Okay, let me share how I actually tackled this Oklahoma playoff prediction thing today. It wasn’t some fancy analyst job, just me scratching my head trying to figure it out.
Starting Point: Pure Chaos
First thing this morning, coffee in hand, I opened my laptop. Goal was simple: who’s gonna win Oklahoma high school basketball next year? Figured I’d find some rankings or last season’s finalists. Total wishful thinking.
Hopped onto the OSSAA website – that’s the Oklahoma high school sports folks. Found brackets… but not what I needed. Saw a bunch of schools moving between classes because of enrollment changes. Totally threw me off. Like, how do you predict when teams aren’t even in the same division they were last playoff? Ugh.
Hitting the Digital Pavement
So, I started digging around forums – places where real fans hang out, folks who follow specific regions or teams. Not big sports news, just people chatting. Looked for names popping up consistently:
- Booker T. Washington (Tulsa): Everyone kept saying they’ve got serious talent coming back. Like, multiple guys who could play college ball.
- Edmond North: Big school, always big. Fans talked about their size and coaching being a problem for anyone.
- Crossings Christian (OKC): These guys apparently won it all last year in their class and bring back almost everybody. Hard to ignore.
- Other Buzz: Dale (small school buzzsaw), Broken Bow (always tough in the East).
Problem is, fan talk is hype mixed with truth. Couldn’t tell which was which. Needed actual proof.
Desperation Tactics Kicked In
Next step: I fired off a bunch of emails. I mean, it felt awkward, but who else? School ADs? Local beat writers who cover preps? Even tried finding coaches’ association newsletters. Asked basically: “Who are your top dogs this year? Who’s got the key players back?”
Waited. Refresh. Refresh. Nothing. Okay, some crickets, but honestly, no quick answers. Guess everyone’s busy with season start.
The Shaky Guesses
After hitting walls online and getting zero replies by lunchtime, I had to just make the call. Based solely on that messy fan buzz, sketchy returning player rumors from old forum posts, and the pain of teams moving classes:
- Class 6A: Feels like Booker T. Washington or Edmond North. Leaning Booker T. because the returning player noise is louder.
- Class 5A: Crossings Christian. Won last year, almost everyone back? Yeah, gotta pick ’em unless something crazy happens.
- Class 4A: Dale. Kept seeing their name everywhere in small-school chats. Legendary program.
- Lower Classes: Honestly? Pure lottery. Heard Broken Bow mentioned a lot for the East.
My Final (& Shaky) Picks:
- 6A: Booker T. Washington
- 5A: Crossings Christian
- 4A: Dale
- East: Broken Bow (Whatever class they landed in, felt right)
Truth bomb? This prediction feels glued together with spit and hope. High school ball is messy. A hot shooter gets streaky, a key kid gets hurt, a team figures it out late… and my whole prediction goes up in smoke. Plus, not seeing any actual rosters or schedules? Big problem. But hey, that’s where I ended up after chasing ghosts online all day. Ask me again in December, and I might have a totally different answer!