Boys Basketball Preview: What to Look for the Rest of the Season

BY BARRY LEWIS World Sports Writer
Monday, January 07, 2013

1. Can the East win consecutive Class 6A state titles for the first time since Memorial and Union won in 2003 and ‘04?

Last year, Union became the first East team to capture 6A since Memorial in 2008. The odds, however, don’t appear good for an East team to end up with the gold ball. Midwest City, Edmond Memorial and Putnam City appear to be the top three teams and a cut above the rest. The East may have more good teams than the West, but the West appears to have three that could be great.

2. Could the Tulsa metro area be shut out of winning a state title for the first time since 2007?

There’s a good chance of that happening. The best shot for a Tulsa metro team to win is in 5A where Memorial is the East’s top team and probably a co-favorite with Midwest City Carl Albert. Coweta and Edison also have title potential. No Tulsa metro team has won a 4A state title since 6A was added in 1996. Victory Christian, McLain and Central have a shot, but Oklahoma City Douglass has won three state titles in a row and is the favorite to win another. Roland showed gold-ball potential when it won the Tournament of Champions — the first team from the state’s third-largest classification to win that event since Oklahoma City Millwood in 1988.

3. Are there really 20 teams in 6A that are better than Booker T. Washington?

The Hornets, who won 5A titles in 2010 and 2011 and were 22-4 as a 6A team last year, are not in the OKRankings.com top 20 in 6A. Booker T. Washington, under new coach Joseph Redmond, struggled early but has won five of its last eight games and had a strong third-place finish in the TofC. A more accurate ranking for the Hornets right now would be just outside the top 10 and barring any unexpected personnel losses, they will be a strong contender again for another state tournament berth.

4. Besides Booker T. Washington, what other area teams that aren’t highly ranked will make strong bids for a state tournament berth?

Bishop Kelley (5A-No. 12), East Central (5A-No. 13), Webster (unranked-4A), Tahlequah Sequoyah (3A-No. 15), Porter (2A-No. 18) and Summit Christian (unranked-2A).

5. Will NOAH’s Allonzo Trier surpass the 64 points he scored?

Trier certainly has that capability, especially if NOAH needs him to score that much to win a game as occurred when he set his career-high in the overtime win over Bartlesville. Watching him on the basketball court is similar to when current pro pitchers Dylan Bundy and Archie Bradley were in high school. Any time they were on the mound, there was a chance of seeing a no-hitter or something special. Trier’s next big offensive explosion could happen this week in the Skiatook Invitational.