Elite 14 Preview
This weekend marks the beginning of the high school season for Prep Hoops Oklahoma. There will be several of the best high school programs in Oklahoma heading south to Wichita Falls, Texas. We will have coverage on each of them with a great crew heading down on Friday night. To get an early look at the programs heading south check out our in-depth preview below!
Newcastle- Kicking off the event in the early time slot Newcastle will get an opportunity to show what they have been working on under new head coach Jessie Brown. They have a scrappy attitude about their team willing to do whatever it takes to give them an opportunity to win games. Kalub Hunt is a player on the Wing to keep tabs on in the 2020 Class.
Booker T. Washington- The Hornets are one of the most well-known teams in the state of Oklahoma with the splash brothers duo of Bryce Thompson and Trey Phipps. Thompson is one of the best players in the state of Oklahoma and is hearing from a ton of schools leading into his junior season. Phipps and Thompson are a duo expected to make a run at the state title the next two years. Booker T. Washington will be elevated to Class 6A this year in basketball. Seth Hurd and Jalen Breath will provide the Hornets with a nice one-two punch down low. The biggest question surrounding the Hornets entering the season is will they have enough depth to win the state championship?
Tulsa Memorial- The most star power from Oklahoma will be featured when the Boone twins, Kalib and Keylan take the floor. Kalib provides the Chargers with an anchor down low. On the Wing, Keylan is a long, lanky, athletic prospect with great upside. Both of the twins have committed to Oklahoma State and plan to sign early. The Chargers have a lot of depth around the Boone’s especially at the Point led by James Alexandre. Another name to know on the Wing for Memorial is Kavon Key in the 2020 Class. Memorial is the clear favorite to win Class 5A again.
Heritage Hall- The Chargers enter with star power with the best 2021 Oklahoma prospect in the state Trey Alexander. This weekend will be an opportunity for Alexander to pin his name to a lot of colleges recruitment board. The young talented Wing can score at all three levels with good size and upside. Heritage Hall lost a lot around Alexander, which will leave him with a lot of weight on his shoulders. The biggest question entering this weekend is what players will step up around Alexander?
Sapulpa- The Chieftains are entering the Class 6A season as the early favorites on the east side of the state. They have a very heavy guard-oriented team led by Julian Smith and Camryn Dennis. The duo of Smith and Dennis will be very tough to stop this season. Hunter Hoggatt is another name to know for Sapulpa on the Wing in the 2020 Class. Something to watch with this group is how the young prospects respond to the big stage this weekend. There will be quite a few colleges taking a look at Smith and Dennis for the 2019 Class.
Putnam City North- After winning the State Championship a year ago Putnam City North has lost almost the entire core they had from a year ago. Micah Thomas returns at the Point looking to prove a lot of people wrong this year and lead his team to success. Thomas is off the board as a recruit he has committed to Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. The biggest question surrounding Putnam City North entering this season will be who steps up around Thomas?
Northwest Classen- Following a deep run in the Class 5A State Tournament last year Northwest Classen is looking to take it to the next level and bring the gold ball home. Not having Mo Wilson (SNU) will be a big loss, but Northwest Classen has several talented young prospects who will help ease the transition from the 2018 senior class. Da’Lin Wiggins is the man to watch on this squad with his smooth and effortless game on the Wing. The biggest thing Northwest Classen needs out of Wiggins is to play confidently this season. Look for the younger prospects to start to make some noise this weekend.
Putnam City West- In the state of Oklahoma there are times some athletes for different reasons do not get the attention they deserve. Rondel Walker is a prime example of this entering his junior year many should know the talented Point Guard. This will be a breakout season for Walker at the Point Guard spot for Putnam City West. He has all the tools to be one of if not the best Point Guards in the state of Oklahoma. Taking some pressure off of Walker will be a good list of other talented guards starting with MJ Warrior. I expect big things from this Putnam City West squad in Class 6A this year.
Norman North- Entering his first year as head coach for the Timberwolves, Kellen McCoy has his work cut out for him. The Timberwolves shattered most peoples expectations a year ago with a semifinal run in the Class 6A State Tournament. This year expect similar results as the Timberwolves enter with a loaded squad starting with Forward Shemar Smith. Recently, Smith committed to UCO surprising many because of how talented he is at the four spot. Smith has found his home and is now prepared to lead a Timberwolves squad that has a mix of everything. Josh Crutchfield has already got his college decision out of the way as well landing at NOC Enid. Josh Robinson is a name to know on the Wing who would be a great fit for a small college. Peyton Vinyard is another guard who will help the Timberwolves this season. The thing to watch will be how the younger players perform against some elite competition.
Norman- Norman lost their centerpiece Dayten Holman to a prep school in Arizona leaving them with a gap. However, they will benefit greatly from the addition of Jaden Bray who is a talented up and coming Point Guard. This weekend will allow us to get a great look at what the Tigers could be this season. Expect them to play hard and surprise some people with how well coached they are under head coach Rodney Dindy.
Lawton Christian- Devon Barnes is the young man to watch on this squad entering his sophomore season. He will have all of the attention focused on him when they take the floor at the Elite 14 Showcase. Barnes has had a lot of pub around his name after a big summer on the east coast. Lawton Christian lost some big pieces but expects to surprise some people with the additions they have this year.
Millwood- The Falcons will look to turn some heads early as the smallest school in the OSSAA heading south for the weekend. Cameron Bell leads the way for this group at the Point with a steady consistent hand. Another prospect to keep an eye on for small colleges is Tyree Boyd a long lanky Wing poised for a big season. It will be exciting to get an early look at what Millwood could be this year. Keep in mind they are bound to get better once their football stars finish up their season.
Lawton Ike- The Eagles are ready to make the charge for the Class 5A State Championship. After coming up short in recent years the Eagles feel they have found their go-to guy to push them to the top. Kansas State commit Antonio Gordon is coming off a fantastic breakout year looking to make the next jump. It will be interesting to see what players emerge this weekend around Gordon!
For more information email Matt@prephoops.com