By Bryce McKinnis
Simply put: Corban Dow began playing basketball because that’s what the men of the Dow family do.
“I started playing around five in a church league. My dad and brother motivated me to play,” Dow said. “My dad was my first coach, and I always watched my brother play, so I also wanted to play.”
Their father, Chris, played at Evangel University. Like Corban, Conner Dow played at Broken Arrow High School and graduated in 2023 with All-State honors and a nod on the Oklahoman Super 5. He signed with Oklahoma State his senior year and transferred to Oral Roberts University ahead of the 2025-26 season. His wife (Corban’s sister-in-law), also played at Oklahoma State. Her brother, Boden, will join Connor at ORU next year.
Corban, a senior this year, gives flashes of Conner on the court. Both standing about 6-foot-6 and sharing noticeable similarities in their playstyles, it’s clear that Corban developed much of his game from his older brother, who graduated three years before him.
“I’ve learned from my brother that I have to work hard to achieve what I want,” Corban said. “My family has supported me by taking me everywhere when I couldn’t drive and always coming to my games.”
But last year, it seemed the younger Dow started to pave a unique path towards success. He was named an all-tournament selection in Shawnee and an all-district honorable mention for his efforts in the Tigers’ state semifinal run. After his junior season, he received an offer from Northwest Missouri State, a flagship Division II program, and has been paid visits by several others.
With 30 or so games left in his varsity career, Dow has a chance to do something his older brother never did: win a state title. Conner led the Tigers to a 28-2 record his senior year and lost in the 6A State Championship. Corban’s Tigers have made the big dance every year since and lost by only 2 points to Union in the semifinal game in March.
“It’s driven me in the offseason to go harder because however hard I worked last year wasn’t enough because we still came up short. I’ve been working on my shot and getting it off quicker and becoming better off-the-move,” Corban said. “It feels like we have a new level of focus. We have all been getting used to playing with each other and clicking fast. It will take the whole team buying into their roles and playing as a team for us to bring home the Gold Ball.”
In his spare time, Dow also enjoys playing disc golf and video games. Ten years from now, he sees himself still playing the game; if not, pursuing or practicing chiropractic.
