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Coaches Confidential: Who's the toughest boys basketball player you have coached against?

jordan davis, the oklahoman
·3 min read

In The Oklahoman’s previous high school basketball survey, coaches looked toward the future and named the best players they expect to face this season.

For this survey, they reflected on the past.

Who is the toughest player you have ever coached against, and why?

The Oklahoman posed this question to boys basketball coaches across the Oklahoma City metro area and granted them anonymity to respond.

Here are their answers.

More: Coaches Confidential: Who's the toughest girls basketball player you have coached against?

Trae Young, Norman North

Class of 2017

"I mean, obviously the first name that comes to mind for me is Trae Young. He was just different. I remember how we couldn't do anything with him as a sophomore, then he turned around and averaged like 40 points in his senior year. He is who he is for a reason. We may not see someone replicate his senior season for a long time."

Norman North's Trae Young was named Super 5 Player of the Year in 2016-17 before starring at OU and in the NBA.
Norman North's Trae Young was named Super 5 Player of the Year in 2016-17 before starring at OU and in the NBA.

CJ Nickson, Weatherford

Class of 2025

"I haven't been coaching for long, but CJ Nickson is going to be special. We played against Weatherford last year and we just had no answer for the guy. He's a hell of an athlete all around and his motor just gives him a competitive edge that I don't see in most players at his age."

Douglass celebrates as it wins the Class 4A boys basketball state championship as Weatherford's CJ Nickson (35) walks off the court at State Fair Arena on March 11.
Douglass celebrates as it wins the Class 4A boys basketball state championship as Weatherford's CJ Nickson (35) walks off the court at State Fair Arena on March 11.

Shake Milton, Owasso

Class of 2015

"Shake Milton, the guard in the NBA right now on the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was always a problem whenever we saw them in tournaments or I saw him in the AAU circuit. He was one of the first guards that I saw score at will, in any way he wanted to."

Owasso's Shake Milton (3) tries to get past Putnam City's Marquis Johnson (10) during a Class 6A state quarterfinal game at Skiatook on March 12, 2015.
Owasso's Shake Milton (3) tries to get past Putnam City's Marquis Johnson (10) during a Class 6A state quarterfinal game at Skiatook on March 12, 2015.

Josh Richardson, Edmond Santa Fe

Class of 2011

"An underrated name I like to remind people about is Josh Richardson. Not only was he a sniper, he'd go on the other end and lock up your best player while scoring 30. He was one of those guys that I always knew was going to be somebody."

Edmond Santa Fe's Josh Richardson poses for a photo in Oklahoma City on March 30, 2010.
Edmond Santa Fe's Josh Richardson poses for a photo in Oklahoma City on March 30, 2010.

Josh Jacobs, Tulsa McLain

Class of 2016

"I'm going to have to say the Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs. He was at Tulsa McLain when we played him in the semifinals and they they ended up beating us in the semis. He was super athletic, man, and that made McLain so tough. That's one player I like to mention because he was definitely like that as a hooper, too."

A month before signing day in 2016, Josh Jacobs' best offers were Wyoming and New Mexico State. But the Tulsa McLain tailback ended up signing with Alabama, picking the Crimson Tide over OU and Missouri.
A month before signing day in 2016, Josh Jacobs' best offers were Wyoming and New Mexico State. But the Tulsa McLain tailback ended up signing with Alabama, picking the Crimson Tide over OU and Missouri.

Stevie Clark, Douglass

Class of 2013

"I've seen a lot of kids throughout the years, man. Stevie Clark is probably one of the best players I've seen that was a high school player. Let's just say, he didn't miss a lot of shots whenever he played against us back in the day. He got to his spots with ease and when he got going there was no stopping him."

Oklahoma State's Stevie Clark gets up after a play during a game against Baylor at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater on Feb. 1, 2014.
Oklahoma State's Stevie Clark gets up after a play during a game against Baylor at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater on Feb. 1, 2014.

JV Seat, Edmond Memorial

Class of 2022

"The first person that comes to mind is JV Seat from Edmond Memorial a couple of years ago. He gave us fits whenever we matched up across him."

JV Seat starred at Edmond Memorial and is now playing for Abilene Christian.
JV Seat starred at Edmond Memorial and is now playing for Abilene Christian.

Blake Griffin, Oklahoma Christian School

Class of 2007

"I think the obvious choice would be a player like Blake Griffin when he was at OCS. He's by far the best player I've seen in my time in coaching because his dominance would demoralize you. He's one of the only players other than Trae Young and maybe Stevie Clark that I saw put fear into players. But Blake was a different kind of player at that point. He was just a manchild on the court and brought a different type of energy to high school basketball that I don't think I've seen yet to this point."

Former Oklahoma Christian School star Blake Griffin leaps over a group of teammates during the slam dunk competition before the Faith 7 basketball game at the Noble Complex on the Oklahoma Baptist University campus in Shawnee on June 9, 2007.
Former Oklahoma Christian School star Blake Griffin leaps over a group of teammates during the slam dunk competition before the Faith 7 basketball game at the Noble Complex on the Oklahoma Baptist University campus in Shawnee on June 9, 2007.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma high school boys basketball coaches recall toughest opponents