Barry Lewis' Hot List
BY BARRY LEWIS World Sports Writer
Monday, January 28, 2013
1/28/13 at 3:59 AM
Players to watch
Anthony Wilson, Webster: The 6-foot-3 senior guard was named the Caney Valley tournament's most valuable player after scoring 56 points in three games. Had 13 rebounds in a semifinal win over Caney Valley. He's also a defensive stopper and usually guards the opponent's top offensive player.
Hershell Gifford, Westville: Has a team-leading 19.4 scoring average and also collects 11.7 rebounds per game. The 6-1 senior forward scored 27 against Vian on Friday and had 24 points with 14 rebounds against Sallisaw Central on Tuesday. Has a good mid-range jumper and is the 3A No. 19 Yellowjackets' tallest player.
Jordan Huffman, Broken Arrow: The 6-4 senior guard had 78 points in three games for the 6A No. 4 Tigers against varsity opponents last week.
Oscar Riviera, Haworth: Was named the McCurtain Six Conference tournament's MVP as he averaged 16 points and seven rebounds in three wins for the 2A No. 2 Lions. The 6-foot sophomore guard averages 17.4 points and 7.5 rebounds.
Devin Perez, Memorial: The 6-1 senior guard was elevated to the starting lineup for the first time last week and had 42 points in three wins as he was named the Port City Classic's MVP. Made the winning trey with 1.9 seconds left in the title game. Returned to basketball after focusing on baseball as a junior. Memorial coach Eric Savage said Perez "brings a lot of intangibles, such as leadership qualities, defense - he takes charge - and he's a competitor."
Teams to watch
Cascia Hall (5-12): The 4A Commandos, a perennial state tournament contender, have struggled but may have turned the corner in the Port City Classic to make a strong playoff run. They lost only 54-49 to 6A No. 6 Owasso before defeating Catoosa 51-36 and Skiatook 75-66 in double overtime.
Lincoln Christian (9-10): The 3A Bulldogs have won five of their last six games, including a 57-47 victory over 3A No. 4 Sperry on Friday. Seven of Lincoln's losses have been by three points or less. Lincoln, which went 5-20 last season, has started to win close games.
Games to watch
Broken Arrow (11-3) at Bartlesville (11-3) (Thursday): It could be tough for Bartlesville to win three in a row over the Tigers. Big for 6A seedings. The pick: Broken Arrow, 54-51.
Jenks (13-4) at Owasso (12-3) (Friday): Jenks won the first meeting, 55-47, on Dec. 17. Big for 6A seedings. The pick: Owasso, 57-56.
Edison (11-6) at Booker T. Washington (8-6) (Friday): The host Hornets have won their first two meetings this season, but this will be the first time Edison has standout guard Don Simmons available to play against them. The pick: B.T. Washington, 66-64.
NOAH (17-8) at Bartlesville (11-3) (Saturday): NOAH's Allonzo Trier scored 64 in an overtime win over Bartlesville on Dec. 22. The pick: Bartlesville 70-65.
Ask the writer
Whatever happened to the World's 2012 metro player of the year, East Central's Kaleb Porter?
Porter is averaging a team-high 13.9 points for Pittsburg State, which is 12-5.
Got a question about your favorite boys high school basketball player or team? Ask Barry Lewis on the high school blog at tulsaworld.com/highschoolblog or email him at barry.lewis@tulsaworld.com.
Associated Images:
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