Scott's Power Poll: Large-school boys

Time for the return of the boys basketball Power Poll, but first, a little about the decision-making process. This poll is based on a lot of factors… past performance, recent success, big victories/bad losses, and on some level, future potential. Records are included only as a courtesy. Records mean very little in the Power Poll. Who you beat and who beat you mean far more. And in the end, this is all based on opinion, so there’s no need to get mad, but feel free to share your opinions in the comment section. 

Large Schools (4A-6A)

1. Douglass, 4A (7-3): To answer your questions before you ask them, yes, they’ve lost three times, and yes, they’re still the best team in the state. The next two teams on the list are close, but neither has the full house of weapons the Trojans have. All three losses are to out-of-state teams in big-time national tournaments, including a team ranked No. 3 in the country by USA Today.

2. Edmond Memorial, 6A (11-0): Here’s the team with the best shot at taking the top spot away from Douglass. The Bulldogs don’t have a true big man — their post player, Obi Emegano, has signed with W. Illinois as a two-guard — but they’re dangerous at all five spots and very versatile.

3. Tulsa Washington, 5A (8-0): Super-athletic with a lot of weapons, and it’s going to be fun watching sophomore Juwan Parker grow up the next couple years. Clear favorite in 5A after winning it all last year and losing only one starter.

4. Midwest City, 6A (8-2): Here’s where the Power Poll starts to get murky. Based on winning the PCI — which had six legitimate 6A state tournament contenders in the field — the Bombers are in this spot, but there’s not a ton of separation between them and the 10th spot. MWC might also have the most untapped potential because of their youth.

5. Edmond Santa Fe, 6A (6-2): The performance might not justify being this high on the list, but the return of Michael Onuoha gave them a huge boost, and also gives them something not many other 6A teams have — a strong, athletic 6-foot-7 forward who can score.

6. Muskogee, 6A (9-2): The Broken Arrow loss in their hometown tournament was a surprise, but otherwise, the Roughers have been good. They don’t the space-eater inside that they had with Oren Faulk last year, but they’ve still got good strength and scoring potential.