El Reno versus Lawton Eisenhower: Four key questions
El Reno defeated Lawton Eisenhower 52-36 on Friday night at Western Heights High School to claim the Area Title. The Indians advance to the State Title with the win, while the Eagles will have another shot to punch their ticket…
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Continue ReadingEl Reno defeated Lawton Eisenhower 52-36 on Friday night at Western Heights High School to claim the Area Title. The Indians advance to the State Title with the win, while the Eagles will have another shot to punch their ticket tomorrow against the winner of Ada and Duncan. Here were four important questions from the El Reno win.
What is El Reno’s window?
The Indians played a phenomenal — scratch that, unstoppable second half. The Indians pretty much had an answer for everything the Eagles wanted to do, and they made it look simple on the offensive end in the process. With Friday’s performance in mind; is El Reno a better contender for a serious title run than we considered? If the Indians perform like this in the dance, I would not be surprised to see this team shatter some dreams at state. Closing games is especially important at this point in the season. And the Indians managed to effectively shut down one of the best scorers in the state down the stretch.
Can Lawton Ike navigate its way into the tournament?
Lawton Ike is undoubtedly one of the best teams across the state playing tomorrow for a consolation bid into the 5A State Tournament. The Eagles boast one of the most dynamic, versatile front-courts in the state and a handful of streaky, quick ball-handlers who can distribute the ball. Lawton Ike will face the winner of Ada and Duncan tomorrow at 8 p.m. for rights to go to the State Tournament. If the Eagles can do what they do well, I expect to see them at the Mabee Center competing for a Gold Ball.
Is Antonio Gordon the best player in the state?
We at Prep Hoops have Kansas State-signee Antonio Gordon ranked as the fourth-best player in the Oklahoma class of 2019. Within any rankings, the margin from player-to-player is narrow. And as hard as we work, we may get it wrong sometimes. And the more I see Gordon, the more I think that he may be the best all-around player in the state. I was chatting with an assistant coach from a formidable 6A program a couple of weeks ago and he presented a valid observation; Gordon is one of the few players at the high school level who can generate scoring on all three levels, and he’s one of the best at it. Not many 6-foot-10 players have the package that Gordon has with the ball in his hands. Gordon can post-up, pull-up, and sink long balls. Time will tell how the future Wildcat adjusts in the “Little Apple.”
Are Eli Hollis and Dyson Plumley the best inside-out duo in the Tournament?
We don’t have the full picture yet, but we know for certain that the Indians will be in the 5A State Tournament. I believe that Eli Hollis and Dyson Plumley might be the most impressive true guard/forward combos in 5A. These guys come to play night-in, night-out and have led El Reno to an Area Tournament. Hollis played phenomenal with 16 points and a dominant defensive performance. Plumley, meanwhile, hit three shots from deep en route to a 22-point outing. These guys compliment each other on the floor and have developed some of the best chemistry I have seen all year. Chemistry will inevitably kick in in the gritty moments down the stretch, and these guys will be prepared for that.