Class 4A All Tournament Team

<!-- 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>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 4A as the Douglass Trojans captured their first state championship since 2017, behind an MVP performance from their senior star [player_tooltip player_id='981287' first='Terry' last='McMorris'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Trojans came into this season as one of the favorites in Class 4A and they lived up to those expectations throughout the regular season and then reached a new gear during the state tournament. After knocking off defending champion Kingfisher in the semifinals on Friday, they took out Weatherford in a championship game full of runs from both teams on Saturday night. Douglass would get up big on Weatherford and would hold off the fourth quarter rally from the Eagles to capture another gold ball. And with several younger players in their starting lineup and making key plays throughout the state tourney, the Trojans appear to be just getting started. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='981287' first='Terry' last='McMorris'] - Douglass (MVP)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Douglass senior [player_tooltip player_id='981287' first='Terry' last='McMorris'] was the no-brainer selection here as the standout helped lead the Trojans to their first state championship since 2017. McMorris set the tone early for Douglass as he was absolutely dominant on both sides of the floor and specifically in the paint. You could tell while watching him that McMorris was on a mission to carry his team to the gold ball. And can you blame him? This is a player that got a ton of criticism in late October when he moved from Del City to the Douglass district. There was so much talk about the move and McMorris had to hear it and kept his composure throughout the season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McMorris would average nearly 16 points per game throughout the state tournament but it was his performance in the state championship game that separates him from a lot of other players. McMorris would finish with 20 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the state title game. And following the trophy presentation McMorris held on to the gold ball and would never let it go. 10-15 minutes after the presentation, the Douglass senior standout was still holding on to the trophy and taking pictures on the Big House floor. McMorris has been on a mission throughout the season to prove a lot of people wrong. Mission complete. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1358852' first='Cal' last='Furnish'] - Crossings Christian</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Crossings Christian sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1358852' first='Cal' last='Furnish'] was one of the top players throughout the state tournament. They would fall short to Weatherford in the semifinals but one thing is certain as we head into the offseason, the Knights aren't going anywhere. Led by Furnish and freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1552378' first='Phoenix' last='Woodson'], Crossings Christian is going to be one of the top teams in Class 4A moving forward. Furnish was one of the top freshmen in the state last season and he became one of the top overall players in the state this season. Furnish absolutely filled up the stat sheet throughout the season and has to be considered one of the top shooters in the state's 2025 class. In fact, you can make the argument that he might be the most dangerous shooter from beyond the arc in the state's current sophomore class. Furnish and Crossings came up short but they'll once again be in the mix when next season rolls around. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1391435' first='CJ' last='Nickson'] - Weatherford</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Weatherford had to settle for a silver ball on Saturday night but led by 2025 standout [player_tooltip player_id='1391435' first='CJ' last='Nickson'] and a wealth of talent in that 2025 class, we expect the Eagles to be right back in the mix next season. Just a sophomore, Nickson was a man that could not be stopped throughout the state tournament. Nickson would end up averaging nearly 18 points per game during the three state tourney games and was without a doubt one of the top players in the state throughout the season. In the state championship game specifically, Nickson was hampered with an injury suffered during the game and you could tell that he was not at 100 percent. Despite playing hurt, Nickson still had a big impact on the championship clash with Douglass. Nickson is in the middle of blowing up as a football prospect and he might end up going the football route for college. But before we get there, Nickson will have some unfinished business moving forward on the court. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1475984' first='Landry' last='Ballard'] - Douglass </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Douglass sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1475984' first='Landry' last='Ballard'] didn't average the points per game that the other four selections averaged during the state tournament but he was one of the top five players in the tourney field. Anyone who caught the Douglass games throughout the last week saw Ballard have a massive impact on both sides of the floor. In the state championship game, Ballard's defense helped the Trojans build a big lead that would help them capture the state championship. Ballard is one of the more improved players in the state's 2025 class. This post is loaded with outstanding 2025 talent and Ballard firmly belongs in that discussion. He had an outstanding season and reached new heights as a sophomore. With McMorris graduating, we cannot wait to see what Ballard's next step as a player will be next season as the Trojans look to defend that crown. But before that, Ballard should have a very busy spring and summer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1211253' first='Xavier' last='Ridenour'] - Kingfisher</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2022's state champion Kingfisher fell to 2023's state champion Douglass in a great semifinal clash on Friday night. Kingfisher senior [player_tooltip player_id='1211253' first='Xavier' last='Ridenour'] did what he's done his whole career and that was go out shooting. Ridenour has been one of the top shooters in the state's 2023 class and he had another good performance throughout the state tournament from beyond the arc. He averaged nearly 20 points per game in the two state tournament contests and when you consider the low-scoring semifinal affair, that's a pretty impressive average. Ridenour hit an extra gear once the playoffs began and helped lead Kingfisher back to the state tournament and knocking on the door of another state championship appearance. With the Yellowjackets missing fellow senior [player_tooltip player_id='1211251' first='Maddox' last='Mecklenburg'], Ridenour would take his game to the next level and there was no doubt that Ridenour was one of the top players in 4A this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->