Fort Worth’s top basketball prospect, future Oklahoma Sooner ‘truly something special’

A 6-foot-9 high school basketball player typically prefers to dominate the interior with a substantial size advantage.

Haltom’s Kuol Atak isn’t a normal big man, though. Fort Worth’s No. 1 ranked recruit’s game revolves around guard-like finesse.

Atak said he has loved basketball since he was a little kid, but that he didn’t realize the potential he had to be a great player.

“I’ve always played casually,” Atak said. “It wasn’t until my sophomore and junior years that I realized I could play at the next level. And I started getting recruited.”

Atak, who averaged 22 points per game in his senior year, is committed to play at the next level with Oklahoma. He chose the Sooners over TCU, a school 20 minutes away from home.

The Haltom superstar said the decision revolved around coaching styles and his fit within the Sooner program.

“The coaches coach really hard,” Atak said of Oklahoma’s staff. “There is an emphasis on defense, and I can definitely improve in that aspect. My game is mostly finesse, but I have a defensive aspect to it. And I can be free with the way OU plays offensively because they need shooters too.”

Atak certainly thrives in the shooting department, making 42% of his three-point field goals this season. He takes an average of 10 per game.

The ability to stretch the floor is an elite and sought after tool for many college big men, especially considering how the game has evolved to emphasize three point shooting and spacing in high level offenses.

Haltom head coach Michael Hatch said Atak’s ability to convert from range is an important aspect of the Buff’s system. The guards get down hill and create scoring opportunities. Most team’s choose not to help off Atak, who will make defenses pay if left open.

Defenses go above and beyond attempting to contain Atak, and he has still found ways to put up impressive numbers. Atak, in front of Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser on Jan. 9, 2023, broke Haltom’s single game scoring record with a 49 point game.

Hatch said Atak broke these Haltom records for both single seasons and entire careers: three point makes, total points, three point field goal percentage and free throw percentage.

“I get emotional talking about him,” Hatch said, reflecting on Atak’s Haltom career. “He’s unbelievable. I mean he has grown up here. He’s Haltom through and through. He’s such a great kid. Such a selfless kid. He’s more worried about the other guys on his team than he is himself.”

Hatch said he is unsure if he’ll ever have an athlete as special as Atak in the program again. He said Atak is “truly something special” because he does things the right way. Hatch described Atak as coachable, likable, kind and humble.

“Near 4.0 in the classroom,” Hatch said. “He’s an excellent citizen and role model. He is what you want your kids to look up to. I can’t speak enough on what he has meant to our program and our school.”

Atak described his off-the-court personality as childish and goofy even though he has a “stone cold face” on the basketball court. He loves to read and play storyline based games and also keeps up with his finances, saying investing is “not really a hobby but a job.”

Breaking down Atak’s abilities

Atak has focused on developing his skill and has abilities that are a nightmare for opposing defenses, considering the extreme height advantage over most players. His development over time has focused on footwork and adding different offensive moves: step backs, fadeaways, head fakes, step throughs and more.

You might think a 6-foot-9 high school basketball player would model their game after NBA superstars such as Kevin Durant, LeBron James or Paul George. Atak, however, has an “old school” love for the game despite being a senior in high school.

“I love Gilbert Arenas,” Atak said. “I love how technical he is. Same with Tracy McGrady and Carmelo Anthony. They are all triple threats. I love Kobe (Bryant) too, his footwork is amazing.”

Atak’s offensive skills are undeniable. All scouts are very high on his abilities but have been skeptical of his 6-9, 185-pound frame. Brandon Jenkins, a recruiting analyst with 247Sports, said Atak’s glaring weakness is his body, he is “painfully thin” and lacks functional strength.

His frame wasn’t too big of an issue at the high school level, and Atak was able to average 2.1 blocks an 10 rebounds per game. Hatch said he’ll greatly benefit from having the resources of a college program and the tools to fill out his frame.

“You’re always going to see that with his type of frame,” Hatch said of the scouts’ assessments. “But he absolutely works hard in the weight room. He’s strong in the weight room. He eats a lot.”

Hatch said that Atak adding strength and size will allow him to blossom defensively. Hatch mentioned that Atak will become more physical and improve his lateral movement.

Hatch also said Atak has lots of room to improve offensively as well, especially considering opponents won’t always throw out tight defenses and double teams with more talent on college rosters.

Starting the next chapter

On Tuesday, Haltom lost 54-50 to Highland Park in the bi-district round. The Buffs won 21 regular season games but lost momentum toward the end, losing their final three contests.

Highland Park threw everything they could at Atak to contain him, forcing Haltom’s other players to beat the defense. Haltom has players capable of scoring, including 247Sports’ three star Baron Smith.

The Buff’s don’t have a lot of depth, however, and that hurt them. Haltom worked to erase Highland Park’s lead the entirety of the game and couldn’t bridge the gap.

“They did a good job guarding Kuol (Atak),” Hatch said of Highland Park. “We needed to get him going. It was hard to get him in a flow. They were physical, had a good game plan and executed.”

Now that Atak’s high school career is over, he’ll start to focus on his next chapter with Oklahoma.

“Haltom basketball has meant a lot to me,” Atak said. “It gave me a great opportunity to play ball. It got me up to different platforms. It was a big transition for me going from middle school to high school. It was a huge switch in the level of competition, and that helped me develop my game and make my dreams come true.”