Top teams, players highlight Dallas-Fort Worth holiday basketball tournaments
Another holiday season is here and that means one thing: basketball tournaments.
Some of the best teams and players in the state come to Dallas-Fort Worth to play in the top tournaments, including the Whataburger boys at Mansfield Legacy, the Mansfield Spring Creek girls and the Sandra Meadows Classic at Duncanville.
The top programs in the area highlight this weekend’s brackets, but it also includes some of the top teams in other states.
Here is this year’s preview:
GIRLS
Mansfield Spring Creek BBQ Invitational
Teams to watch
Amarillo (18-0): The Sandies are the 2-time defending Class 5A state champs. Ranked No. 1 in 5A.
Arlington Martin (17-3): The Warriors, who have won 12 straight, is No. 7 in 6A. Averaging wins by nearly 16 points per game.
Braswell (14-1): Only loss vs. 6A No. 20 Keller. Bengals, who are No. 4 in 5A, are one off school record 15 wins.
Denton Guyer (14-2): The Wildcats are ranked No. 5 in 6A. Average win margin of 20.6 points during 5-game win streak.
Mansfield Timberview (11-6): The Wolves have a 148-9 record during the previous four seasons with four trips to the regional tourament and two state-runner up finishes.
South Grand Prairie (18-1): The Warriors are No. 2 in 6A and 1-1 against No. 1 Duncanville. SGP is coming off a win over DeSoto, which was the No. 1 ranked team in the country by USA Today.
The Colony (10-5): The Cougars feature an all-state backcourt with 4-star Jewel Spear, who is signed with Wake Forest, and Tamia Jones, signed with SMU. The duo averaged 40 points per game last season.
Other ranked teams: Cypress Ranch (No. 4 in 6A), Summer Creek (No. 8 in 6A), Cypress Ranch (No. 9 in 6A), Humble Atascocita (No. 11 in 6A), Harker Heights (No. 16 in 6A)
Players to watch
Avery Brittingham, Sr., Crowley: Averaging a career double-double.
Maddie Cleary, Sr., Prosper: Signed to the University of North Texas.
Iyana Dorsey, Sr., Birdville: School record 44 points vs. Azle on Dec. 20.
Evie Goetz, Jr., Denton Guyer: Committed to TCU.
Hannah Gusters, Sr., Irving MacArthur: 5-star Baylor signee is ranked as the No. 2 player in the state.
Camryn Hill, Sr., South Grand Prairie: Signed to Oral Roberts.
Tommisha Lampkin, Sr., Mansfield Summit: Averaging 17.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
Sandra Meadows Classic
Thursday-Saturday Dec. 26-28 (Duncanville HS)
Teams to watch
Cedar Hill (15-4): Defending tournament champ; ranked No. 6 in 6A.
Conway, AR: Last year’s runner-up; won tourney title in 2014.
DeSoto (14-1): Previously No. 1 team in the country is ranked No. 3 in 6A. The Eagles are averaging 60 points per game.
Duncanville (15-3): Top-ranked 6A team has won home tournament 22 times since 1951. The Pantherettes are averaging 68.8 points per game.
McEachern, GA: Tourney runner-up in 2016.
Other ranked teams: Vista Ridge (No. 10 in 6A), Plano (No. 12 in 6A), Red Oak (No. 8 in 5A), Bishop Lynch (No. 4 in TAPPS 6A)
Players to watch
Deja Kelly, Sr., Duncanville: 5-star North Carolina signee. Kelly is ranked the No. 5 guard in the nation by ESPN.
Anzhane’ Hutton, Sr., Cedar Hill: Signed with Howard, Hutton averaged a double-double last season at TC-Cedar Hill.
Jordyn Merritt, Sr., Plano: 5-star Florida signee. Averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds last season.
Sa’Myah Smith, Soph., DeSoto: 4-star forward is the top-ranked 2022 player in the state.
Whataburger Tournament
Friday-Saturday Dec. 27-28 (Saginaw HS)
Teams to watch
Argyle Liberty Christian (21-1): No. 3 in TAPPS 6A. Averaging 62.2 points per game.
