryBaldwin">@GentryBaldwin</a></strong> Every time that I see Gentry play - which is a lot thanks to all of the showcases and the numerous playoff games Bixby is in - I can’t help but think, this is a Division-I point guard. I know how this works by now. They see 5’6" (which may be generous) and they are scared away. Scared that she won’t be able to see over her defender and run the offense precisely. Scared that she won’t be able to get a hand up and block anything against the bigger and stronger D-I point guards. None of that matters. When you have seen her play as much as I have, you know that none of that matters. I have seen her do it against everyone. Every level of prospect. D-I, D-II, D-III, it doesn't matter. She can run the offense with precision in the face of even the biggest guards. She can hit the three with consistency over any sized player because of her ability to run the play precisely and find the open position to shoot. If you aren’t a D-I coach and you want to reap the reward of their... I don’t know... ’misscouting’... laziness... whatever you want to call it - get to Bixby and offer [player_tooltip player_id="197956" first="Gentry" last="Baldwin"]. You can thank me later. <strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/DSC_0559-1-scaled-crop-2548x1673-1637782127.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-356145 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/DSC_0559-1-scaled-crop-2548x1673-1637782127-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="197943" first="Alyssa" last="Nielsen"] | 6-0 PF/C | 2023 | <a href="https://x.com/AlyssaN2023">@AlyssaN2023</a></strong> We have Alyssa ranked too low. Every time I watch her play, I tell myself that the rankings need to be fixed. Yes, she is ranked No. 24. But, she is definitely a top-20 player and the rankings need to show that, though I know that Oral Roberts head coach Misti Cussen would probably rather she stay right where she is (since they are her only D-I offer for now). I defy you to find a player in the state of Oklahoma with a better turnaround jumper than Alyssa. It is almost Jordan or Kobe-like. You just don’t see it in girls basketball. On top of that, it is almost unstoppable. Playing against a player like [player_tooltip player_id="150924" first="Darianna" last="Littlepage-Buggs"] who has an incredible reach and relishes the chance to swat shots all over the gym, the fadeaway was key to Alyssa getting some big buckets for the Spartans. Nielsen is a big-time player for Bixby and incredibly fun to watch. I can’t wait to see more - and fix the rankings! <strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/DSC_0512-1-scaled-crop-2304x1513-1637781410.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-356136 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/DSC_0512-1-scaled-crop-2304x1513-1637781410-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>Brynn Daniel | 5-9 F | 2024 | <a href="https://x.com/BrynnDaniel11">@BrynnDaniel11</a></strong> Brynn looks like she may consider herself a softball player from the looks of her Twitter, but should she decide to go the basketball route, she has a lot of natural talent to work with. She has good size for a small forward with long arms. Daniel is quick and has the hard-nosed attitude you are looking for from a softball player on the basketball court. She goes hard to the rim with abandon and finishes will with a once floater, often drawing contact. She is not afraid of what lies in wait among the "bigs" under the rim. She does a great job on the defensive end also, where she showed good lateral quickness and the ability to stay in front of her man in one-on-one situations. Brynn is one to watch, especially as she continues to develop and becomes more of a focal point as some of the juniors move on from Bixby. <strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/DSC_0577-scaled-crop-2445x1605-1637781568.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-356138 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/DSC_0577-scaled-crop-2445x1605-1637781568-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>Laci Scott | 5-5 G | 2024 | <a href="https://x.com/Laciscott05">@Laciscott05</a></strong> No need to worry about the future too much when you have 2024’s like Daniel and Laci Scott waiting in the wings at Bixby. As freshmen, they were at the State Championship game. I have a feeling they’ll be back there several times before they are seniors and most likely lift the golden ball. Scott looks like the "heir apparent" to [player_tooltip player_id="197956" first="Gentry" last="Baldwin"] and just like the first time I saw Gentry play, I only wrote one word in my notebook the first time she stepped on the floor in front of me. "BALLER." You can see it from the start. Laci knows how to play. She knows how to get buckets. She knows how to facilitate. She knows how to play defense. If you aren’t excited about the future of Bixby basketball, you aren’t paying attention. They have depth at every position and not just depth - legit talent. Laci Scott is going to be big time. <strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/DSC_0272-scaled-crop-2304x1513-1637781689.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-356140 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/DSC_0272-scaled-crop-2304x1513-1637781689-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="331840" first="Bailey" last="Wilson"] | 5-9 G/F | 2025 | <a href="https://x.com/BaileyMWilson25">@BaileyMWilson25</a></strong> It seems like Bailey’s teammates absolutely love her, judging by the reaction to every little thing that she did on the court. That can’t be understated. Being a good teammate is of the utmost importance. Also important is the ability to rebound and score the ball. Bailey can do it all. Oh yeah, she can defend too. The only thing I’m not sure she can do is speak - I honestly did not see her say a word all game. But, that will come with time. She was a JV kid playing with the big squad and it can be intimidating. If her lack of talking was an indicator that she was nervous or something, or play definitely did not indicate that. She scored massive buckets in the face of some very, very good players. She never backed down. She was not intimidated. Wilson played hard all game long and was rewarded with big minutes. Wilson looks like one of the top prospects in the loaded 2025 class and soon the rankings will reflect that. <strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/DSC_0246-scaled-crop-2560x1681-1637782018.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-356143 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/DSC_0246-scaled-crop-2560x1681-1637782018-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="315215" first="Sarahi" last="Beltran"] | 5-3 G | 2025 | <a href="https://x.com/sarahibeltran22">@sarahibeltran22</a></strong> Classen SAS ran a zone defense (and almost always a full-court press) that wreaked havoc at times with what Bixby was trying to do offensively. It seemed almost as if missing some of the leadership from the older kids was hurting them when it came to breaking the press or penetrating the zone; then came Sarahi. She is an undersized slasher who is incredibly quick. Her handles are beyond all but a few players in the class of 2025 and she used them to penetrate the defense easily and get to the rim. She showed absolutely no fear when facing some of the outstanding players from Classen SAS who clogged the lane and finished with a nice floater or, even better, did a good job of hitting the open man with nice, crisp passes for three. She really has a high basketball IQ and understands exactly what it is that her coach is asking of her and what it is that the opponent is trying to do. Beltran is going to be a great point guard for this team when her time comes. Glad I got to see some of these youngsters against some of the best. <strong>Ava Casper | 5-6 PG | 2025 | <a href="https://x.com/avacasper0">@avacasper0</a></strong> Eventually, you have to start wondering what is in the water in Bixby, right? They have one senior on an absolutely loaded team. The junior squad of starters is probably gonna grab them a state championship. Then you see this 2025 class and they have a crazy number of outstanding guards who are just going to continue the Bixby legacy for the next decade. Casper is a strong guard who does a good job of working in Bixby’s offense and is clearly another player learning a lot in the Bixby system. She has good handles and plays very tough man defense. She can shoot it, but is even better at using her good size for a guard and very good strength to get to the rim and finish through contact. Another player - like Beltran - who showed that she wasn’t intimidated by the moment, the stage, or the team that they were doing it against. Casper is another player who needs to be ranked in the loaded 2025 class and will be soon.