Week 2 Women's Basketball Rankings and Predictions
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By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief
The week two basketball rankings have been released by the OSSAA and several teams have shuffled around in the order, despite zero games having actually been played.
No. 1 Choctaw (Last week No. 1)
The overwhelming favorite to take State this year is the Choctaw Yellowjackets (0-0) with sixteen first-place votes. Choctaw finished last season 23-3, dropping two games to Midwest City and the State Quarterfinal to Owasso. They graduated a whole mess of starters last season, but retained their top two in University of Oklahoma signee Ana Llanusa and junior Bailey Golden. The Yellowjackets will kick off the season on the 29th against 5A No. 10 Del City.
The picks:
Choctaw 66, Del City 54.
Choctaw 73, Enid 32.
Choctaw 75, Lawton 34.
No. 2 Edmond Santa Fe (Last week No. 2)
The Lady Wolves (0-0) picked up four first-place votes. They went 22-6 last year, falling 58-46 to Muskogee in the State Tournament. All six of their losses were to top-ten teams and only one was by double-digits. They return a highly experienced team after graduating only two seniors and keeping four of their top five scorers. They start the season with Edlam against No. 12 Edmond Memorial.
The picks:
ESF 47 EDM 44
ESF 52, Moore 36
ESF 70, Southmoore 65
No. 3 Owasso (Last week No. 5)
The Lady Rams (0-0) finished last year 22-8 as State Runners-Up, falling 45-40 to Midwest City. Their only losses were to ranked opponents and four of those were to top-five teams. They graduated several starters, including ORU freshman Rachel Skalnik. They held on to their top three scorers, however, all juniors, led by Arkansas-commit Mya Bhinhar. Bhinhar is recovering from off-season knee surgery, but is expected to make it back by their first game against No. 7 Bartlesville on December 2nd. They brought in three first-place votes.
The picks:
Owasso 40, Bartlesville 35.
Owasso 61, Muskogee 56.
No. 4 Deer Creek (Last week No. 3)
Deer Creek (0-0) went 20-8 last season with a 54-43 first round loss to Broken Arrow at State. They picked up two first-place votes and return a solid lineup behind senior East Central University signee Maddie Rehl. They will take on No. 15 Mustang on the 29th.
The picks:
DC 62, Mustang 54.
DC 55, Stillwater 33.
Westmoore 45, DC 40.
No. 5 Putnam City West (Last week No. 4)
Putnam West (0-0) is coming off a a 19-7 season that saw losses only to ranked teams, six of which were top-ten. They graduated a few seniors, but retained top-scoring junior Ce'Nera Skanes to anchor a young and talented team. They will start the season off on the 29th against unranked Enid and received one first-place vote.
The picks:
PCW 66, Enid 40.
PCW 69, PCN 55.
PCW 63, PC 52.
No. 6 Westmoore (Last week No. 7)
The Lady Jags (0-0) ended last year 24-3, starting 9-0, and finishing 10-0 before their State Tournament first round loss to Midwest City. They were hit hard by graduation, losing three of their top five scorers, but retain a deep bench of talented youngsters. They start the season on the 29th against unranked Southmoore.
The picks:
West 75, South 40.
West 70, Norman 50.
No. 7 Bartlesville (Last week No. 6)
Bartlesville (0-0) finished last season 10-14 but is a historically good program. They lose only one of their top five scorers and return a young team with several talented sophomores who saw action last year and will anchor the team for years to come. The Bruins will start the season on the 29th with No. 8 Sand Springs.
The picks:
Bartlesville 50, Sand Springs 54.
Bartlesville 50, Union 45.
No. 8 Sand Springs (Last week No. 10)
The Lady Sandites (0-0) are set up for their best shot at a State Tournament appearance in years after finishing 17-9 last season and only losing one senior. At one point they ran with an eight-game winning streak. Their season came to a close with a 58-42 loss to Owasso at Area. Led by Oklahoma State softball-commit Sydney Pennington and Ohio State volleyball-commit Gloria Mutiri, they run a deep bench with their second-straight freshman class of undefeated Conference Champions from the eighth-grade level.
