HOOPS ON THE HORIZON: NEW BRUIN COACHING ERA SET TO TIP-OFF ON NOV. 2 AT HOME
Bartlesville High School’s Hudson Eads goes to the basket during a game last season. The Bruins are slated to open their season at home on Nov. 20 under the new leadership of Coach Jake Christenson.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
Nov. 14, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Blessed with deeper experience than last season — but still lacking imposing size inside— the Bartlesville High School boys basketball team will be counting on hustle, speed, shooting, guts, defense, scrappiness, and confidence as it prepares to open the Jake Christenson Coaching Era.
Christenson will officially make his debut with the Bruins when they open up the season on Nov. 20 by hosting Rejoice Christian.
Christenson becomes the eighth Bartlesville head boys basketball coach in 44 seasons
He inherits a Bartlesville team coming off a 3-21 record last season and 14-57 the past three campaigns.
Bruin basketball has endured a long drought without any major success. The team has produced just two winning records the last 12 seasons and hasn’t won a playoff game since 2018.
Christenson is determined to guide the team in a different direction — but knows it likely won’t be a quick fix.
“We were beating people in scrimmages but we’re just not there yet when you talk about competing consistently in 6A,” he said. “We think we’re on our way. We’re playing better in scrimmages than people expected. … We have no interest in being mediocre. It is a process.”
Leading that process going into the season will be a trio of battle-tested senior veterans — point guard Dennis Duncan, Hudson Eads, and Trey Collins.
Another highly-experienced returnee that could make a big impact early is sophomore Hunter Holmes.
“He (Holmes) kind of makes everything go,” Christenson said. “He does everything. He’s a Swiss Army Knife for us.”
Christenson also hopes that 6-foot-3 sophomore Sutton Huff, who was injured throughout last season, will be able to contribute.
“If he can get healed, he might make a difference,” Christenson said.
Christenson isn’t sure about what athletes he might gain from the football team.
But he is sure he likes what he’s seen as far as effort and progress by his troops in the preseason.
“The offense looks good, the defense looks good,” he said. “We’re kind of working on who we’re going to be as far as our man offense. The kids seem to be buying in.”
The Bruins are still trying to develop a consistent shooting touch.
“I think we shoot the ball well,” he said. “We shoot it well in practices and we shot it well in the summer, but we haven’t shot it very well in scrimmages.”
The other part of success building is to identify team leaders — or waiting until they identify themselves.
“They’re still learning what that looks like,” Christenson said. “We have guys that lead in moments. I don’t know if we’ve found that dude that’s going to be that guy every single day.”
Following the opener on Nov. 20, the Bruins will have nearly a two-week break before traveling to Broken Arrow on December 2.
Bartlesville Bruins’ new head basketball coach, Jake Christenson, and team go to their first basketball camp in June.
Courtesy photo