There was no better way to spend a Saturday than to watch the matchups that were put together at the Cow-Town Tipoff in North Crowley. It is starting to click for post Sam Freeman and one could argue he was the best front line prospect in the gym (No rebuttals from this staff). Let’s take a look at how one of the (32) teams could be one of the most talent high school teams in Texas, who we could be seeing in the Alamo Dome in March with their roster of prospects.
Denton Guyer vs Justin Northwest
Several TBB prospects got in the trenches at the 5:15 pm game as Denton Guyer was too much for Justin Northwest and sealed up a 97-82 win. The premier guard match-up between 2019 Avery Anderson (Northwest) and De’Vion Harmon (Guyer) was one to take note of as Harmon produced an efficient scoring outing with 22 pts as he got to his spots, manned the troops and fed his teammates the ball where they needed it to be. Avery couldn’t get in much of a rhythm and struggled getting the ball through the net but still found ways being productive by finding the open man coming off a pick and fighting on the glass when 2019 Sam Freeman was out of the game due to foul trouble. Speaking of Freeman, the switch is on for the promising post that the staff is flirting with the HM label for Sam. Playing with more activity, rebounding, blocking shots, running the floors hard, Freeman also has made strides offensively and had the strongest showing out of all the bigs. 2019 Jalen Wilson (Guyer) and Mason Hix (Northwest) produced strong scoring outings as Wilson put up 30 points and 28 of those came after three quarters. Wilson found his home in the paint and when he got inside he either finished or drew a foul. Hix scored 32 points and what I like about the UTA commit is his short memory on misses. He continued to take his shots although he struggled early and the second half he carried the offensive load for the Cowboys.
Sulphur Springs vs Arlington Bowie
One of the most competitive games on Saturday at the Cow-Town Tipoff was Sulphur Springs and Arlington Bowie. Sulphur Springs pulled out the victory with a 66-58 win where Alan Branch told the staff at North Crowley High School , “Victor Iwakwu is a high major Small Forward.” The athletic forward made plays above the rim, punishing it any chance he had. He has shown improvement as a ball handler and defensively contained 2020 high major prospect Cade Cunningham to 9 points. Sulphur springs is one of the few schools in the lone star state to possess 5 potential division 1 players as point guard Keaston Willis will join the TBB database after a strong showing and 2020 forward Michael Jefferson produced a top 20 prospect performance. 2019 big man Xavier Cork is intriguing as he rebounded it well in his area and is a solid post option for his Sulphur Springs squad. Still things he needs to work on but a promising player that has the tools and skill set that we believe will translate to the D1 level. 2020 3/4 Gods Gift produced coming off the bench as he plays physical, makes plays without the ball and can score from inside and out
Desoto vs Mansfield Timberview
In a hard fought battle between the reigning 5A state champs Mansfield Timberview and 6A powerhouse Desoto, Timberview fell just short against the Eagles 65-60. 2018 SMU commit Feron Hunt received a tech early and didn’t come back into the game but his teammate and another SMU commit Jahmar Young held down the fort in Hunt’s absence with 16 points. Young made his presence known in the paint on both ends of the floor but ultimately fouled out in the beginning of the fourth quarter. 2018 TBB unsign senior guard RJ Mason stepped up in a big way as he knocked down big shots and became the alpha dog when his team needed him to be. 2021 Duncan Powell stepped up his play by playing his role and doing the dirty work needed for Desoto to win. More on Powell’s performance later on today. For Timberview, Isaace Likeleke was an issue in the first half with 17 points. Isaac is the leader of that squad and when he wants the ball in his hands he goes for the rebound and makes sure his teammates are where they needed to be. The Fresno State commit put his team in a position to win and orchestrated a double-double in the process.
Midlothian vs South Garland
The night cap game at North Crowley High School was between Midlothian and South Garland. The 8:30 matchup actually started around 9pm but the stands would still have been full if the game started two hours later. On one end you have 2018 TCU commit Kaden Archie (Midlothian) and on the other side there is 2019 highly touted guard Tyrese Maxey (S. Garland). Midlothian was able to contain Maxey for the most part of the game throwing double teams at him and making him get it out of his hands early. Chris Harris had very solid first quarter but being in foul trouble kept him on the bench a lot longer than usual. Archie was taking what the defense was giving him as he knocked down jumpers, finished around the cup and most of all control the glass with 24 rebounds. When it looked like Midlothian was going to run away with it, Maxey put the team on his shoulders with the help of and with a 11 pt 4th quarter outing, South Garland closed it two points in the final minutes of the game. Maxey hit the back of the rim in a potential game winning three pointer and 2018 Caleb Jordan of Midlothian sealed the game knocking down 2 freethrows in the final seconds to push the lead to four. Jordan’s performance cannot go unnoticed by the staff as he manufactured 27 points and scrappy defensive play. With Nevada commit Vincent Lee having transferred, questions rose on who would step up for the Panthers and tonight Jordan did. Archie finishing with 30 points, he and Caleb combined for 77% of Midlothian’s points. Maxey had 25 points, the bounce back after a tough start impressed the TBB staff and showed why he is the top guard in 2019 in Texas.
Edited by AB