Tulsa Union 7-foot-2 2024 center Erik Madrid has the size, but also has the skills

Madrid, who claims to be an 'old-school big,' dealing with how opponents handle him defensively

OKLAHOMA CITY - There is no missing Erik Madrid. 

One step inside any high school that Tulsa Union is playing in and the senior center should be the first person anyone sees.

That is what happens when you are 7-foot-2 and hovering around 300 pounds, which is what Madrid happens to be despite being on the verge of just turning 17. Any room or gymnasium he walks into, all eyes immediately go to him.

But while his sheer size is the first thing almost anyone notices, for those who take a closer look at Madrid while he is on the court, something else starts to become evident about the bespectacled force in the middle.

“He's a very smart kid, so he understands how to play,” Union coach Rudy Garcia said. “He's very knowledgeable about the game. He understands how to play.”

Because of his size, Madrid knows teams have to find ways to keep him away from the basket or it’s just an easy layup or putback. He uses that to his advantage to get the rest of his team involved until it’s time for him to be aggressive.

Tulsa Union 7-foot-2 center Erik Madrid grabs a ball down low during a Redhawks game at the recent Putnam City Invitational

“My skill set, I would say, I'm like an old-school big,” Mandrid said. “I don't really get out to the three and shoot a jumper. I can make passes. If I see it, I'll make them. I'm mainly an old-school big.”

Very few teams have a player taller than 6-foot-8, much less anyone near being a 7-footer. That means Union has seen all manner of junk defenses this season geared to contain Madrid.

During the Putnam City Invitational last weekend, the Redhawks faced Lawton High and Midwest City, whose tallest players in uniform may have been 6-foot-6. Madrid found himself being guarded in the paint by guards.

The only way they can attempt to keep Madrid out of the paint is to grab, hold and push on him. If the officiating crew that night isn’t in the whistle-blowing mood, Madrid knows what he has to do to correct things.

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“The little dudes are being physical, man,” Madrid said. “I usually don't have problems with any other sizes, but (the smaller) guys, they are physical so I have to adjust and be more physical and try to get my position.”

Madrid came into the season with high expectations of himself. He looks at the improvements he has made and knows he is a better player overall.

“The areas I’ve improved in the most are my agility, going side to side,” Mandrid said. “It's gone up a lot and I think I could stay with some of the slower guards, but not the fast guards. I still have to adjust."

However, at this point in the season, Garcia is still having to regulate Madrid’s minutes. But while he was unable to stay on the floor for long periods of time due to his conditioning, he has worked on that area as well.

“He gives us all he can for as long as they can,” Garcia said. “We get him in and out. We try to manage his minutes and rest him when we can, but there are times he's going to have to stay out there.

"Obviously over the break, he took some days off so we’re trying to get some conditioning back. But he's just a huge mismatch in there. So obviously, we've got to play through him when we can.”

Tulsa Union 7-foot-2 center Erik Madrid goes in for a basket during a game at the recent Putnam City Invitational tournament

According to Garcia, Madrid is averaging around 15 points and nine rebounds while shooting 70 percent from the field.

Coupled with Miles Flemons, who stands close to 6-foot-8 himself, the Redhawks' frontline is the biggest in the state. Garcia knows that is his squad’s X-factor that very few, if any, teams can match up with.

“People try to expose them on the defensive end, but they move well enough that they can guard well enough for us and they're a huge mismatch on the offensive end,” Garcia said. “So we're going to play through them, try to get it to them when we can and obviously, we need some big baskets in there.”

Tulsa Union 7-foot-2 senior center Erik Madrid (55)

Madrid has committed to Oklahoma Baptist University, where he will continue his basketball career next season. So this will be his final year to earn an elusive state title for Union, who hasn’t held up the gold ball since 2014.

The Redhawks seem like they have a chance to make that happen in Madrid’s assessment.

“I wanted to see myself and our team just winning and being a team,” Madrid said. “Not being one person doing everything. Share the ball and just be teammates at the end of the day.

"I think we can be really good. I think we have the potential of going all the way to state and probably winning it.”

Union (9-2) will play at Edmond Memorial on Friday. Next weekend, the Redhawks will take part in the annual Jenks/Union Invitational Tournament.

-- Michael Kinney | @SBLiveOK