After logging countless hours in the gym, between individual games, UIL tournaments, and showcases. Here's a little extra stocking gift, as I recap the first half of the season by highlighting top teams, players and performances.

Westlake GBB- The Chaparrals remain unbeaten at 20-0 after a blow-out win vs Akins, 83-14. They are loaded with size; a lineup with four starters standing 5‘9’’ or above.  The size is coupled with skill from inside-out starting  with their junior guard/wings Molly Frazer (5 '9) & Wynn Throne (6' 0) being snipers from the arc and using their length on defense to garnish steals. The Chaps’ interior presence is led by Houston Signee senior center Tamia King (6 '1), who has a methodical post game and frame to dominate inside. Alongside King in the front court is  highly regarded freshmen forward Geralynn Byers-Veal (6 '2) that displays a perimeter game while being able to control the glass and finish inside. The Chaps’ have shown to be a cut above the rest with 16 wins by 10 points or more but also had some defining wins over ranked opponents between San Antonio Brennan and Lancaster.

Wagner GBB- It's always tough to lose a talent like Leonna Sneed and have the same expectations, but coach Jackson has rallied her group to be one of the few undefeated teams this season at 20-0. The Thunderbirds may not have the national talent, but the collective effort from the entire team makes them just as dangerous. Spearheaded by their junior class made up of  guard Nia McBirde averaging 13.7ppg, forward Elle Williams averaging 12.4ppg and forward Kyzarriah Fox averaging 11.4ppg, the T-Birds are here to stay and be contenders for the 5A State title.

Brennan GBB- Standing at 16-4, the Brennan Bears are looking to return to the State Tourney and with returning talent and new faces, the Bears are sitting pretty to achieve their goals. Duke Signee Senior guard Bella Flemings has been up to her habitual mastery averaging 18pts and 10 rebounds, her shot is smoother than ever as she is connecting at a 40% clip from the 3-point line. She is joined by freshmen guard Deylamore Tapia as a consistent scorer due to her size at 5 '9 and ability to create her shot going downhill. Tapia is priming herself to be the next Brennan star and one of the best guards in the 2029 class. The Bears have answered the bell against top opponents with notable wins versus Boswell, Summer Creek, Waco La Vega, Frisco Memorial, and Pearland Dawson.

St Michael’s BB- Despite losing a lot of talent from last year’s 6A TAPPS State Championship team, St. Mikes hasn’t skipped a beat and looks seasoned to defend their title. Adding new players such as Dallas Baptist University signee senior forward Jayden Buchunam who brings a great deal of two-way versatility and freshmen guard Nico Cajas, who brings game-changing energy and shot-making ability, have fit nicely in the system. Leading the way for the Warriors has been junior guard Sunvith Jinkal. He's taken his game to another level as an on-ball scorer, facilitator and defender. St. Mikes supremacy has been on display as they won two UIL sanctioned tournaments so far this season but most notably at the ACH Classic when the Warriors were down by 16 points in the third quarter and clawed back with a 34-point swing to gain the win the Championship over Frisco Heritage.

Brennan BB- With the great number of upperclassmen, the Bears have been poised all year against quality opponents, earning wins against Parish Episcopal, Atascocita and Katy Jordan. Their success is coming via four players averaging double-figure points, including senior forward Isaiah Ward who missed most of last year due to injury and UTEP Signee senior center Delano Tarpley who transferred back this season. Being able to have this size will be the  key for the Bears to make their third state finals appearance in four years. Add in senior wing Donovan Criss, another UTEP signee, and point guard Talon Todd, an Austin Peay Signee, and the Bears are primed to represent Region IV once more. 

New Braunfels BB- One of the most underrated teams this season are the New Braunfels Unicorns at 18-4. Quietly one of the best duos in the Tri-regions is Air Force signee senior forward Carson Cox and the transplant from Seattle, senior wing Malachi Bowman. Both Bowman and Cox stand between 6 '5-6' 6 and offer a nice skillset with Bowman’s ability to efficiently stroke it from the perimeter, complimenting the inside-out versatility of Cox. The Unicorns are in a four-way tie in their district, standing at 3-1, and can certainly end up on top of the district. New Braunfels has proven to win in long stretches throughout the season due to the fact they’ve been on two winning streaks of 7+ games already.

We're excited to see what the rest of the hoops season yields. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas folks