Norman doing everything it can to defend state title
NORMAN — Michael Neal watched the Norman girls basketball team weave its way through opening drills as hip-hop music played over a lone speaker in the empty gymnasium.
It was a “light- day” focused on shooting, but the players took it on as any other practice. They met each other with low-fives any time they crossed paths, bobbed their heads to the music and offered each other words of encouragement. This team is tight. But now, the Tigers are taking togetherness to the next level — Norman has created its own bubble that expands between its rented AirBnB home and the Norman gymnasium.
Bubbles have proven to work for NBA and collegiate teams. Now, Neal and the Tigers are attempting to make it work on the high school level.
Here's why.
The Norman program has come a long way from when Neal was hired as head coach in 2014. In his first season, Norman recorded three wins and was near the bottom of Class 6A. Now, Norman is not only one of the best in the state, but it's also one of the best in all of America.
ESPN ranks the Tigers 21 stint he nation following their perfect 13-0 regular season. And the national recognition is well earned. They have an average margin of victory of 28.4 points this season as they've beaten 12 of their 13 opponents by double-digits.
Norman is filled with future Division-I players who will see the court for years to come. However, the 2020-21 Tiger roster is one of the best the state has ever seen. Four of its best six players have already committed to top universities.
Kelbie Washington: Oklahoma.
Chantae Embry: Texas Tech.
Mikayla Parks: Kansas State.
Myka Perry: Florida. With speedy sophomore Aaliyah Henderson and freshman sixth-man Zya Vann running as support, the team looks nearly unstoppable. Norman's top-6 players could individually be the best player on almost any other team in the state.
But even with all that talent, Neal doesn't have to manage egos. The players have sacrificed to make it work.
“On any other team they are 20- point scorers, obviously double-double maniacs and their stats look out of this world,” Neal said. “Of these six girls on this team, everybody is basically averaging double-figures, so that's the sacrifice that they've put into each other and belief that they have. That's a dream come true for a coach like me.
“But for them to do that and not think about themselves when it comes to stats or whatever the case may be and focus on winning, that's why they're so special. Not because they' re talented, they've seen a bunch of talented teams and they're nothing like what you see right here.”
Norman's two seniors, Washington and Embry, have earned national recognition. ESPN ranks Washington No. 66 and Embry No. 67 in the 2021 recruiting class. The two are deemed the leaders of the group, but its cohesiveness doesn't require much leadership.
“We're all focused,” Embry said. “Obviously, Zya [Vann] is new here, but we all have the same expectation as last year and we're just working hard and staying together as a team.”
Even with all of their talent, the Tigers know their perfect season could be squandered by the off-the-court opponent they've been battling all season.
The corona virus pandemic.
Norman missed out on a few games and tournaments due to contact tracing this season. But in the postseason, the Tigers plan on being full strength despite the uncertainty of COVID19. In practice, the players and coaches are masked and the scorer's table is covered with cleaning products.
With a nullified postseason last year because of the pandemic, the Tigers are still technically the defending state champions. They' re doing everything they can to not let the opportunity of defending its 2019 Class 6 A state championship pass them by again.
“I feel like not being able to play last year has just made us even hungrier for this year and made us want it even more,” Myka Perry said as her teammates nodded their heads in agreement.
The Norman booster club has provided funds during the playoffs to rent the AirBnB where the players stay accompanied by two parents. The players go from their homes to the gym and back again.
“They're all virtual; they don't even come to the school for a work day,” Neal said. “They do virtual school at the AirBnB facilitated by an administrator, Kelbie Washington's mom.
“So they stay there, come to practice and then go right back. We'll do that from regionals to area since area locations are going to be at the highest seed.”
As the top seed in Class 6A, Norman will host and play all of its games at its home gym beginning Thursday. If Norman sweeps its way through the area and regional tournaments, the team will be together for an 11-day stretch.
“Last year, we weren't in an AirBnB so I think this year we're all going to be more connected,” Mikayla Parks said. “We were connected last year, but I feel like this year it's going to bring us way more together.”