Oklahoma high school boys basketball 2023-24 preview: Storylines, players & teams to watch

The Edmond North Huskies already had buzz heading into this season.

Then Chiante' Tramble joined the team and made an immediate impact, catapulting their already high ceiling.

Tramble, a three-star senior guard, transferred to Edmond North from Putnam City West this summer -- filling the void left by former Huskies guard T.O. Barrett, who moved to Link Academy after helping lead the Huskies to a 2022-23 Class 6A state title. Now as a first-year Edmond North student, Tramble has seemed to mesh seamlessly with fellow three-star teammate Dylan Warlick and forward Bryce Potts through the first two weeks of action.

The Huskies have jumped out to a quick 4-0 start to their 2023-24 season, including a 65-59 win over 6A foe Deer Creek on Dec. 1. Head coach Scott Norris has a chance to win his third consecutive state title, but it won't come easy. Opposing Class 6A teams such as Edmond Santa Fe, Piedmont and Choctaw are all off to undefeated starts to the 2023-24 season as well.

Here are more Oklahoma high school boys basketball storylines and a list of 11 players to watch:

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Will Douglass repeat?

The Trojans are no strangers to the championship glory.

After winning seven consecutive Class 4A state titles in the 2010s, Douglass returned to its championship form in 2023.

Douglass capped their historic 26-1 campaign in the 2022-23 season with a state title as The Oklahoman's 2023 Coach of the Year, Steven Alexander, guided them through a demanding Class 4A postseason schedule. During the regular season, they were the only boys' basketball team in any class to defeat both Del City and Millwood, the eventual state champions of Class 5A and Class 3A.

Following the Trojans' 11th-ever state title, Alexander has begun their quest for a second straight 4A state championship.

The Trojans return with similar experience and a chance to repeat as champions, with Landry Ballard Jr. and Corey Holman leading the way. They currently sit at 3-3, with all three blemishes coming from losses to teams outside of Oklahoma. However, opposing teams shouldn't hold that record at face value.

Despite the Trojans being ranked below both state runner-ups in Weatherford and North Rock Creek in the OSSAA's current Class 4A rankings, expect Douglass to have yet another strong year under Alexander in its quest for yet another 4A state championship.

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Shake up at Midwest City brings optimism

The Bombers basketball program has commenced a new era at Midwest City

After a disappointing 6-18 season under former head coach Corky McMullen, who resigned in March, the Bombers hired Torey Noel as head coach in April.

Noel, a former player at Midwest City from 2011-2014, looks to bring a defensive prowess to the Bombers basketball program. They struggled immensely on that side of the ball after starting the season 1-10 and being outscored by teams by nearly 15 points on average.

The Bombers now have a host of young talent after adding the top prospect in the state to the team in OSU commit Carlesheon Young, adding to an already promising roster of prospects in forward Bryan Williams and guard Roy Henderson.

So far, Midwest City has started their 2023-24 quest 3-2 after close losses to Edmond North and Edmond Memorial. Young has had an impressive start to his junior season after recording 38 points, five rebounds, and four steals in a blowout 82-39 season-opener win over Noble. If the Bombers' new four-star lefty can keep up this elite scoring approach heading into 2024, expect Midwest City to return to form from previous years in Class 5A.

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City area players to watch

Anthony Leonard, Jr., Putnam North:  Leonard was selected as the Oklahoma 7 Conference's Defensive Player of the Year during the 2022-2023 season while averaging 14 ppg, 60% FG, 50 steals and 50 assists.

Dayton Forsythe, Sr., Dale: The OU commit had a stellar junior season which was capped off by an undefeated season with the Pirates en route to a Class 2A state title. Forsythe averaged 17.1 points and six assists per game while being named to The Oklahoman’s 2023 Little All-City high school boys basketball first team.

Carlsheon Young, Jr., Midwest City: Young was one of the best players in the state during his sophomore season at Newcastle. This season, the 2025 guard is now at Midwest City. 247Sports lists him as a four-star and the top junior recruit in Oklahoma while recently committing to Oklahoma State in October.

Dylan Warlick, Sr., Edmond North: After a breakout sophomore season, Warlick didn’t disappoint as a junior. He looks to take another step as a senior after averaging 15.2 points per game and a team-high 8.4 rebounds per game while also recording 66 assists, 18 steals and 22 blocks.

Jaden Nickens, Jr., Millwood: Nickens is coming off a stellar football season for the Falcons at wide receiver. The four-star junior led the charge for Millwood last year as they won their second consectutive Class 3A state championship.

Aiden Todd, Jr., Bethany: Todd had a breakout sophomore season for the Bronchos in 2023 averaging 17.5 points and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 55% from the field to help lead Bethany to a 19-11 finish.

Landry Ballard Jr., Jr., Douglass: Ballard was one of driving forces during the Trojans' 26-1 season under Steven Alexander, helping Douglass win its 11th-ever boys basketball state title. Ballard's efforts helped him be named to the All-City Athletic Conference's first team as a sophomore.

Kaidon Rayfield, Jr., Putnam West: The 6-foot-7, 190-pound forward had an electric breakout season as a sophomore. The four-star prospect is regarded as one of the best players in the state and currently holds offers from LSU, Iowa, Tulsa and OSU.

Luke Gray, Sr., Oklahoma Christian School: Following an electric football season with the Saints, Gray looks to pick up where he left off as a junior on the hardwood. The three-star prospect currently has offers from Cal Poly, Liberty and South Carolina State and looks to help Oklahoma Christian make a deep playoff run.

Chiante' Tramble, Sr., Edmond North: The 6-foot-1, 190-pound guard has proved to be one of the best guards in the state. His ability to command the offense as a playmaker while also being able to score in a multitude of ways inside the arc has separated him from other peers as a three-star prospect.

Jayden Mott, Sr., Carl Albert: Mott had a stellar junior season for the Titans and was named to the Suburban Conference's second team after leading Carl Albert to the Class 5A state championship game.

Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at jdavis@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jdavis34_. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma HS boys basketball 2023-24 preview: Players, teams to watch