UIL boys basketball state tourney was canceled. Will they crown every team champion?
The University of Interscholastic League (UIL) said in a text message on Tuesday that it plans to recognize the remaining teams in the Texas high school boys basketball state tournament from March.
This includes a virtual presentation, trophy and medals.
“While the UIL will not be crowning UIL boys basketball state champions this year, each remaining team will be recognized with a virtual awards presentation and will be receiving a UIL trophy with a ‘UIL State Championships’ inscription, medals and some additional items to help commemorate their accomplishment,” the UIL said.
The UIL said that a date for virtual presentations has not been determined and that more information will be sent out once those have been scheduled.
After four games — both the Class 1A and 3A state semifinals — on March 12, the UIL announced it was suspending the rest of the event due to the ongoing spread of the coronavirus. The first four games saw LaRue LaPoyner over Nazareth, Slidell over Jayton, Dallas Madison over Coldspring-Oakhurst and San Antonio Cole over Peaster.
UIL officials had discussed contingency plans to finish the tournament as well as the rest of the spring activities and state championships, which included soccer, softball and baseball.
However, after much consideration, the UIL announced the cancellation of the boys basketball state tournament and the remainder of all spring activities and athletics on April 17, hours after Gov. Greg Abbott closed schools for the remainder of the 2019-20 year.
Nine teams from Dallas-Fort Worth had made the tournament, including all six defending state champions from 2019: Slidell, Shelbyville, Madison, Oak Cliff Faith Family, Mansfield Timberview and Duncanville.
A total of 20 teams will be recognized by the UIL, which doesn’t include Peaster, Oakhurst, Jayton and Nazareth, which all lost in the semifinals. Those teams were recognized on the court postgame with the state semifinalist trophy and medals.
Other teams to be recognized: Wylie, Dickinson, San Antonio Brandeis, Fort Bend Hightower, Lancaster, San Antonio Wagner, Argyle, Stafford, Houston Yates, Ben Wheeler Martin’s Mill, San Saba and Gruver.
This story was originally published April 28, 2020 at 6:25 PM.
