Union Standout T.K. Pitts Headed to SMU

By Mike Moguin
GTR Sports Writer

Once Union senior T. K. Pitts gets going on the hardwood, she is in high gear.  

“I have a motor. I just go. I won’t stop,” said Pitts, who stands 6-0. “I’m long and I have an advantage over a lot of girls that play me. I play on the perimeter, so I’m long. A lot of girls that guard me aren’t as tall or as long as me. I just think I have an advantage over a lot of girls who play.”

Pitts, who plays small forward, has been a force in Union’s 7-2 start through mid-January. The Lady Redhawks are also ranked No. 3 in the Class 6A Girls poll by OSSAARankings.com.

What she loves about the game is the way you can create so many things on the court, Pitts said. “You get team chemistry off the basketball, the way the ball flows on the court just shows the relationship between the girls on the floor and it just feels good. Once you get momentum going, there is a lot of communication on the floor,” she added.

Next year, Pitts will be in Dallas playing at SMU. 

She signed with Mustangs on Nov. 17 at a school ceremony with other Union athletes signing in their respective sports with their respective institutions. 

If you get to know Pitts, it’s easy to know what influenced her decision. 

“The whole state of Texas is just home,” she said. “I’m from Lubbock. I grew up there until I was eight and when I moved to Oklahoma, that’s when I started playing basketball.”

Pitts played AAU basketball in the Dallas area this past summer. When league play came to an end, SMU coaches took notice of her. She already had an offer from the Methodist institution along with offers from North Texas and Memphis.

“Those were my top three,” Pitts said. “Then I took a visit to SMU and as soon as I got there, my family was there with me. They made everybody feel welcome. It felt like home and I had a good time with (head) coach (Toyelle Wilson) and (assistant) coach Gary Redus, They showed much interest in me, they showed they wanted me there and they wanted the best for me, so I was kind of excited to put my career in their hands.”

In the meantime, Pitts and Union teammates are focused on getting the Redhawk girls back to the state tournament and come out with a title.

Wins have come against then top-ranked Sapulpa and then No. 3 Bixby, who was runner-up last year. Union also went down to Florida over Christmas break and beat some teams from the Sunshine state.
“It makes us feel really good,” Pitts said. “We know there are a lot of really good teams that we’re going to play, but our main focus is coming out and playing the hardest we can play and getting the win.”
The talent on this year’s team, Pitts said, is great. 

“We have a lot of younger girls, a lot of freshmen besides the four seniors, and the junior that starts, the rest of the bench is freshmen. There are a lot of young girls here playing their first year in big girl basketball. That’s what we call it. But it’s nice to see we’re (7-2). We’re coming out strong. This is the start I expected though. The talent we have on the team, there is no reason why we shouldn’t be at the top of the rankings.”

Union reached the state semifinals last year where it lost to eventual state champion Norman.
“We had a really good year last year, probably our best year since (Union girls) coach (Joe) Redmond has been here,” Pitts said. “We’re definitely feeding off losing in the semifinals, knowing what it feels like to be right there to win gold. So we’re just running with it and we’re going to take it all the way this year.”