Putnam City North Practice Report

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Most of the attention this week, including on our site, is on the various tournaments taking place all across Oklahoma. However, in this post, we're taking a look at a team that isn't playing at all this week but have gotten off to one of the best starts in Oklahoma. That's 6A's #3 Putnam City North, who currently sits this week with an 11-0 record after sweeping the Mustang holiday tournament last week. The Panthers have been one of the best teams in Oklahoma after a month of basketball and they are certainly right in the middle of the conversation for best team in Class 6A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was apparent early on in December that the Panthers needed to be taken very seriously when they went on the road and put 100 points on Midwest City. They followed that up the next week by beating Douglass, Norman and Del City in three straight days to win the Joe Lawson tournament. They also captured the Mustang holiday tournament later in the month and out of the 11 wins so far this season, the Panthers have won seven of them by double digits. They've been absolutely dominant and they seem to only be getting better.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Next week we'll see the Panthers travel to face rival Putnam City West in what should be a very intriguing game between two top ten teams in Class 6A. They also participate in the Carl Albert tournament later this month, which routinely has a strong field. Below, we take a look at three players who have stood out after a month of basketball. All three of these guys are 2023 prospects that have significantly raised their profile and colleges should continue to take notice as these three continue to tear it up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1068566"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"We wrote about senior standout [player_tooltip player_id='1068566' first='CJ' last='Smith'] quite a bit last week and early this week as he was absolutely dominant in the Mustang tournament, taking home MVP honors. Smith has finally reached that point that we have seen flashes of the last few seasons. Smith was always a dynamic player that could be the best player on the floor if he wanted to be. But he's reached that extra gear this season and we're seeing that top level play from him on a more consistent basis. And based on his play so far this season, that consistency of playing at a high level is what has made him a borderline top five prospect at this point within the state's 2023 class. Smith has a lot to like about his game and now that he's unlocking the different little elements and becoming more assertive, he is going to be fun down the stretch. Smith is arguably the biggest reason that PC North is a legitimate contender to raise a gold ball in March.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1733862"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Fellow senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1733862' first='Kejuan' last='Payne II'] is a perfect example of a role player that knows his role and plays it incredibly well. And with that, he has gotten quite a bit of shine over the last few weeks. Following an outstanding showing in the Mustang tournament, Payne received a JuCo offer and his recruiting should continue to blow up as more schools check out the very athletic and bouncy guard. Payne seems to always make the right decision and never seems to force things on the offensive end of the floor. And that's a dangerous combination when you combine the oncourt IQ with his athleticism. Some players that are as athletic as Payne is lean on that too much and that gets them into trouble. Payne has done a great job of harnessing it and playing within the flow of the team.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["1068574"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"One of last year's breakout stars throughout the 2021-2022 season was senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1068574' first='Zander' last='Baker']. It was apparent early on in last season that Baker had the makings of a legitimate star within Class 6A. First off, he can fire from just about anywhere on the court as his range is incredibly impressive. And because he is on the shorter side when it comes to point guards, he has to get that shot off quick and that release is lightning fast. Last year, Baker took on the role to be more of a scorer and could absolutely light up the scoreboard when he wanted to. He's shown flashes of that throughout this season but as we've noted with Smith and Payne, Baker has some legitimate scoring threats around him as well. The PC North backcourt is incredibly talented and Baker isn't in the same position where he needs to go for 25-30 points a night for them to be successful. Watching that element of his game evolve has been fun to watch.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":3,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63b895fc9a1fa"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->