Top 3 or the field in Class 6A?

At this point in the season, the results speak for themselves. Edmond North, Broken Arrow and Putnam City North have established themselves as the three favorites in Class 6A. The trio has a combined record 61-3. And one of those losses, (Edmond North) came to an out of state team.   Now it is called March Madness for a reason, and single game playoff contests breed unpredictability and upsets. Earlier this week bitter rival Edmond Memorial had Edmond North on the ropes, till late free throws saw the Huskies earn a narrow victory. Broken Arrow is also fresh off narrow escapes against Owasso and Union this week. Putnam City North has been cruising of late, but in January rivals Putnam City West bloodied, their nose and top 5A squad Carl Albert nearly took them down as well.   *cue Kevin Garnett ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE gif*   With three games in back to back to back days, upsets are likely. But winning all three of those games at State to earn the right to lift the Gold Ball takes a different caliber of team. Complete teams. It's rare in recent years that the eventual winner wasn't considered in the top tier of favorites going into the playoffs. So it is still likely one of the three teams listed above will be the one lifting the Gold Ball in Norman on Saturday, March 11th.    Check back soon for an article on candidates that could shake up the big three in Class 6A!   The Case for Broken Arrow   The standard bearer on the east side this year, Broken Arrow like the other teams in the top tier is massive by Oklahoma standards. Leading the pack of giant Tigers is 6 foot 6, Oklahoma State bound [player_tooltip player_id='1360350' first='Connor' last='Dow']. After breaking out as a junior and last summer on the EYBL, the sharpshooter looks effortless on offense playing against Oklahoma competition. On defense, the hard nosed Dow is full of effort as one of the top defenders in the state. Fellow seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1495346' first='Ethan' last='Ellison'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1496001' first='Dason' last='Cook'] bring similar size, offensive traits and intensity. While [player_tooltip player_id='1391436' first='David' last='Howell'] has emerged as one of the highest upside 2025 prospects in the state as a dynamic jumbo size lead guard.   The X-Factor for the Tigers was on display for the Tigers in their recent escape against Union. [player_tooltip player_id='1603537' first='Justice' last='Sutton'] is a smooth and athletic wing. With the game in the balance late, he was the one who got to the rim and the foul line to cement the victory. His motor has ran hot and cold at times, but when he's on, he's vital for Broken Arrow. An athletic slasher if Sutton is a consistent performer come March, the Tigers will have what it takes to lift their first Gold Ball since head coach Beau Wallace won as a player in 1997.   The Case for Edmond North   Last season the "Pups" of Edmond North grew up in front of the state's eyes and handled business against three upperclassmen heavy squads to win 6A. After only losing one senior from that team and loads of ascending talent in their now junior class, North entered the year as the favorites. Other than an out of state loss in November, and a stunning upset by Crossings Christian in the Tournament of Champions, the Huskies have cruised. They've played fellow Class 6A competition 16 times, 15 of those time North has won by double digits. Some of those double digits wins have been them pulling away late, but the frequency of the large margins of victory they've racked up has fully supported the preseason top billing. Juniors [player_tooltip player_id='1367221' first='TO' last='Barrett'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1332074' first='Dylan' last='Warlick'] are two of the best players in the state regardless of class, and they bring size and guard play off the bench that would be starting for most foes.   The X-Factor for the Huskies will be perimeter shooting. Edmond Memorial likely showed a common formula for giving North trouble in the upcoming weeks. Zone them and limit transition points. With the size and athleticism the Huskies bring to the court, they can rack up dunks in a hurry and with that comes momentum swings. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1367225' first='Dontrell' last='Yearby'] has been a consistent three point shooter, meanwhile Warlick and senior [player_tooltip player_id='1160669' first='TJ' last='Strong'] both are capable of stepping out and hitting from distance. Barrett has ran hot and cold from deep, there have been games this year that he's won with a barrage of threes. While other games he's ran cold by leaning too much on his still developing jumper. If Barrett and company can connect from distance come March, good luck to the rest of the state.     The Case for Putnam City North    From a balanced perspective, the Panthers have played like the most complete team in the state this season. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1068566' first='CJ' last='Smith'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1733862' first='Kejuan' last='Payne II'] have perimeter skills, but both have the size and athleticism to match up with forwards on defense. The duo have also regularly assaulted the rim in transition. Smith in particular has been mixed in outstanding perimeter shooting, with the ability to attack and get where ever he wants in the 12-18 feet range. Meanwhile they have an electrifying backcourt scorer with [player_tooltip player_id='1068574' first='Zander' last='Baker']. The little guard was one of the best scorers in the state last season, with the Panthers offense fully running through his ability to hit. While he still has deep range and can score with the best of them, Baker now is more of a complete point guard pulling the strings for their efficient offense.   The X factor for the Panthers are the two non seniors who round out their starting line up, sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='1475985' first='Khai' last='Brown'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1391431' first='Anthony' last='Leonard']. The duo especially standout with their dogged defensive mentality. They hound ball handlers with the quickness and intensity, often being the ones to create transition opportunities for their high flying teammates. Leonard, a lanky guard, is no slouch himself with rim rattling dunks. As he's becoming quicker and more explosive. Meanwhile, Brown is the type of player who seemingly glides past players when attacking off the bounce. The duo have had their moments this season, and will be counted upon to play with the poise of upperclassmen in high leverage moments.

At this point in the season, the results speak for themselves. Edmond North, Broken Arrow and Putnam City North have established themselves as the three favorites in Class 6A. The trio has a combined record 61-3. And one of those losses, (Edmond North) came to an out of state team.