Class 2A All Tournament Team
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Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy! The 2023 state tournaments are in the books and we watched some great basketball at OU and at the Big House in Oklahoma City. This week,…
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The 2023 state tournaments are in the books and we watched some great basketball at OU and at the Big House in Oklahoma City. This week, we’re taking a look at the best players from each class throughout the state tournament. We’re starting off each post with a look at the MVP selection, along with four other All Tournament selections. In this post, it’s all about Class 2A as top-ranked Dale capped off a perfect 32-0 season with their second consecutive state championship.
Dale was dominant all season and as they entered the state tournament, the question wasn’t whether or not Dale would win another gold ball, it was by how much in each game. And after three games in Oklahoma City, the Pirates won another gold ball by an average margin of 27 points per game. Dale would capture the state title this year behind five starters who all returned from last year and unfortunately for the rest of Class 2A, they aren’t going anywhere and they’ll all be back for the 2023-2024 season.
Dayton Forsythe Dayton Forsythe 6'3" | PG Dale | 2024 State #206 Nation OK – Dale (MVP)
We’ve seen some special players take the floor at the Big House over the last few decades. Dale junior Dayton Forsythe Dayton Forsythe 6'3" | PG Dale | 2024 State #206 Nation OK is becoming the next name that people will talk about for years as a “Big House Legend” and he still has another year to add to that legend. The latest chapter of his growing legacy came last week as he helped lead Dale to a perfect season and a second consecutive state championship. Forsythe was dominant in Saturday’s championship win. What’s scary is he didn’t have to dominate in Dale’s first two state tournament wins but when it was a close game with OCA after one quarter, Forsythe flipped that switch and turned into that player that we’ve seen become one of the very best in Oklahoma. He would finish with 29 points on Saturday night, 20 of which came in the second half as the Pirates ran away with another state championship. In our opinion, Forsythe has firmly established himself as not only one of the best players in the state but he’s also become one of the top prospects in the state. He had a fantastic spring and summer last year and we’re looking forward to what’s next for him this offseason.
Keep it locked in to Prep Hoops Oklahoma later in the week when we take a deeper look at just how special Forsythe and this Dale team was this season.
Carson Thomas Carson Thomas 6'3" | SG Oklahoma Christian Academy | 2023 OK – Oklahoma Christian Academy
Oklahoma Christian Academy made their first ever state tournament appearance last week and they made the most of the trip. They would make it all the way to the state championship game before running into the Dale buzzsaw. Senior Carson Thomas Carson Thomas 6'3" | SG Oklahoma Christian Academy | 2023 OK would actually lead all scorers throughout the Class 2A state tournament with 61 points on the tourney, averaging just over 20 points per game. Thomas absolutely lit it up from beyond the arc and was one of the best shooters that we saw in Oklahoma City, regardless of class. OCA might have come up short in the state title game but Thomas was one of the bright spots as he was constantly knocking down shots from the perimeter. Thomas and his performance last week will hopefully set the program up for future tournament runs.
Dakotah Terrell Dakotah Terrell 6'8" | C Pocola | 2025 State #335 Nation OK – Pocola
Forsythe wasn’t the only top prospect on display in the Class 2A state tournament. Pocola big man Dakotah Terrell Dakotah Terrell 6'8" | C Pocola | 2025 State #335 Nation OK continues to grow as a prospect and he had a really good showing during the state tournament. Like Thomas, Terrell and Pocola just happened to run into that Dale buzzsaw and they came up short in the semifinal round. Terrell continues to develop into a forward prospect that is going to be one to watch moving forward in the state’s 2025 class. Once again during the state tournament, the number one thing that jumped out about Terrell was his defense and rebounding and overall athleticism. As his offensive game continues to progress, he’s going to be an absolute nightmare for opponents over the next two years. We expect Pocola to be right back in the mix again next season.
Deken Jones Deken Jones 6'1" | CG Dale | 2024 State OK – Dale
You can make the argument that all five players from Dale’s starting lineup should be All Tournament selections after their dominant run in Oklahoma City last week. And while Forsythe gets a lot of the attention and pub, the Pirates are a complete team that have other guys that can shine. Deken Jones Deken Jones 6'1" | CG Dale | 2024 State OK was one of those players throughout the tournament for the Pirates. He was their second leading scorer behind Forsythe and finished off a very strong season with a good performance in Oklahoma City. He’s a guard that did a really good job in the paint, specifically in the state championship game. Jones flashed the ability to finish at the rim and he was also a menace on the offensive glass with put backs throughout the tournament. Jones was consistent from start to finish.
Jervais Goree Jervais Goree 5'8" | PG Preston | 2024 State OK – Preston
Preston guard Jervais Goree Jervais Goree 5'8" | PG Preston | 2024 State OK came into the state tournament as one of the top playmakers and things played out that way as one of the top stars of the Class 2A tourney. Goree would help lead Preston to the Class 2A state tournament semifinals and they were in danger of being blown out in the semifinals. Goree would help lead a comeback that ended with him making a shot at the end of regulation to send the game to overtime. While they came up short in the semifinal round, Goree firmly established himself as one of the top guys in Class 2A on the biggest stage. If you didn’t know about Goree before last week, you do now and as one of the top junior guards in the smaller classes, Goree has a chance to really blow up this spring and summer as a prospect for the next level.