Jenks-Union Tourney: Day One
Day one of the annual Jenks-Union Tournament saw several highly-ranked teams show exactly why they are where they are in the rankings. The first games of the day were No. 3 Edmond North versus Trinity Christian (TX) and No. 5…
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Continue ReadingDay one of the annual Jenks-Union Tournament saw several highly-ranked teams show exactly why they are where they are in the rankings. The first games of the day were No. 3 Edmond North versus Trinity Christian (TX) and No. 5 Mustang versus No. 19 Ponca City. I was at Union for the Mustang/Ponca City game. Over in Jenks, Edmond North won by a final score of 73-46.
No. 5 Mustang vs. No. 19 Ponca City
Mustang showed off a variety of ways to score against Ponca City in route to a 56-17 win at the UMAC on the campus of Union High School. The Wildcats had trouble scoring against the size inside for the Broncos leading to a 30-2 points in the paint deficit for Ponca City. Mustang used their size advantage to also collect 14 second-chance points to Ponca City’s 0.
Player of the Game
Karley Johnson Karley Johnson 5'9" | CG Mustang | 2022 State OK | 5-8 CG | Mustang | 2022 | @KarleyJohnsonOK
The Razorback commit was all over the place on Thursday afternoon. Inside, outside, scrambling for loose balls, running the floor. She was involved in every part of the game plan for the Broncos and it paid off. Johnson finished with 15 points with six field goals in eight attempts. She is a physical player who gets to the rim and uses her size to get to the bucket and draw contact. She was three for three from the line. Johnson has great hands for a player who likes to play inside and you can see why she is considered a combo-guard. She handles the ball well, but prefers to play inside where she can use her strength and agility to maneuver around the less agile bigs. Mike Neighbors has found another outstanding Oklahoman to bring to his nationally-ranked Arkansas team.
Other Standouts
Carlie Badley Carlie Badley 5'11" | PF Ponca City | 2021 State OK | 6-0 F | Ponca City | 2021 | @BadleyCarlie
Carlie has outstanding size and is definitely the leader of the Wildcats. She is very quick for a six-footer and has a very good jump shot. She plays inside in the defensive zone, but really doesn’t go inside much on the offensive end. She prefers to play the perimeter and hit jumpers. Badley was 1-for-1 from behind the arc with a total of nine points to lead the Wildcats. She is committed to Northwestern Oklahoma State where she will join a very good D-II team led by head coach Tasha Diesselhorst.
Randi Harding | 5-6 PG | Mustang | 2022 | @RandiHarding444
Harding is a defensive stud. She stands out from the start with her tenacity and effort on the defensive end. Several times she single-handedly stole the in-bounds pass and scored before this scout even had time to realize what was going on. Add in her ability to fill it up on the offensive end and Harding should be on every college coach’s radar immediately. Randi had seven points and two assists while racking up four steals on the defensive end.
Kyra Allison Kyra Allison 5'9" | SF Ponca City | 2024 State OK | 5-7 F | Ponca City | 2024
Allison stood out immediately for the Wildcats with her hustle on the defensive end. She is very athletic and quick and has tremendous length. She does a great job of denying her man the ball and is also a stellar shot-blocker. She had two blocks, two steals and four rebounds after starting the game for the Wildcats. Although she didn’t score in the game, she did a lot of things to get her team the ball and shows the ability to rack up the assists with her great court vision. The scoring will come for someone with Allison’s athleticism and she will be one you will want to see in person over the next few years.
No. 16 Jenks vs. No. 14 Putnam City West
While No. 2 Union faced a surprisingly game Hoops For Christ squad at the UMAC – eventually winning by a final of 62-44 – I headed to Jenks for the battle between the other home team and the visiting Patriots. From the outset, the pace of Putnam City West was too much for the Trojans who came out somewhat cold and never recovered. In the end, PC West advanced to the winners bracket with a final score of 58-30.
Player of the Game
Caya Smith Caya Smith 6'2" | SF Putnam City West | 2024 State OK | 6-0 G/F | PC West | 2024 | @Caya20242
I came to Jenks to see the three freshmen stars of PC West. Though Taliyah Parker was out, I was not disappointed with what Caya had to show me. She is clearly one of the best players in the tournament this year and the crazy thing is, she is also clearly still learning. She has so many skills to go along with natural ability and size, that the sky truly is the limit for her. Smith will be in the top-5 when the 2024 rankings come out very soon. She is that good. Against Jenks she had 23 points. She is a tough rebounder who uses her superior length very well. She stepped out and hit a three. She handled the ball down the court. She truly can do it all – and like I said, she is still improving.
Other Standouts
Madison Luciano | 5-5 PG | Jenks | 2023 | @LucianoMadison
Luciano is definitely the heart of this Trojans team. Everything runs through her. On a night where her team was struggling to keep pace and shots just weren’t falling, Luciano was the stand-out who gave maximum effort on every single possession. Her hard work stood out so much that a coach from PC West called to her after the game to give her some words of encouragement. Madison has great handles and can weave through even the most difficult full-court pressure. She has a great stroke and drained three three-pointers on the night. Her 12 points led the Trojans and her defensive pressure was perhaps the only thing standing between PC West and an absolute blow-out win.
Shamar Bert Shamar Bert 5'7" | SG Putnam City West | 2024 State OK | 5-8 CG | PC West | 2024 | @shamarb20
The other freshman I came to see was Bert and she did not disappoint. You have to be something special to receive an offer from head coach Sherri Coales and OU prior to the start of your ninth grade season. Bert is a quiet assassin. She is very unassuming, but when she gets the ball in her hands – look out! She gets to the hoop with outstanding handles and advanced footwork inside. She can stroke the three with great elevation and a nice high release. In PC West’s full court press defense, she does a wonderful job of anticipating the pass and stealing on her way to easy lay-ups. She is a hustler with tons of heart. Not only is she a top-5 freshman in the 2024 class, I would say she’s most likely in the top-5 of all players in the state.
Khalise Berry | 5-2 CG | Jenks | 2023 |
Berry is not a player who is going to “wow” you with her size. That’s obvious. But, she is going to “wow” you in every other way possible. She is a vicious competitor who wants the ball and wants to win. She has very good handles and is absolutely deadly from long-range. I have seen her a few times and come away more impressed each time. I have told several coaches that needed 2023 guards about her and it is time for the rest of you to jump on-board. I understand that she may be undersized for D-I, but I am a firm believer that there is a place for everyone at some level if they have this amount of heart, ability and work ethic.