Preview: Tournament of Champions
The Mabee Center in Tulsa hosts this year’s Tournament of Champions this weekend. The TOC has contended for the best regular season tournament in the state in recent years, and 2018 will be no exception. Six of the eight competing teams…
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Continue ReadingThe Mabee Center in Tulsa hosts this year’s Tournament of Champions this weekend. The TOC has contended for the best regular season tournament in the state in recent years, and 2018 will be no exception. Six of the eight competing teams are or have been the top-ranked team in their respective class this season. The mid-season madness tips off Thursday morning and will conclude Saturday night, and whoever takes the championship will only do so by going through some top-notch talent. Here is a quick look at each team competing in this year’s TOC.
Class | School (record) | Prep Hoops rank | OSSAA rank |
A | Whitesboro (8-2) | NR | 11 |
Whitesboro is an early sleeper in the Tournament of Champions. Whitesboro heads into the tourney with a strong 8-2 record with a pair of quality losses. They have adjusted to Class A nicely in the early season after making the jump from B this offseason.
A | Fort Cobb-Broxton | 1 | 1 |
The defending Class A State Champions look to prove that they can hang with anybody as they match up with 6A powerhouse Putnam City West in the first round. SWOSU signee Kellen Hines (5’11” PG) leads the way for the top-ranked Mustangs.
3A | Hugo | 7 | 5 |
Hugo has played well in the early season. After being knocked out of the 3A Tournament last season by Kingston in the State Semifinal, Hugo has rebuild and proved it can play with anybody. With a chip on their shoulder, look for the Buffaloes to play all-out this weekend in Tulsa.
3A | Kingston | 1 | 1 |
The defending State Runners-Up have dominated their opposition in the first half of the season with an average win margin of 32.0 points. The undefeated Redskins are led by seniors RJ Weeks (6’4” PG) and Jacob Germany (6’10” C), a UTSA signee. Kingston faces a tough test in the first round against Kingfisher, who has been equally as dominant in 4A to this point.
4A | Kingfisher | 2 | 1 |
Kingfisher, led by seniors Trey Green (6’2” W) and Jett Sternberger (6’0” PG), has been one of the best — if not, the best — shooting teams in the state of Oklahoma this year. The Jackets match up nicely with Kingston in the first round on Thursday. The Jackets will look to establish that they belong in the discussion of the best team in the state, regardless of class.
5A | Memorial (Tulsa) | 1 | 1 |
5A defending Champion Tulsa Memorial looks to continue its 2018-19 campaign to win another Title. Seniors Keylan (6’7” W) and Kalib Boone (6’8” P), both Oklahoma State signees, are playing as hot as anybody in the stat and will be tough to stop by anybody in the TOC. The Chargers will rely on their speed and athleticism as well as size advantage to earn this year’s TOC crown at the Mabee Center.
6A | Putnam City West | 4 | 5 |
Putnam City West has played as well as anybody in 6A this year. The Patriots are an established program, led by junior Rondel Walker (6’3” PG), and are far from out of the picture in this year’s 6A landscape. The title contenders, despite a few out-of-state losses, are playing their hottest basketball right now. Look for the Patriots to steal the crown in this year’s TOC.
6A | Booker T. Washington | 7 | 6 |
Booker T. Washington has played well through the first half of the season and looks to regain the top spot in 6A. A dominant showing in the TOC would help the Hornets towards that goal. Led by senior Seth Hurd (6’6” P) and juniors Bryce Thompson (6’5” G) and Trey Phipps (5’11 PG), the Hornets may have the most stacked roster in this year’s TOC slate. The Mabee center will be overflowing with talents with the addition of Booker T. Washington.