Bixby Invitational: Fabulous Freshmen
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I was told by a high school head coach recently that the transition from grassroots ball to high school can absolutely make or break a young player. Some of them struggle. Some of them rise to the challenge. Some of…
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Continue ReadingI was told by a high school head coach recently that the transition from grassroots ball to high school can absolutely make or break a young player. Some of them struggle. Some of them rise to the challenge. Some of them continue to do exactly what they have been doing all along… shine! These players did just that last weekend in Bixby. Some of them led their teams to victory. Some were role players who took a backseat to older, established Division-I prospects. Their time will undoubtedly come. Especially after I have seen them perform so far this season. Take a look!
Mataya Hall Mataya Hall 5'9" | CG Tulsa Memorial | 2025 State OK | 5-7 G | Sapulpa | 2025 | @HallMataya
I saw Mataya soon after the Invitational and couldn’t help but let her know how well she did. If you know me, you know that I’m not much of a talker as it is. But, she deserved it. After having seen Sapulpa play Union (her first high school game) and then the three games after, I felt like I had seen enough to truly be able to assess how well she had improved from game one through four. Add in the fact that her team was part of the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit and that I was able to compare her high school game to the grassroots level and well, I’m basically an expert. So, what’s my expert opinion? First of all, she is an unselfish player who looks to get everyone involved first. It got to the point in the first two games where I really wanted to see a little more selfishness from her. I knew she could get buckets, I just wanted to see her recognize those opportunities a little more. Her on-ball defense was some of the best in the tournament and it was great to see that even when her shot wasn’t necessarily falling, her defense never wavered. Her contribution to her team was steady and consistent which is why she is one of the best freshmen in the state, in my opinion.
Avery Hjelmstad Avery Hjelmstad 6'1" | SG Edmond Memorial | 2025 State OK | 6-0 G | Edmond Memorial | 2025 | @AveryHjelmstad
We definitely have Avery ranked too low. After what I saw in Bixby, we have her ranked way too low. She is currently at No. 39, but I could definitely see her being – at the very least – a top-15 freshman in the state. When the freshmen are initially ranked, it is a little bit of a craps shoot, to be completely honest. We may have seen them play, but as I said earlier, there is nothing like high school basketball to really separate the great players from the good. Hjelmstad is a great player. Not many players at the invitational had the ability to finish in transition that Avery had. A lot of high school players just aren’t able to get the ball in the basket consistently when running full speed down the court, but Avery does. She is long and strong and finishes with authority and through contact. She isn’t just limited to finishing inside, however. She can definitely fill it up from long range. Hjelmstad is a great three-point shooter. She is a smart player who is a legitimate D-I prospect; soon, the rankings will reflect that.
McKenzie Mathurin McKenzie Mathurin 5'10" | CG Broken Arrow | 2025 State OK | 5-10 CG | Broken Arrow | 2025 | @mathurin2025
Mathurin runs the point for a very good Broken Arrow team despite her young age. She is a strong player with tremendous handles and rarely – if ever – turns the ball over. She makes good decisions passing the ball and it is clear to see why she is relied on to keep the Tigers machine rolling smoothly. Add in the fact that she is strong, tall, powerful, and an incredible on-ball defender and it is clear to see why Mathurin is our No. 3-ranked prospect in the class of 2025. It is also clear to see why she is already getting interest from numerous Division-I schools including Kansas State, Illinois, and LSU. Mathurin faced some tough, older players in her first tournament of high school ball and did a great job maintaining her composure when faced with some serious trash talk and rough play. As time goes on and McKenzie isn’t just running the point, but also leading the whole team in every category, expect even more big-time programs to head out to Oklahoma to get a look first-hand at this outstanding athlete.
Kayla Hill | 5-7 G/F | Putnam City Original | 2025 | @KaylaHill25
Hill is the type of player that I LOVE seeing at these kinds of tournaments. She wasn’t ranked in the previous iteration of the rankings and now right before the next round of rankings comes out, I saw her play in person for the first time. I’m so glad that I did. Kayla is a scoring machine. She was one of the top slashers in Bixby last weekend and did a tremendous job of getting to the rim and finishing among the bigs down low. She is a long player with the ability to play inside or outside. She has the handles of a guard and the ability to guard positions one through five. In today’s world, she is what almost every coach is looking for. Hill is a true hybrid who can do just about anything you ask of her. Though she is still young and getting her first taste of high school basketball, she managed to average eight points per game – good enough for second on her team. She is a good defender and with her speed and length, she can only get better. I look forward to seeing her in the future as she continues to improve and no doubt skyrockets up the rankings now that she is about to make her debut.