Class 5A Semifinals: Recap, Standouts & Title Preview

Tulsa Memorial 75 OKC Southeast 50 After an at times sluggish first half, that saw Memorial take a 6 point lead into intermission. The Chargers exploded in the second half. It was often transition points, led by the high octane senior duo of Ty Frierson and [player_tooltip player_id="1158049" first="Bradyn" last="Hubbard"]. Both players are masters of turning offense into defense. In transition not only do they score themselves, they’re always looking for their teammates. Passing in particular is what separated Memorial from Southeast. Not only are they unselfish in transition. The ball rarely sticks in the halfcourt and they were able to pick apart the Southeast defense for open threes and finding open players for high percentage shots down low. Memorial had 18 assists on the day, and finished shooting 52.95. [player_tooltip player_id="955392" first="Tyreece" last="Frierson"], 5’11 Senior Point Guard, Tulsa Memorial A potential player of the year, Frierson is one of the more entertaining players to watch in Oklahoma. He brings excitement to the court with his quick hands on defense, amazing vision and electrifying ability to score from all the court. He finished with 24 points including 4 of 7 shooting from beyond the arc. He also handed out four assists and as talented as Tulsa Memorial, Frierson is what elevates into being a potential State Championship squad. [player_tooltip player_id="1158049" first="Bradyn" last="Hubbard"], 6’6 Senior Forward, Tulsa Memorial As a sophomore and junior Hubbard was a good player but there was often a "but" in his scouting report. " he has a good feel for the game, BUT doesn’t always rebound like he should" "Sure he can shoot a bit BUT he floats on the perimeter too much for a powerfully built forward". All the "BUTs" are out of his game. Hubbard has been dominating all playoffs long with ridiculous stat lines, this morning it was 25 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists. He’s now a complete player that dominates around the rim as a rebounder, while also properly using the finesse and skilled aspects of his game. [player_tooltip player_id="1049317" first="Killian" last="Spellman"], 6’4 Senior Forward, Tulsa Memorial Spellman played with his usually breakneck pace and energy as a rebounder and fighting for points down-low. But a newer aspect of his game stood-out today. Passing. He’s a key component of their improved passing in the halfcourt. Especially with impressive vision as a driver as he recorded 5 assists to go along with 7 points and 5 rebounds. [player_tooltip player_id="1068565" first="Jarreth" last="Ingram"], 6’6 Junior Wing, Tulsa Memorial The junior plays with outstanding energy as a rebounder and slasher. His combination of size and athleticism allows him to rack up the stats with 13 points and 9 rebounds. Right now he’s the perfect burst of athleticism and energy off the bench. He can even hit an occasional three. Next year will be an interesting as his role increases. Ladainian Fields. 6’2 Sophomore Guard, OKC Southeast Fields stood out because of his effortless looking movements. He’s smooth as a ballhandler which he uses to create separation for jumpers. While also having blow by his man speed when driving. The sophomore finished with 25 points, often hitting in the mid-range and finishing strongly as the rim. Fields is another top sophomore guard in what is looking like a deep Class of 2024 in Oklahoma.   Del City 52 Carl Albert 40 Del City often sets the tone early with their combination of elite size, athleticism and pressure defense. Standout juniors [player_tooltip player_id="1068562" first="Brandon" last="Garrison"] and [player_tooltip player_id="981287" first="Terry" last="McMorris"] are tonesetters with their ability to block/alter songs. Their presence inside gives the Eagles’ quick and tough guards the freedom to be aggressive in one and one defense. For the longest time Del City held a comfortable double digit lead, till Carl Albert was finally able to start having success inside in the second half. While they were able to push Del City it wouldn’t be enough for Carl Albert. The Eagles would survive rocky free throw shooting (8-13) and eventually get out in transition for quick scores against the Titan press to seal off their Mid-Del rivals.   [player_tooltip player_id="981287" first="Terry" last="McMorris"], 6’6 Junior Wing, Del City The junior had a game high 17 points, while also routinely skying into the air for jaw-dropping blocks. McMorris possibly has the best motor in the state, which allows him to put his amazing natural gifts to use. To go along with his scoring, he grabbed 8 rebounds and had 2 steals as well. As covered with McMorris before, what makes him such an effective player is his willingness to star in his role for Del City. [player_tooltip player_id="1372134" first="Damarious" last="Vealy"], 5’10 Junior Point Guard, Del City Carl Albert is an aggressive defending team and Vealy played a big part in Del City being able to handle the press and set up his taller teammates. With fellow junior Jadeon Foreman out with a knee injury, more of the ball handling responsibilities is required for Vealy. He finished with 6 points and 3 assists but had an impact as a lead guard that goes beyond the stat sheet. [player_tooltip player_id="1367219" first="Quincy" last="Hopkins"], 6’3 Sophomore Wing, Carl Albert Explosive and tenacious, Hopkins never backed down in attacking the bigger and older Del City defenders. He scored a team high 16 points, each one of those points were hard earned. Hopkins is already a load as a youngster thanks to a very strong frame and great leaping ability. His finishing has improved this year, which was evident in how he found ways to score in the paint. Hopkins even hit a pair of three pointers, which is a great sign for the future development of the high upside sophomore. [player_tooltip player_id="1211255" first="Jordan" last="England"], 6’2 Junior Guard, Carl Albert It wasn’t the most efficient day for England, as they size of Del City impacted his usually smooth finishing. Still, he found ways to finish and also earn trips to the line. An impressive aspect of the game was the control he played with. There were still hiccups as would be expected against a tough defense like Del City but he’s made major strides as a ball handler since December and will likely enter next year as one of the top senior guards in Oklahoma. Title Preview #1 Del City (24-3) vs 2 Tulsa Memorial (26-1) It’s the match up people have expected since November, between the two most talented teams in Class 5A and possibly any classification. Back in December they met in Tulsa in the Finals of the Tournament of Champions. Tulsa Memorial was rolling early but Del City rallied back and would eventually win 59-49. Del City has only allowed a handful of teams to break 50 points during the middle of their current 21 game winning streaks. Meanwhile, the 75 points today was the lowest point total by Tulsa Memorial since the middle of January. Styles makes fight and a fast pace style favors the quick Frierson and company. While the physical and Eagles will likely look to keep it slow and muck the game up. 1:45 PM in Norman tomorrow will be a high level game, filled with future college basketball players.