The pick: SS 65, Bishop Kelley 50
No. 9 Broken Arrow (Last week No. 8)
The State Semi-Finalists from Broken Arrow (0-0) finished last season 24-4 and picked up one first-place vote. Their only losses were to State Champ Midwest City, State Runner-Up Owasso, No. 2 (at the time) Sapulpa, and No. 2 (at the time) Muskogee. They took heavy losses, graduating their top three scorers, and the next three scorers are seniors this year. The Lady Tigers will kick things off on December 2nd at 5A No. 12 Bishop Kelley.
The picks:
BA 50, BK 30.
BA 60, Bixby 40.
No. 10 Midwest City (Last week No. 9)
The defending State Champions (0-0) graduated four of their top-five scorers, including University of Texas freshman Chinna Fair after their 25-4 season. The new class of ballers will be lead by senior Coriauna Burkhalter. Their season begins on the 29th against unranked Putnam City.
The picks:
MWC 65, Putnam 60.
MWC 71, Del City 54.
No. 11 Booker T. Washington (Last week No. 13)
Booker T. (0-0) finished last season 16-10 after a three-point loss to Sand Springs at Area. They only lost to ranked opponents and six of those losses were to top-five teams. They will kick off the season on the 29th at unranked 5A Edison.
The pick:
BTW 70, Edison 30.
East Central 59, BTW 50.
BTW 70, Nathan Hale 30.
No. 12 Edmond Memorial (Last week No. 11)
The Lady Dogs (0-0) finished last year 16-10 after a 60-50 loss to Putnam City at Area. All of their losses were to ranked opponents. They took heavy losses this season, but retain Sophomore Taylor Norman and junior Kendra Levings, both of whom have been known to do damage.
The picks:
EDM 65, EDN 60.
EDM 60, Mustang 52.
No. 13 Sapulpa (Last week No. 14)
The Lady Chieftains (0-0) finished last season 22-5, falling to Midwest City at Area. They're in for a rebuilding year after graduating their top three scorers, including two Division One athletes. Their season starts December 6th at Jenks.
The pick: Sapulpa 60, Jenks 42.
No. 14 Norman North (Last week No. 12)
Norman North (0-0) finished last season 12-14 and ending the season with a 64-60 loss to Putnam West at Area. They graduated a pair of starters, but return solid bones to build on. They will kick off the season on the 29th against No. 19 Edmond North.
The pick:
NN 55 EDN 45
NN 50, Stillwater 25.
No. 15 Mustang (Last week No. 16)
Mustang (0-0) returns from a 13-11 season with a 59-50 Regional loss to Edmond Memorial after graduating two of their top six scorers. Seniors Logan Haller and Abby Niehus will anchor a young, but talented team that only lost to ranked opponents last season and went on an eight-game winning streak to close the regular season.
No. 16 Moore (Last week No. 15)
Moore (0-0) ended last year 11-13 with four losses to unranked teams. They will start the season on the 29th against unranked Yukon.
The picks:
Yukon 60, Moore 55.
Moore 50, EDN 40.
No. 17 (tied) Edmond North (Last week No. 19)
Edmond North (0-0) ended last season 13-11, dropping off toward the end of the year and losing five of their last six games. They return a solid but young team.
No. 17 (tied) Muskogee (Previously unranked)
Muskogee (0-0) ended last season 24-3, falling in overtime to Midwest City in the State Semi-Finals. All three of their losses were to top-ten teams. They graduated two D-1 starters, but return senior North Texas commit Trena Mims who averaged 12 points per game last season.
No. 19 Union (Previously No. 17)
Union returns four of their top five scorers after a 8-16 season came to an end at the hands of Sand Springs at Regionals. Of their sixteen losses, only three were to unranked opponents. Their season begins on December 6th against Bartlesville.
No. 20 Putnam City North (Previously No. 18)
Putnam North finished last season 15-11, falling to Midwest City at Area and return only one of their top-five scorers. They kick off the year on the 29th against 5A No. 20 Bishop McGuinness.
The picks:
PCN 45, BM 40.
PCN 50, Enid 42.
