Shawnee Day One Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Shawnee Invitational routinely has a strong tournament field and this year might be one of the best ever. With Jenks and Union cancelling their tournament, that brought the Redhawks and Trojans over to Shawnee and this tournament is full of ranked 6A and 5A teams. Prep Hoops Oklahoma is on hand for the first day of the tournament and we'll be updating this post throughout the day with who is shining on the first day of the tournament here in Shawnee.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>BROKEN ARROW 69, SHAWNEE 42</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>6A's #1 Broken Arrow remained undefeated on the season as they took down the host team 69-42. The Tigers jumped out to a 17-9 first quarter lead and extended that to 37-23 at halftime. The Tigers were on cruise control in the second half as they were never really threatened. They had balanced scoring throughout the lineup with only two players finishing in double figures. The Tigers will face Southeast in the semifinals on Friday. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>SOUTHEAST 67, EL RENO 59</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the second game of the afternoon, we had a match-up that we could very well see again in March with a spot in the state tournament on the line. In this one, it was #8 Southeast knocking off #7 El Reno 67-59. This was the second time I've watched Southeast in person and it was the second time the Spartans got out to a slow start but then settled in and played good basketball. El Reno controlled the first six minutes of the game but Southeast did a good job the rest of the way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>UNION 62, CHOCTAW 57</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Following a tough overtime loss to Bixby on Tuesday night, Union bounced back with a big 62-57 win over #5 Choctaw on Thursday evening. The Yellowjackets were without two starters in [player_tooltip player_id='1367216' first='Ja'Mon' last='Valentine'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1482829' first='Will' last='Smith'], who were both in walking boots on Thursday. The Yellowjackets missed that firepower in the fourth quarter as Union started lighting it up from beyond the perimeter and it felt like they couldn't miss. Now, the Redhawks will square off with Mustang in the semifinals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>MUSTANG 57, JENKS 54</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The final game of a busy Thursday in Shawnee was the best game as Mustang would escape the first round with a 57-54 win over Jenks. Mustang's senior duo of [player_tooltip player_id='967377' first='Jacobe' last='Johnson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='971558' first='Keegan' last='Bass'] would lead the way but it was sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1391441' first='Roman' last='Miller'] who had one of the biggest games of the day when he blocked a [player_tooltip player_id='1068571' first='Dylan' last='Golightly'] shot at the basket that could have tied the game up with under ten seconds remaining. Mustang will now take on a Union team that keeps building more and more confidence. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>THURSDAY'S TOP PERFORMERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1730459"],"_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 mentioned Choctaw missing two starters on Thursday and senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1730459' first='Cam' last='Hunt'] looked to replace the production of dynamic junior [player_tooltip player_id='1367216' first='Ja'Mon' last='Valentine'] and did a good job. Hunt would lead the Yellowjackets in scoring with 18 points and he scored from just about everywhere on the floor. And Hunt wasn't on for the entire four quarters. He had to fight to find his groove on the offensive end and eventually it came and things took off from there. Hunt has had a few big performances this season and with Valentine out with a high ankle sprain, they need Hunt to provide that scoring from the guard position.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1391434"],"_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":"El Reno sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='1391434' first='Carter' last='Roman Nose'] just didn't have his shot going on Thursday afternoon. He had some good looks from the perimeter but they weren't falling. But despite that, the sophomore standout still had a big impact on the game as one of El Reno's primary ball handlers and facilitators on the offensive end of the floor. He finished with eight points but he also made one of the best plays that we saw Thursday. About to take off on a fast break, Roman Nose froze the Southeast defense with a no look 30-foot pass that ended with El Reno points. He showed he can still stand out without filling it up from the floor.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["1343196"],"_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":"When Union's junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1343196' first='Cedric' last='Dixon'] is on, the Redhawks are tough to beat and that was evident by the run that they went on early in the fourth quarter that provided them the separation they needed to get the big win over the Yellowjackets. Dixon has the potential to be one of the best shooters in the state's 2024 class but we haven't seen that from him all the time this season. We started to see it on the floor on Thursday as he finished with 14 points, including a couple big shots in the second half that started to swing the momentum towards Union. Dixon also did a good job of getting their big men the ball early and often.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["1496001"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"When we talk about Broken Arrow as a true state championship contender, it's easy to float to the stars on the Tiger roster. But if Broken Arrow truly contends for a title, it will be because of players like senior [player_tooltip player_id='1496001' first='Dason' last='Cook'] as he continues to be one of the more underrated players in Class 6A. Cook was the leading scorer for the Tigers in their win on Thursday and he led all scorers with 17 points. We mentioned Cook last week following their win over Owasso and how he's the perfect example of how the Tigers have embraced u0022position-less basketballu0022 and continues to beat opponents in a variety of ways.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["1391436"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Broken Arrow sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1391436' first='David' last='Howell'] was the other Tiger in double figures, joining senior [player_tooltip player_id='1496001' first='Dason' last='Cook']. The dynamic but methodical sophomore would finish with 15 points and finished off the game strong in the fourth quarter. Howell continues to impress every time we see him in person. Before the season began, we thought this kind of season was possible as Howell stepped into a new role after being a rare freshman in the starting lineup last year. This year, Howell knows what he's doing and is playing with more confidence. He was a borderline top ten prospect back in September and it feels like he'll be single digits in our next update.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["1756347"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"I've been told about the emergence of [player_tooltip player_id='1756347' first='Deke' last='Thompson'] for a few months now. But this was my first chance to see the Jenks sophomore guard in person and he lived up to the hype. He got out to a strong start on the offensive end of the floor and also did a really good job on defense against Mustang's strong back court. That's what the Trojans needed more than anything on Thursday as Mustang's back court is one of the better groups in Class 6A. On offense, Thompson would finish with 12 points and knocked down a couple shots from the perimeter. Thompson is definitely a 2025 prospect to keep an eye on this year.