Class 5A State Tournament Preview
The Class 5A State Tournament has a chance to feature very competitive games. Prep Hoops previews the games and players to watch below. Quarterfinals MEMORIAL vs SOUTHEAST @ 2:00 pm EISENHOWER vs PRYOR @ 3:30 pm COWETA vs EL RENO…
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Continue ReadingThe Class 5A State Tournament has a chance to feature very competitive games. Prep Hoops previews the games and players to watch below.
Quarterfinals
MEMORIAL vs SOUTHEAST @ 2:00 pm
EISENHOWER vs PRYOR @ 3:30 pm
COWETA vs EL RENO @ 7:00 pm
CARL ALBERT vs EAST CENTRAL @ 8:30 pm
The first round games have several games that could feature a couple of upsets. El Reno vs Coweta by the seeding has a chance to be an upset. I have the Indians beating Coweta in the opening round. A game to watch for a huge upset is Carl Albert vs East Central. With that said my picks to advance to the semifinals are El Reno, Carl Albert, Memorial, and Lawton Ike.
The Semifinals will feature a great game between Tulsa Memorial and Lawton Ike. This game will be a little odd with the game being played at 9 am. The Eagles are the defending champions and return lots of experienced players from a year ago. I think they do just enough to get past Memorial. One of the biggest upsets of the playoffs that I have picked is Carl Albert losing to El Reno in the Semifinals. I think El Reno catches fire and shoots the ball very well leading them to a win over the Titans.
The Championship game of Lawton Ike and El Reno would be a rematch of the Area Finals. Lawton Ike won in area and I think they win in the title matchup. Lawton Ike wins the Class 5A Gold Ball for the second straight season.
Players to Watch
Darius Roy 2016 Lawton Ike Shooting Guard (Signed to Mercer)
Roy is one of the best scorers in Oklahoma. He is a volume shooter from the wing. One scary thing about Roy for opponents is he can catch fire at a moments notice. Look for Roy to go out with a bang this weekend.
Dashawn Mcdowell 2016 Southeast Point Guard (Signed to SMU)
Mcdowell is the best prospect in the Class 5A State Tournament. At 6’5″ he has great size, athleticism, and the ability to put the basketball through the hoop. Mcdowell will have his hands full in the first round with Memorial, but never count him out.
Mason Harrell 2018 Carl Albert Point Guard
Harrell is an undersized Point Guard with skills you can’t teach. He has the instincts every great player has on the floor. At the Point he thrives finding open teammates, creating his own shot, and beating defenders off the dribble. Harrell hit the game winning shot for Carl Albert to make the championship game last year. Don’t be surprised if he makes another big play for the Titans this weekend.
Trey Hopkins 2018 Carl Albert Shooting Guard
Hopkins is a great athlete at the 2. If you are looking for spectacular dunks that will leave you in awe Hopkins is your man. Spectacular plays are just the beginning to Hopkins game. He is starting to develop into a very nice shooter as well. Hopkins could turn into a very special player over the next couple of years.
Kobe Rose 2017 Tulsa Memorial Shooting Guard
Rose has great upside for the chargers on the wing. He has matured into a nice player for Memorial. Rose had a breakout summer and has continued his strong play this year for Memorial. By the end of the weekend many may know the name Kobe Rose.
Burke Putnam 2017 East Central Guard
Putnam is a player that will enter the Class 5A State Tournament as an unknown, but that will soon change. Putnam is flying up the rankings in the 2017 Class in Oklahoma. He makes others around him better. He can score the basketball and gives great effort on both ends of the floor. Don’t be surprised if East Central give Carl Albert a very tough game with Putnam leading the way.