Cortes part of elite ‘Super 5’ ranks
KHS junior joins Sternberger as only Yellowjackets selected for honor
KINGFISHER’S BIJAN CORTES puts up a shot during a contest in the 2019-20 season. He’s earned a number of honors for his junior campaign, the most recent of which was being named to The Oklahoman’s “Super 5” which encompasses all classifications.
Prior to last year, Kingfisher never had a boys basketball player land on the “Super 5” list.
Now it’s happened two years in a row.
KHS junior Bijan Cortes was name to the “Super 5” first team for the 2019-20 basketball season, it was announced Sunday.
He follows in the footsteps of former KHS teammate Jett Sternberger, who became the first Yellowjacket to earn first-team honors in 2019.
The “Super 5” is an honor bestowed by The Oklahoman. It’s designed to highlight the five best players in the state regardless of school classification or the player’s grade or age.
Cortes was joined on this year’s team by Heritage Hall’s Trey Alexander, Southmoore’s Sam Godwin, Putnam City West’s Rondel Walker and Booker T. Washington’s Bryce Thompson.
Thompson was named the player of the year.
Lenny Hatchett of Del City was named the coach of the year. Kingfisher’s Jared Reese won the honor last year and in 2017.
It’s just the latest in what’s becoming a long list of postseason honors for Cortes, who already held multiple Division I honors before his breakout season.
He guided KHS to a 26-1 record in which it qualified for the Class 4A state tournament.
Cortes led Kingfisher with 21.9 points, 5.8 assists and 2.6 steals and was second on the team with 5.6 rebounds. He shot 58 percent overall, including 50 percent from 3-point range, and 82 percent from the foul line.
Honors have included being named the player of the year of the Western Athletic Conference, Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association Region 1 and Northwest Oklahoma (voted on by coaches and announced by the Enid News & Eagle).
It was also announced last week by The Oklahoman that Cortes was named to the Little All-City first team.
That honor includes schools Class 4A and below in Oklahoma County and its surrounding counties. Alexander was named the Little All-City player of the year.
The Oklahoman also names its own all-state teams for each class.
Cortes, who has committed to play at the University of Oklahoma, was a first-teamer in Class 4A.