Tahlequah senior forward Hayden Smith Hayden Smith 6'8" | PF Tahlequah | 2023 State OK had an outstanding second half in Wednesday’s quarterfinal against Carl Albert. The Tigers came up short but Smith was absolutely dominant in the paint and specifically what he was able to do in the third and fourth quarters. Smith finished with 19 points and 17 rebounds on the night. He had nine rebounds on the offensive glass alone and those game stats were a complete contrast from his first half numbers. After the first two quarters, Smith only had four points and three rebounds. He was the energizer bunny for Tahlequah as he seemed like he kept getting stronger as the game went on.

Hayden Smith Hayden Smith 6'8" | PF Tahlequah | 2023 State OK put on a show in this one. He came out of the gates dominating the glass and scoring inside. At halftime, he had 14 points and nine rebounds. That dominant performance continued into the second half, where no one could keep him off of the glass. There were multiple possession where he would grab two or three offensive rebounds before scoring. Not only was he scoring off of his offensive rebounds, he was muscling his way through the defenders with his 6’8 frame or getting assists. Multiple times he grabbed a rebound and threw a good outlet pass. He also came away with a steal and block in this game. It was an impressive performance and one that showed dominance to help his team advance.

Smith started the game off hot by scoring two quick buckets to help Tahlequah jump out to a 9 – 0 lead. He consistently takes advantage of the lack of size that Glenpool had. It seemed like throughout the game he lived in the paint and was able to home there. He does a great job posting up and establishing possession and when one of his guards penetrates he knows how to find the open spot to put himself in a great position to score.

Tahlequah bounced back on Tuesday night when they went on the road and knocked off Glenpool 76-66. Leading them once again was senior big man Hayden Smith Hayden Smith 6'8" | PF Tahlequah | 2023 State OK , who is quickly rising up the ranks when it comes to prospects at his position in the 2023 class. Smith would score 20 points, grab 12 rebounds and he also added 6 assists in their win on the road. Smith has already had a few showings this year where he’s played excellent basketball. He’s definitely someone to keep an eye on moving forward. The Tigers dropped two games in a row in their tournament last week with losses to eventual champion Moore in the semifinals and then a loss to Jenks in the third place game. They return to the floor on Friday night when they travel to face Grove before winter break.

In one of the marquee games in Class 5A on Tuesday night, Tahlequah got a strong 59-56 win over Collinsville at home. These two teams will be two of the better teams on the east side of Class 5A this season and a win over the Cardinals will certainly help the Tigers down the stretch. Leading the way was senior big man Hayden Smith Hayden Smith 6'8" | PF Tahlequah | 2023 State OK , who finished with 21 points in the victory. This was a game that featured two of the better big men in Class 5A with Smith and then Collinsville junior Zac Brown. Smith and the Tigers got the edge on Tuesday night and will use this to get some momentum heading into their tournament they are hosting next week.

One of the best players in Class 5A coming into this season is Tahlequah senior big man Hayden Smith Hayden Smith 6'8" | PF Tahlequah | 2023 State OK . Last season, Smith averaged nearly 15 points per game, along with seven rebounds a game and he’s looking to expand on that production this season. Smith is one of the better big man prospects in the state’s 2023 class and we’re looking forward to seeing what he does this season. Wooldridge believes that Smith has the ability to be a big impact player for the Tigers on both sides of the ball. If he can bump up his production to averaging around 20 and 10 this season, the Tigers are going to have a good chance to be contend for a state tournament spot.