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["1068571"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"While there's plenty of excitement around some of Jenks' younger players, arguably their best player this season has been senior [player_tooltip player_id='1068571' first='Dylan' last='Golightly']. The bigger guard has been outstanding this season and he was at it again on Thursday night. He led the Trojans in scoring with 16 points and had a very balanced and efficient night from the floor. The only thing that didn't go well for Golightly was his attempt at the basket near the end of the game as he tried to tie it up. Other than that, it was a nearly perfect game from the senior. It wasn't a hard prediction to think that Golightly would be one of this season's breakout stars.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_7_player":["1592869"],"_player_evaluations_7_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_7_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_7_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"The closest thing to automatic in Oklahoma high school basketball this season has been Union big man [player_tooltip player_id='1592869' first='Erik' last='Madrid'] in the first and third quarters. On Thursday, Madrid led the Redhawks in scoring with 18 points and he scored 13 of those points in the first and third quarters. Madrid had a solid game overall but as he becomes a player that can provide that type of impact in all four quarters, he is going to be a big problem for opponents moving forward. There is simply nothing you can do as a defense when you're going against a player who is 7-foot. We've seen Union in person a few times this season and each time, Madrid has been one of the top players.","_player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_8_player":["1367223"],"_player_evaluations_8_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_8_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_8_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"With Choctaw missing [player_tooltip player_id='1482829' first='Will' last='Smith'] on Thursday, the Yellowjackets looked to [player_tooltip player_id='1367223' first='Isaiah' last='Taylor'] to be their big man and rim protector in the loss to Union. Taylor did a good job throughout the evening with 15 points. Taylor is such an interesting prospect to watch moving forward and he showed why on Thursday. On first look, Taylor appears to be a really strong athlete that happens to play basketball. But as we saw early on in the game, Taylor can step out and knock down some jumpers. Combining the shooting with that raw athleticism and strength that you simply can't coach, Taylor is just scratching the surface on what he can be.","_player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_9_player":["967377"],"_player_evaluations_9_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_9_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_9_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_9_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_9_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_9_evaluation":"Mustang senior [player_tooltip player_id='967377' first='Jacobe' last='Johnson'] is headed to college to play football at OU but as he's mentioned, basketball has been his first love and basketball was very good to Johnson on Thursday night. The Mustang guard was lights out on the offensive end of the floor as he had one of the best performances from Thursday's games in Shawnee. He finished with a game-high 26 points in the win and he would knock down four three-pointers as the Broncos would pull off the close win over Jenks. We've always contended that Johnson could be a D1 basketball player but the football path hasn't been too shabby either.","_player_evaluations_9_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_10_player":["1295687"],"_player_evaluations_10_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_10_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_10_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_10_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_10_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_10_evaluation":"Leading El Reno in scoring was senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1295687' first='James' last='Reveles Jr'] as he finished with 15 points as the Indians came up just short on Thursday afternoon. But a combination of Southeast limiting his touches on offense and foul trouble would slow him down in the second half as he had just three points after halftime and was scoreless in the fourth quarter. But when Reveles had it going in the first half, he showed off the touch around the basket that makes him one of the more intriguing 2023 prospects to watch in Class 5A. He's an undersized forward but on Thursday he dominated the paint.","_player_evaluations_10_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_11_player":["1482825"],"_player_evaluations_11_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_11_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_11_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_11_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_11_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_11_evaluation":"As Southeast started climbing out of the early hole they found themselves in during the first quarter, it was junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1482825' first='Ladainian' last='Fields'] that got them going on the offensive end of the floor. The Southeast dual-sport star would finish in double figures and did a good job on the defensive side of the floor as well. On offense, Fields was at his best when he was attacking the basket and he could get to the basket in the blink of an eye. But similar to Reveles at El Reno, Fields did most of his damage in the scoring department in the first two quarters as he was sidelined with foul trouble for a good chunk of the fourth quarter.","_player_evaluations_11_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_12_player":["1482833"],"_player_evaluations_12_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_12_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_12_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_12_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_12_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_12_evaluation":"The other part of Southeast's dynamic junior duo is point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1482833' first='Micheal' last='Graham']. And while Fields got things started, it was Graham and his clutch play in the second half that allowed the Spartans to stay a few possessions ahead of El Reno and also converted on his opportunities at the charity stripe. Graham would finish with 24 points to lead all scorers on Thursday and would finish 9-15 from the free throw line. Graham is definitely a guard prospect to keep an eye on because of the way he plays the game. He's not scared of any opponent and is always confident. That duo of Graham and Fields is one of the best in the state for a reason.","_player_evaluations_12_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_13_player":["1391441"],"_player_evaluations_13_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_13_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_13_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_13_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_13_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_13_evaluation":"We've written about Mustang's sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1391441' first='Roman' last='Miller'] a few times in the last two months. The Mustang standout is in the middle of a breakout season for the Broncos and we think that he's on the verge of becoming a top ten prospect in the state's 2025 class when our rankings are updated next month. On Thursday, Miller finished with 11 points but as we mentioned a few times in this post, the biggest play that Miller made was one of the biggest plays of the day in Shawnee as he would come up with a big block with just a few seconds left and then got fouled right after. It was a complete performance from the sophomore.","_player_evaluations_13_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":14,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63c99897a792a"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->