The Best: Red Oak vs Spiro
The Third Place Game in the Bedouin Shrine Small School Tournament was an intriguing match up. One of the best teams in Class B took on a team with some talent in Class 3A Spiro. Spiro jumped out to a small lead in the first quarter and then Red Oak caught fire in the second to jump out to a 31-15 lead. Spiro then came back out after halftime and chipped away at the Eagles lead. They trailed by 5 going into the fourth quarter when Red Oak went on another run to seal the victory. Red Oak won third place in the Bedouin Shrine Small School Tournament over Spiro 54-43.
MVP: Grayson Nix 2018 Red Oak Combo Guard
Many times when a small school has a star, the offense is run trying to make that person happy. Not at Red Oak though, Grayson Nix has bought into what the Red Oak coach is wanting. They ran their offense smoothly today and as a result Nix had himself a game He played well on both sides of the ball and was the reason that Red Oak came away with victory over Spiro.
Defensive MVP: Cedric Cobb 2018 Spiro Forward
Cedric Cobb was the most athletic player on the court and it was shown on the defensive end of the court. He was affecting shots throughout the game and made it tough score in the paint. It was not until late in the game when he matched up with Nix, which seemed to be by design. Cobb also had a good game on the offensive side of the ball and scored the ball well. He finished the game with 21 points. JUCO’s should keep an eye on Cobb. Cobb has good size and athleticism. If he can develop his game some more he will be a really good player.
Offensive MVP: Grayson Nix 2018 Red Oak Combo Guard
Grayson Nix won the MVP of this game because of his offensive performance. Nix played every position for the Eagles today and could not be stopped on the offensive side of the ball. When he attacked the basket, he either finished strong at the rim or got fouled. A Nix run by himself gave Red Oak the big lead at the half and he never slowed down. Nix finished the game with 28 points.
Best Aspect of the Environment: The Red Oak Crowd
Small schools have the best crowds in the game. Red Oak was no different in this aspect. In a third-place game, their fans still showed up and were loud. They cheered like it was a state final throughout the game and rose to their feet as Red Oak won third place.
Under the Radar Performance: Cade Blankenship 2018 Spiro Guard
Cade Blankenship is an undersized guard but played well despite it. He can shoot the ball well from the perimeter and at times even took it to the hoop and finished at the rim. He ran the offense for Spiro and had impressive leadership. He found his teammates throughout the day and set them up with open shots. The effort he showed throughout the game was impressive. He finished the game with 10 points.
The Best Shooter: Cash Balentine 2018 Red Oak Guard
Cash Balentine had the best game from the perimeter. On plays where they could not get Nix open or when Nix kicked the ball out to him Balentine would hit the open shots. He showed impressive form and knocked down shots in big moments. He finished the game with 17 points and was perfect from the charity stripe going 4-4 from the line.