What to know about Class 5A

Basketball action is heating up all over Oklahoma. Here's a primer for Class 5A with top teams and players.   Defending Champ   El Reno   "The champ is the champ they till lose" is very applicable to the Lady Indians this year. As last season they ran the table and finished as undefeated 5A State Champions. While they lost key production, they'll still have the senior duo of [player_tooltip player_id='315196' first='Lilly' last='Thomas'] and [player_tooltip player_id='315203' first='Raegan' last='Bugaj'] as an one-two punch that will keep them in the mix. The duo will score tough buckets but they also have a skillset that will lend itself to helping elevate their teammates around them. They're both unselfish creators, with great vision and feel. With Thomas and Bugaj and a program culture that been built off of State Tournament runs, expect the champs to make the trip on I40 to the Big House in March.     Top Contender   Booker T Washington   Only going off their senior core, the Lady Hornets would be a problem for Class 5A. There's the senior backcourt grouping of star [player_tooltip player_id='309984' first='Marcayla' last='Johnson'], skilled scorer [player_tooltip player_id='556048' first='Rhyian' last='Mayberry'] and speedy lead guard [player_tooltip player_id='556050' first='Tierra' last='Owens']. Powerful senior post [player_tooltip player_id='802070' first='Bailey' last='Braxton'] handles the interior. Spark-plug Raegan [player_tooltip player_id='572987' first='Ky'Liin' last='Johnson-Cooper'] represents a good junior class for Booker T, but it's the sophomore group where things potentially get scary. They have electric athlete [player_tooltip player_id='751190' first='Kashae' last='Brown'], blue collar forward [player_tooltip player_id='894837' first='Jazlynn' last='Ezell'], do it all wing [player_tooltip player_id='751199' first='Tianna' last='Butler'] and quick [player_tooltip player_id='999392' first='Kennedy' last='Glenn']. It's fitting that they're Hornets, because the talent and pace will be come in waves and swarms. The standards are always high at Booker T Washington, with four gold balls in the last 16 years. But it's been since 2018 they climbed the mountain top. This year's team will enter with Gold Ball expectations under their new head coach Carlin Adkism and clearly have the talent to live up those expectations.     Dark Horse   Classen SAS   It's a new era for one of the state's best recent programs. First year in 5A and first year with new coach Rick Vick (who was a key part of the Lady Comets success as an assistant). While things are changing for the 405 program, the talent is still there for SAS. They have a strong core that they will lean on. Up front there's the senior duo of [player_tooltip player_id='801993' first='Jada' last='Toure'] and [player_tooltip player_id='330296' first='Annie' last='Ferguson']. Toure earned a recent offer from Murray State college and after injuries hampered her previous year, the versatile forward prospect is expected to have a huge senior season. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='578033' first='Makiya' last='Moore'] is one of the top 2026 guards in Oklahoma. She's a big time athlete, who brings it on the defensive end and has a strong developing offensive game. A top half finish in their district is likely and they'll be in the mix for a State Tournament berth during the playoffs.     Best Player   [player_tooltip player_id='309984' first='Marcayla' last='Johnson']   Recently Johnson made it official by signing with powerhouse program Baylor. In a star studded senior class, it's possible the greatness of Johnson can go overlooked. When the lights where brightest last year at the State Tournament, she was at her best. She's athletic and physical in a way that most at the high school level can't handle her. And she mixes a skilled scoring game that includes acrobatic finishing at the rim or stepback jumpers. With one more chance to capture a Gold Ball before she heads off for her career at the next level, expect huge games in the biggest moments for Johnson.   Emerging Star   [player_tooltip player_id='606266' first='Gia' last='Dennis']   Coweta has a strong corer of seniors that helped guide them to the 5A semifinals last year. But even with all that experience, one of their top players is expected to be Dennis. She averaged double figures last year while being named district newcomer of the year. She's a quick and athletic guard, who plays bigger than her size around the basket. Which combined with her shiftiness, makes her a relentless driver who will be scoring big buckets all winter for the Lady Tigers.     Preseason 5A All State   [player_tooltip player_id='309984' first='Marcayla' last='Johnson']   [player_tooltip player_id='331864' first='Josie' last='Megehee']   [player_tooltip player_id='578039' first='Audrey' last='Plunkett']   [player_tooltip player_id='315196' first='Lilly' last='Thomas']   [player_tooltip player_id='802036' first='Shelby' last='Thornton']     Top Freshman   [player_tooltip player_id='913548' first='Jordyn' last='Richardson']   It's a lot to ask to step into a big role in the backcourt on a team with State Tournament aspirations. If any guard in the 2028 can match and possible exceed those expectations, look for Richardson to do just that. She's quick guard who can play on or off the ball. And as any prospect who has came up through the Below The Rim organization, she will get after it on defense. An added benefit of her time with [program_tooltip program_id='712433' first='BTR' last=''], is she's spent this past summer thriving while playing against older competition. Richardson has all the tools to hit the ground running and start off a successful high school carer for the Lady Titans.

Basketball action is heating up all over Oklahoma. Here's a primer for Class 5A with top teams and players.