October Tip Off: Practice begins, rankings updates and more

Happy October! This week saw the calendar turn to October and that only means one thing in Oklahoma. No, not Pumpkin Spice lattes, it's still much too hot for that. It means Practice! Unlike Allen Iverson, we embrace practice. Because it means the Gold Ball journey has begun for teams in Oklahoma.   While the practice days might seem long now, scrimmages are right around the corner. And before we know it, it will be a cold late January morning. With only a handful of regular season games left.   This is a reminder that once we're in the regular season, it will feel like a roller coaster. The players and teams that will be successful this winter will be the ones currently falling in love with the process. Enjoy the grind. Because it will be over sooner than you think.   Good Luck to all the teams grinding in practice right now. The PrepGirlsHoops staff looks forward to covering another exciting year of teams chasing the Gold Ball.   Rankings Update on the Horizon   The prospects rankings are set for a refresh this month. The process of trying to judge production, potential and of course watching players from all over Oklahoma makes the process an inexact science. If it even could be considered a science. Still, it's an effort to highlight and evaluate prospects. It's not meant to diminish a player just because of a number next to a name.   Instead of being definitive and hung up with a player being ranked 16th vs 27th, or even 47th; view it as a snapshot of where prospects currently are. Even if the rankings are only officially updated three times a year, they are very much dynamic and flexible. By mid November, the rankings will likely be outdated. As attending scrimmages will already lead to finding new names. And seeing improvements from prospects.   Especially as the rankings can't account for the preferences of college coaches. Some coaches are more likely to value athletic "project" prospects. Some don't want smaller guards for their systems. Maybe one college is only looking for a shooter and a post in this recruiting class. A tiering system would have its own flaws. But there is some truth that the difference between the 16th and 27th player can be a razor's edge.   Do you have to play in PrepGirlsHoops Tournaments or Camps to be ranked?   No, you don't. They are one just piece of the process that involves watching basketball year round. There's examples throughout all rankings sets of ranked players who don't play on the PrepGirlsHoops Circuit or attend the camps. But showing up to camps is helpful. Especially at the younger age groups because it's helpful to get on the system and be seen. And it encourages following up viewings during the season.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/features/player-profiles/">Even if don't attend PrepGirlsHoops events, you can still claim/create a prospect profile for FREE. Keep it up to date with school, height, highlights and more. Click this link to help us stay in the loop.</a>   Being active on social media is one of the most helpful ways to be noticed by the site. That does not mean you have to be on it 24/7. Simply posting top stat lines, highlights, etc throughout the year is a great way to get noticed. Which can help lead to myself or Coach Vick following up with in person viewings or watching streams of your games.   Help us, help you by tagging PGHOklahoma on X/Twitter and PGH_Oklahoma on Instagram.   Here's this month's ranking update schedule   Class of 2028 - October 8th   Class of 2027 - October 15th   Class of 2026 - October 22nd   There are plans for a Class of 2029 watchlist in late November/early December.   Prospect Spotlight    Let's put a spotlight on a popular name for regional colleges. Since AAU season wrapped up, Myers has posted offers from McPherson and Southwestern colleges in Kansas. It's easy to see why, as she has next level size, athleticism and a huge wingspan. Those traits give her the versatilely to rebound and play around the rim. While also being capable of handling it and shooting like a perimeter prospect.   Myers was a key part of a Kingfisher squad that fought through a tough Class 4A for a State Tournament appearance. They were sent home in the first round, but with the senior's ability to score in the mid-range, the Lady Yellowjackets will be looking to go a step or two further this winter. Expect Myers' senior urgency to be a defining trait for a top 8 team in Class 4A.

Happy October! This week saw the calendar turn to October and that only means one thing in Oklahoma. No, not Pumpkin Spice lattes, it's still much too hot for that. It means Practice! Unlike Allen Iverson, we embrace practice. Because it means the Gold Ball journey has begun for teams in Oklahoma.