The OBU commit was simply too big for the Wolverines around the rim. Once he gets established around the rim and the post entry pass was thrown to him, it was an automatic two points.  His massive wingspan also allowed him to convert putbacks and frequently block or alter shots. Madrid’s reliable scoring was crucial in the Redhawks closing the door on any Wolverines second half comeback attempts.

The biggest player in the state is set for a huge senior campaign. He’ll absolutely own the paint on both ends of the court, with his massive wingspan being a giant stop sign to drivers. While on offense, once he gets position down low, it might as well be over. Especially as he continues to improve his conditioning and is becoming a regular at slamming it home with authority. Recently there have been few legit 7 footers in the state, and the jolly giant that is Madrid is a must watch for Oklahoma basketball fans.

It’s been a huge spring and summer for the throwback center prospect, and he continued his game changing play in Dallas. During a second half rally, Madrid anchored the paint on the defensive end with blocks and shots contests. While on offense, his continuing improvement of his conditioning was displayed with a pair of rim rattling slams.  The momentum continues to build for Madrid, as Oklahoma Baptist offered last week and now looks the part of a potential D1 prospect for programs wanting an old fashion space eater at the 5.

Soft hands. Huge wingspan. Rebounds. Altering shots at the rim. Surprisingly nimble in space on defense, with a willingness to take a charge as well. Those are now all positive traits that Madrid has been showing this spring and summer on the Nike EYBL circuit.

The hard work that the 7 footer from Tulsa has put in over the last year has continued to pay off, as he’s dropped weight and become a more consistent change of pace option for Team Griffin around the rim. When he’s able to get position on the block, it’s an automatic score. On defense he often anchors the middle of a zone, turning the paint into a “no fly” zone for guards. Which is very beneficial to an otherwise undersized Griffin squad for this level.  Madrid will require a coach that likes aspects that are now old school, but his sheer size can’t be taught.

The big man in the middle from Union always brings an extra element to a smaller Griffin squad. It usually only comes in spurts, as the speed at this level can lead to issues but with his huge frame, long arms, and soft touch he is automatic around the rim. An example came today when he checked in to end the third and got a crucial score in the close contest. There’s usually a few times throughout a weekend that scoring spurts for “Big E” with Griffin can change games, which is impressive consider this is the highest level of grassroots basketball.

Erik Madrid Erik Madrid 7'1" | C Union | 2024 State OK is a raw bug man with a lot of potential. This season Madrid really started to develop into a central pillar for the growth and success of the Union program. Erik possesses a massive presence inside but at times doesn’t realize jus how dominate he could be. Madrid has solid footwork and a soft touch around the rim and stays active on the boards and is an excellent shot blocker, relying on timing to prevent from getting into foul trouble. Erik is a prime candidate to have an explosive summer going into his senior year.

Union center Erik Madrid Erik Madrid 7'1" | C Union | 2024 State OK has to be in the conversation for the most unique prospect in the state of Oklahoma, regardless of class. He’s a legitimate 7-footer and is only a junior, we just haven’t seen that very often in Oklahoma over the last decade. Madrid has risen in the rankings because of the height and his ability to be a double-double machine. He’s been one of Union’s top scorers all season and he’s been consistently at the top of the scoring in just about every game. And one thing we’ve mentioned before that we’re looking forward to seeing is his continued growth in all four quarters. Madrid has always gotten off to hot starts and has scoring spurts in some of the various quarters. Once Madrid starts putting that complete package together as he works on his speed, quickness and can handle more minutes, the other stuff will fall into place. There just aren’t many players in Oklahoma that can handle Madrid when he gets the ball in the block. The biggest key moving forward will be the quickness and stamina aspect. The more he stays on the floor, the more he impacts the game at a high level.

The closest thing to automatic in Oklahoma high school basketball this season has been Union big man Erik Madrid Erik Madrid 7'1" | C Union | 2024 State OK in the first and third quarters. On Thursday, Madrid led the Redhawks in scoring with 18 points and he scored 13 of those points in the first and third quarters. Madrid had a solid game overall but as he becomes a player that can provide that type of impact in all four quarters, he is going to be a big problem for opponents moving forward. There is simply nothing you can do as a defense when you’re going against a player who is 7-foot. We’ve seen Union in person a few times this season and each time, Madrid has been one of the top players.

Erik Madrid Erik Madrid 7'1" | C Union | 2024 State OK is the tallest player in Oklahoma and has great size at 7’0 tall. He is a double-double machine with rebounds and points, scoring inside a solid amount. to go along with that, he puts his great size to use by acting as a brick wall at the basket. He does a great job contesting shots and coming up with an occasional block, to where the opponents had trouble scoring anywhere near the paint. Great interior defense and the ability to block and contest shots well is something that is beneficial to his team. He is the #1 ranked center in his class for a reason.

Erik Madrid Erik Madrid 7'1" | C Union | 2024 State OK is the tallest player in the state of Oklahoma, listed at 7’0, and he knows how too use the size to his advantage. He dominated the boards, as he grabbed one rebound after another. It felt like a regular occurrence for him to grab an offensive rebound and put it back in, sometimes without even jumping. He is not a twig either, as he uses good size to set good ball screens and to overpower his opponents when boxing out. His impact goes beyond the rebounding, as he would score at the rim multiple times, many of them being second chance points. He is a regular double-double machine, as I am pretty sure that he reached that mark in this one. He made a big impact on the defensive end, as he had several good shot contest throughout this one and impacted a high percentage of the shots that were in the paint. He came away with a couple of blocks, as well.