GAMES
RANKINGS
THE FAB 5: Greater Houston well represented in State Tourney
What a night it was for Houston-area basketball as five teams punched their tickets to the UIL State Championship at the Alamodome this weekend.
The Bellaire Cardinals advanced to its first-ever State Final in school history with a, 65-57, win over San Antonio Brennan.
“We played are really tough tournament schedule and that experience prepared us though for tough times this season and culminated in tonight,” coach Bruce Glover said. “Now, when I go on and this team moves one, we will always be able to look back and remember this team. It’s really huge.”
Duke signee Shelton Henderson lead the way with 26 points and 20 rebounds.
“There is that famous story about the horse, ‘Sectretariat’,” Glover said. “When they cut him open, he had a heart twice as big as other horses. That is Sheldon Henderson.”
Next up for Bellaire is Duncanville in the State Finals.
"This is everything," Henderson said. "I came in here my freshman year and told the coaches I was going to win one for them. We knew we came in here as the underdogs and just had to play our game. We couldn't get caught up in the fans and the media. We just locked in and got it done."
…
Katy Jordan also made school history beating San Antonio Harlan, 57-36, in the Class 6A DII Semifinal. Jaden Holt and Elijah Black make up on one of the best backcourts in the state and will now face Denton Guyer in the Finals on Saturday at 5 pm.
The FB Marshall Buffs were in Goliad, Texas and took down Alamo Heights, 47-29 in the Class 5A DII to return to the State Finals for the first time since 2017. The Buffs are on a 22-game winning steak. Marshall will face Mansfield Summit on Saturday.
Booker T. Washington is back in the Finals. The Eagles handled LBJ Austin, 76-56, in the Semis and will face power Dallas Kimball in the Finals on Friday. Robert Jones, Sam Johnson and Jalen Webb lead the way for Washington.
The Wheatley Wildcats have run the gauntlet in the playoffs. The Wildcats beat La Marque, 49-44, in the Semis to advance to the Finals. Wheatley has beaten Silsbee and Yates as well in the postseason. The ‘Cats will face Kennedale in the Class 4A DII Finals. Coach David Burrell leans on Quinton Sanders and Marquan Elder on the court.
Columbus advanced in Class 3A DI to face Tatum, while Kountze will play Paradise in the Class 3A DII Finals.
Beaumont West Brook of southeast Texas is 37-2 and will face Birdville High in the Class 5A DI Finals.
THE STATUS: VYPE DFW Hoops Rankings in the regular season's final stages; Lancaster, Marcus ascend
With only a few games left in the regular season, several district races in the Dallas-Fort Worth area remain tight.
Notable shifts have occurred in our rankings since two weeks ago, though Allen (26-1; 12-0 in district) and Lake Ridge (28-2; 8-0) continue to hold firm at the top.
However, Lancaster (22-5; 8-1) has made significant progress, climbing into the Top-3 after their 68-60 win over district rival Duncanville.
Just behind them, North Crowley (24-5) is looking to close out their district slate with strong performances, maintaining momentum for the postseason.
Meanwhile, Flower Mound Marcus makes its debut in the DFW Top-10 following a dramatic 53-51 win over Denton Guyer last week.
As the regular season draws to a close and the playoffs approach, teams will be competing for position. Here’s an updated look of the area’s top basketball programs.
...
*Parentheses indicates the team's district
*Last section indicates current overall record/district record
*Records are from before games taking place on 1/31
VYPE DFW BOYS TOP-10 (Class 6A-4A)
1. Allen Eagles (6-6A) -- 26-1; 12-0
2. Lake Ridge Eagles (3-6A) -- 28-2; 8-0
3. Lancaster Tigers (11-6A) -- 22-5; 8-1
4. North Crowley Panthers (3-6A) -- 24-5; 6-2
5. Duncanville Panthers (11-6A) -- 16-7; 8-1
6. Plano East Panthers (6-6A) -- 22-4; 10-2
7. FM Marcus Marauders (5-6A) -- 22-7; 8-2
8. Denton Guyer Wildcats (5-6A) -- 24-7; 8-2
9. Mansfield Summit Jaguars (8-5A) -- 23-6; 9-0
10. Frisco Heritage Coyotes (11-5A) -- 24-4; 10-0
Honorable Mentions: Birdville (6-5A), Plano West (6-6A), Crowley (3-6A), Dallas Carter (11-4A), Lake Highlands (7-6A), Prosper (6-6A), Little Elm (5-6A), Highland Park (12-5A), Timberview (8-5A)