We’ve seen a lot of players come through our doors over the years, varying in appearance, skill level, and everything in between. We decided to put forth a “Getting to Know” series on some players who have attended events but still remain on the lesser-known side of things. Each of these prospects embody being a student-athlete and getting it done in the classroom as well as on the basketball court, and today’s edition will take a closer look at Hayes Oxendine of Leesville Road.
We’ve seen Oxendine since the start of his high school journey, previously stating, “After a strong showing on his first day of action, Oxendine simply continues to dominate behind his knockdown perimeter shooting. Despite being the youngest player on the team, he’s played well beyond his years and shown the ability to produce on a consistent basis. Oxendine is a capable creator and playmaker with nice defensive understanding and positioning. He’s a great piece who can find success with or without the ball in his hands.” Which was soon followed by, “Given his production while playing up two full age groups, it would be impossible to ignore everything Oxendine has shown throughout the last month. He’s already clearly emerging as one of the most lethal shooters in the state, regardless of class. Oxendine has displayed the understanding of how to operate as an initiator and set up others, but offers most of his value as a knockdown spot-up threat. He also hits jumpers off the bounce and attacks closeouts at a nice rate.”
Predicting Oxendine to have a breakout sophomore season isn’t necessarily a hot take at this point—since he’s consistently posted gaudy numbers over the last few months. He’s a crafty shot-maker with deep range, useful creation skills, and the ability to succeed with or without the ball in his hands. Oxendine can score the ball from pretty much anywhere, but has continued to improve his overall shot-selection. He’s a capable defender and rebounder for his size/position, and understands how to get to his spots in transition. Oxendine is already a very impactful player, but should get even better over the coming years. Folks should expect him to have a very productive upcoming season for the Pride.