Team Preview: Pawnee (2A)

<p>Pawnee coach David Page has to be excited in what he has returning next season for the Black Bears.</p> <p>Coming off of one of the most successful seasons in school history at 27-2, Pawnee returns their entire starting five, a unit that has been playing together for quite some time.</p> <p>They return a three-headed scoring monster of almost 43 points. [player_tooltip player_id="964494" first="Gunnar" last="Gordon"], Brad Reeves, and Landreth Harrison are all guards for the Black Bears who provide instant offense.</p> <p>Gordon, a junior and the #49 player in the PrepHoops Oklahoma 2022 rankings, was one of the top scorers in the state last year as he poured in 18.1 points per game as an underclassman. He has unlimited range and a green light to shoot from nearly anywhere. Gordon takes the most shots on this team, and as he goes the offense goes. He will be one of the older guys on the team this year and will have to sep up for Pawnee in other ways, including defensively.</p> <p>The Black Bear offense looks to move the ball around too, as point-guard [player_tooltip player_id="964494" first="Gunnar" last="Gordon"] relies on other scorers to make shots as well. This is evident in his passing numbers, as he averaged eight assists per game last season. Reeves and Harrison were recipients of this distribution often, as Reeves averaged 13.6 and Harrison 11 of his own.</p> <p>Junior Jake Mitchell and senior Trent Hixon are both value players and upperclassmen for the Black Bears. Mitchell is the tallest player in the starting five, and while 6’2 isn’t the ideal size for a post, he plays taller than he his. Rebounding for this Pawnee team is a group effort, as they try hard and hustle. They know effort and competitiveness is what will boost them to the next level, so they work hard on the little things.</p> <p>Having a smaller group gives Coach Page many options in transition. Pawnee loves to play fast with their guards and exploits matchups well. They also have solid spot up shooters and love to shoot from deep, especially Gordon.</p> <p>This team has accomplished a lot already and they are looking to take it one more step this year. After two consecutive winning seasons, one being 27-2 and advancing to the state tournament, the Black Bears might just have what it takes this year.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>