Holdman-led East Central wins Tournament of Champions; Sapulpa No. 1 in girls Top 10.
By Scott Hansen
MaxPreps.com
Boys All-Class Top 10 by Scott Hansen (Preseason Rank)
1. Putnam City, 7-0 (1)
2. Tulsa Washington, 4-0 (8) *Class 5A
3. Tulsa East Central, 5-1 (6) *Class 5A
4. Bishop McGuinness, 5-3 (4) *Class 4A
5. Tulsa Union, 3-0 (5)
6. Putnam City North, 5-1 (2)
7. Edmond Santa Fe, 4-0 (NR)
8. Midwest City, 5-1 (3)
9. Jenks, 7-1 (7)
10. Tulsa Memorial, 6-1 (NR)
Girls All-Class Top 10 by Scott Hansen
1. Sapulpa, 7-1
2. Tulsa Washington, 7-1 *Class 5A
3. Sequoyah-Tahlequah, 6-2 *Class 3A
4. Tulsa Union, 5-0
5. Midwest City, 9-0
6. Carl Albert, 3-0 *Class 5A
7. Coweta, 6-1 *Class 5A
8. Del City, 7-1
9. Mustang, 6-1
10. McAlester, 5-1 *Class 5A
Note: Ratings for all classes will return Jan. 9.
East Central Wins Tournament of Champions
Some would argue that Tulsa East Central could be the best team in the state regardless of classification. If the Schoolboy Tournament of Champions in Tulsa was any indication, those supporting that theory have quite an argument.
The Cardinals, who finished as the runner-up to Carl Albert in 5A last season, mowed through Stringtown, Sequoyah-Tahlequah, and Bishop McGuinness to win the tournament filled with teams from all classes large and small.
East Central features Missouri State signee Ken Holdman, a 6-foot senior. Holdman dropped 19 points in a 67-60 victory over McGuinness in the final. Courtney Ingram, a 6-2 junior, led the way with 20 against the Fighting Irish. 6-4 senior Sidney Hadnott and 5-8 guard Kenneth Session bolster the line-up for the lightning-quick Cardinals.
Holdman, with all the talent in Oklahoma at the guard position, is a tad on the underrated side. Along with being capable of putting up 20-25 points a night, he is a beast on the defensive end.
Encore, Encore
Keiton Page wasted no time in helping Pawnee use the momentum gained by a huge victory over Verdigris and Rotnei Clarke in the Tournament of Champions.
In the fifth place game, Page netted 55 points in an 88-70 win over Stringtown. Page finished the three-game tournament with 123 points and set the career Tournament of Champions record by scoring 272 points in nine games.
Page surpassed stat-stuffer Kelenna Azubuike, a former Kentucky star now with the Golden State Warriors. Azubuike's 148 three-game output is still tops for a single tournament, but his career-scoring mark of 250 was surpassed by Page. In 2001 for Victory Christian, Azubuike hit for 65 points in a victory over Cimarron.
Page also set an official family scoring record with his 55 points. Page's brother and current Pawnee assistant Brady hit for 45 points while playing for Yale High in 2001. The coach for Yale in 2001 and Pawnee this season is none other than their father, David.
Stringtown's James Watson also played well in a losing effort to Pawnee. The Washington State signee scored 30 points and ripped down 15 rebounds.
Putnam City Wins Bay Ball Invitational
Top-ranked Putnam City and junior sensation Xavier Henry took its act to Delaware for the Bay Ball Invitational over the holidays. The Pirates downed Tennsburg (Pa.) 63-57 in overtime to claim the tournament title behind 37 points and 11 rebounds from Henry.
The Pirates opened the tournament with a 66-54 victory over Woodbridge (Del.). Henry, a 6-6 junior ranked as one of the 25 best players nationally regardless of class by MaxPreps' Dave Krider, wasted no time in acquainting himself with the New England basketball scene. Henry, who has missed some time due to an elbow injury this season, lit Woodbridge up for 29 points to get his tournament off to a flying start.
In the semifinal round, Putnam City blasted Hodgson Vo-Tech (Del.), 66-40. Three Putnam City players scored in double figures as Garen Wright led the way with 17 points. Henry chipped in with 16, while Jay Williamson paced the Pirates with 14.
Sapulpa, Sequoyah Girls 3-1 at Nike Tournament
Sapulpa and Sequoyah-Tahlequah represented Oklahoma well with their respective 3-1 showings at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona.
Sapulpa, led by Tennessee signee Alyssia Brewer, opened the tournament with a 46-41 loss to Highlands Ranch (Colo.). The Lady Chieftains then responded with three consecutive victories over Christ the King (N.Y.), Punahou (Hawaii), and Shelbyville Central (Tenn.).
Brewer averaged 20.8 points per game in the tournament, while Taylor Berman scored in double figures three times for Sapulpa.
Sequoyah-Tahlequah kicked off its desert campaign with a 67-40 victory over Ursuline Academy (Wilmington, Del.), which regularly features 6-5 senior and Delaware all-time scoring leader Elena Delle Donne. The future Connecticut Husky missed the star-studded event with an illness, however.
Southridge (Beaverton, Ore.) defeated the Lady Indians 50-44 before Sequoyah rebounded with victories over Auburn Riverside (Wash.) and Archbishop Carroll (Radnor, Pa.) 49-45 to claim fifth place in the 16-team bracket.
Angel Goodrich led the charge for the Lady Indians. Both Brewer and Goodrich were named to the All-Tournament team for their efforts.
Scott Hansen: maxprepsok@sbcglobal.net
