Tyson Pogi has a lot of tools in his arsenal on the basketball court. The 6-foot-1 Southmoore High School point guard is considered one of the top players at his position in the state. “I think my strengths are my IQ and my shooting ability,” Pogi said. “Being able to read all five guys at once is very key for a 6-foot-1 guard, and then being able to knock down the three is too.”
Pogi, who has already had conversations with Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Oral Roberts on the recruiting trail, was hot out of the gates in the SaberCats’ season opener. He poured in a school single-game record 41 points against Putnam City on Dec. 3 and has helped lead his team to a 4-2 record, including consecutive 82-54 wins over U.S. Grant and Yukon to close out the first semester portion of Southmoore’s schedule.
“I want to make it to the state tournament, and I’m looking forward to competing against the best teams in the state with everyone at their best,” Pogi said. Pogi says he has improved the most in getting to the basket since his freshman season where he played at Mustang High School. “I think I improved the most on my downhill driving to get myself going by getting easy layups or getting my teammates easy layups,” he said.
Pogi has received praise on the national landscape, including admiration from NBA standout Paul George. “My proudest moment would be at the EYBL Peach Jam. My team finished in the final 4 and after we beat PG Elite, Paul George came up to me and dapped me up saying, ‘You can really hoop, kid.’ And that meant a lot to me because it’s Paul George,” said Pogi, who averaged 16 points, four assists and four rebounds as a freshman. Pogi’s parents have been his foundation. “My biggest influence is probably my parents. They both just keep my going at my lowest and keep me humbled at my highest,” he said.