Brock (13-5): The Eagles are 8-time state champs. No. 11 in 3A.
Decatur (19-0): No. 3 in 4A. Eagles are allowing 31 points per game.
Nazareth (11-7): No. 1 in 1A. The Swiftettes are 3-time defending 1A champs and have won 23 state titles overall.
Wall (10-4): The Hawks are ranked No. 7 in 3A.
Players to watch
Cambrie Heiman, Sr., Nazareth; Grace Lowery, Soph., Decatur; Tawny Smith-Knox, Sr., Kennedale; Torrye Tyler, Jr., Brock
Keller Central Tournament
Thursday-Saturday Dec. 26-28
Teams to watch: LD Bell, Chisholm Trail, Flower Mound
Players to watch: Kennedy Crites, Sr., Eaton; Kyla Davis, Sr., LD Bell; Myra Gordon, Sr., LD Bell; Caitlin Kobiske, Jr., Keller Central; Alysia McAfee, Sr., Chisholm Trail; Kayla Wallace, Sr., Flower Mound, Gracen Williams, Sr., HSAA
Dallas ISD Invitational
Thursday-Saturday Dec. 26-28 (Davis Field House)
BOYS
Whataburger Orange
Thursday-Saturday Dec. 26-28 (Mansfield Legacy HS)
Teams to watch
Denton Guyer (12-2): Wildacats have quality wins this season vs. Timberview (twice) and Sulphur Springs, both who went to the 5A state tournament last season. No. 4 in 6A.
DeSoto (8-4): Eagles are ranked No. 17 in 6A.
Duncanville (8-2): Panthers are defending 6A state champ and No. 1 in 6A.
Mansfield Timberview (12-3): The Wolves won last year’s 5A championship; titles in two of the past three years. Timberview is averaging 59.4 points per game.
Other ranked teams: South Grand Prairie (No. 10 in 6A), Lewisville (No. 25 in 6A), FW Wyatt (No. 9 in 5A), Sulphur Springs (No. 17 in 5A)
Players to watch
Damon Gentry, Jr., Wyatt
Ja’Bryant Hill, Sr., Duncanville: Key contributors in last year’s state championship. Averaging 12.1 points, 2.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
Tyler Mcghie, Sr., Denton Guyer: 6-foot-5 shooting guard coming off 31 points at Missouri tournament.
Micah Peavy, Sr., Duncanville: Last year’s 6A state tournament MVP is a 4-star forward committed to Texas Tech. Averaging 16.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
KJ Pruitt, Sr., Lewisville: The 6-foot-4 point guard has offers from TCU, Baylor, LSU and Oklahoma State.
Julien Smith, Sr., Justin Northwest
Fort Worth ISD Tournament
Thursday-Saturday Dec. 26-28 (Wilkerson Greines)
Teams to watch
North Crowley (12-5): The Panthers have been one of the top Tarrant County teams under head coach Tommy Brakel’s tenure. The Panthers have a 65-10 record the past two seasons. Averaging 62.5 points this season.
Braswell (11-6): The Bengals are averaging nearly 60 points per game.
FW Dunbar (5-6): Wildcats ranked No. 7 in 4A.
Players to watch
Jacari Chambers, Sr., North Crowley
Chris George, Sr., Dunbar
Mike Hall, Jr., North Crowley
Baylor Hebb, Sr., Colleyville Heritage: Loyola Chicago commit is leading the Fort Worth area in points per game this season and has put in multiple 30 and 40-point efforts.
Tim Hartman, Sr., Dunbar
Whataburger Blue
Friday-Saturday Dec. 27-28 (Chisholm Trail HS)
Teams to watch
Decatur, Liberty Hill, Brock, Argyle Liberty Christian
Players to watch
Kaleb Bannon, Sr., Liberty Hill; Walker Baty, Sr., Liberty Hill; Zane Cook, Brock; Treston Hughes, Brock
Allen In-N-Out Holiday Invitational
Teams to watch:
Allen, Plano John Paul II, Red Oak, SA Wagner
Dallas ISD Invitational
Thursday-Saturday Dec. 26-28 (Davis Field House)
This story was originally published December 26, 2019 at 6:00 AM.
