Thanksgiving Hoopfest to showcase state champs, top recruits and sons of NBA legends
The Thanksgiving Hoopfest will begin its 11th year on Friday and it may be the best field yet.
Four defending UIL boys state champions will take the court: Duncanville (6A), Mansfield Timberview (5A), Oak Cliff Faith Family (4A) and Dallas Madison (3A).
Teams from eight states make up this year’s field, which will be played at Duncanville High School (Friday, Saturday) and the American Airlines Center (Saturday).
Friday games at Duncanville are sold out while Saturday games are close to being sold out, but tickets as low as $30 at the AAC can be purchased here.
AAC games (Saturday)
5 p.m. Prolific Prep (Calif.) vs. St. Mark’s
6:30 p.m. Duncanville vs. Sierra Canyon (Calif.) girls
8 p.m. Duncanville vs. Sierra Canyon (Calif.)
9:30 p.m. Montverde Academy (Fla.) vs. Houston Yates
Talented field
Aside from the Texas talent, Sierra Canyon from California features sons of NBA legends.
Freshman LeBron “Bronny” James Jr. (son of LeBron James) and senior Zaire Wade (son of Dwyane Wade) are just two of the stars on Sierra Canyon. The Trailblazers also feature 5-star prospects Amari Bailey, Ziaire Williams and BJ Boston.
Duncanville won the 6A state title in March, 73-69 over Klein Forest, for the program’s first title since 2007. Returning is state title game MVP Micah Peavy, who is the No. 2 ranked 2020 player in the state by 247Sports. He is a Texas Tech signee.
The Panthers will host Montverde Academy (FL) at 9 p.m. on Friday. Montverde has former Arlington Bowie standout Cade Cunningham on its roster. Cunningham is a 5-star Oklahoma State signee and the No. 2 ranked player in the nation according to 247Sports.
Montverde has five other players on its roster that are 5-star prospects.
Then on Saturday at 8 p.m. from the AAC, Duncanville and Sierra Canyon will tip off.
Another game to watch is at 5 p.m. on Saturday when St. Mark’s (Dallas) plays Prolific Prep (CA), which has 5-star guard Jalen Green, who is the No. 3 ranked 2020 player in the nation by 247Sports. St. Mark’s has the top-ranked 2021 player in 5-star forward Harrison Ingram.
Timberview has won the 5A title two of the past three years. Sulphur Springs and Houston Yates both played in the state tournament last season and Denton Guyer has reached the regional final in back-to-back seasons.
Lancaster and Cedar Hill Trinity both won state titles in 2014 and 2015.
Boys Teams
Austin LBJ
Austin Westlake
Dallas Bishop Lynch
Denton Guyer
Duncanville
Oak Cliff Faith Family
Fort Bend Hightower
FW Wyatt
Houston Yates
Dallas Kimball
Lancaster
Lewisville
Mansfield Timberview
Manor
North Crowley
Sulphur Springs
Dallas Wilson
Cedar Hill Trinity
Waxahachie
St. Mark’s
Cornerstone Christian
Hightower iSchool
West Memphis (AR)
Madison Marion (AR)
Hall (AR)
Sierra Canyon (CA)
Prolific Prep (CA)
Montverde Academy (FL)
Stranahan (FL)
Sunrise Christian (KS)
Port Allen (LA)
Christian Brothers (MO)
Putnam City North (OK)
Putnam City West (OK)
Booker T. Washington (OK)
Girls
Argyle, which has won five straight state titles, is one of eight schools participating on the girls side. It also includes TAPPS Division 1 champ Dallas Bishop Lynch, 6A state runner-up DeSoto and 10-time state champ Duncanville.
Watch for Class 4A state title game MVP Rhyle McKinney on Argyle (SMU signee) and Duncanville’s Deja Kelly, a 5-star North Carolina signee, who is ranked as the No. 5 guard in the nation by ESPN.
Teams
Argyle
Dallas Bishop Lynch
DeSoto
Duncanville
Red Oak
Sierra Canyon (CA)
Lee Magnet (LA)
Putnam City West (OK)
Friday November 29
(Games played in Sandra Meadows Arena, Duncanville HS)
9 a.m. Port Allen vs. Hall
10:15 a.m. Austin LBJ vs. Putnam City North
11:30 a.m. West Memphis vs. Austin Westlake
12:45 p.m. Mansfield Timberview vs. Putnam City West
2 p.m. Dallas Kimball vs. Christian Brothers
3:15 p.m. Houston Yates vs. Sunrise Christian
4:30 p.m. DeSoto vs. Sierra Canyon girls
6 p.m. Faith Family vs. Marion
7:30 p.m. Lancaster vs. Prolific Prep
9 p.m. Duncanville vs. Montverde
(Games played in Gym 1)
9:30 a.m. Lee Magnet vs. Bishop Lynch girls
11 a.m. Red Oak vs. Putnam City West girls
12:30 p.m. Madison vs. Stranahan
2 p.m. iSchool vs. Cornerstone Christian
3:30 p.m. Fort Bend Hightower vs. Wyatt
Saturday November 30
(Games played in Sandra Meadows Arena)
9 a.m. Sulphur Springs vs. Stranahan
10:15 a.m. Manor vs. Denton Guyer
11:30 a.m. Faith Family vs. Putnam City West
12:45 a.m. Argyle vs. Lee Magnet girls
2 p.m. Lewisville vs. Fort Bend Hightower
3:15 p.m. Christian Brothers vs. Booker T. Washington
(Games played in Gym 1)
9:30 a.m. Dallas Wilson vs. TC-Cedar Hill
11 a.m. Port Allen vs. Bishop Lynch
12:30 p.m. Marion vs. North Crowley
2 p.m. Waxahachie vs. West Memphis
3:30 p.m. Westlake vs. Sunrise Christian
This story was originally published November 26, 2019 at 2:22 PM.
