Top Oklahoma City-area basketball tournaments to tip off Thursday
With the New Year celebrations in the rearview mirror, teams around the state are jumping back into action in several prime tournaments.
Just in the Oklahoma City area alone, two stand out in the Putnam City Invitational (PCI) and the 64th Annual Bishop McGuinness Basketball Tournament.
Despite having different formats, both tournaments will have some of the top players and teams from around the state competing on their courts this weekend.
The PCI is being held this year at Putnam City Original and is split into a girls' and boys' tournament. However, officials have decided to run each differently.
The girls' bracket features Putnam City West, Putnam City Original, Putnam City North, Oklahoma City Douglass, Norman North and Sand Springs. With only six teams competing, the tournament will be more of a round-robin.
Oklahoma high school girls basketball Top 25 rankings (1/3/2024)
Each of the six teams will have a game on all three days of the tournament. The winner will be determined by total point differential, the point differential of shared opponents, the point differential of the higher placing opponents and a coin toss.
While the rules may sound convoluted, the teams are just looking forward to getting on the court and facing tough competition. For the teams in the Putnam City School District, it also means renewing rivalries that had been eliminated due to the new districts that had been implemented.
The PC West Lady Patriots (7-0), who haven’t played a game since Dec. 23, will see Putnam North, Putnam City Original and Norman North during their three-day run.
On the boys' side, the PCI has a standard eight-team format. Along with the three Putnam City schools, Tulsa Union, Lawton High, Norman North, Northwest Classen and Midwest City will be on hand.
First-round tournament games will start at 11 a.m. Thursday. The semifinals are set for 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday, with the title game tipping off at 8 p.m. Saturday.
Oklahoma high school boys basketball Top 25 rankings (1/3/2024)
Across town at Bishop McGuinness, the field is stacked with teams in and around Oklahoma City. They include Edmond Deer Creek, Casady, Norman, Edmond Memorial, Choctaw, Del City and Edmond Santa Fe.
The opening round game between Del City, the defending 5A champion, and Choctaw, which made it to the 6A semifinals, should provide some intensity and athleticism.
Opening-round games are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. on Thursday at Bishop McGuinness High. The tournament championship is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
“Some of the top programs and coaches with postseason experience will be at Bishop,” Norman coach Cory Cole said. “Traditionally, it’s one of the top tournaments in the state. You can play well and go 0-3 and still get better.”
Photo of the Putnam City West girls basketball team in action
-- Michael Kinney | @SBLiveOK
