Austin Akins 61 Round Rock 55

2010 W Kevin Mcfarlane of Austin Akins took care of business v. Round Rock at the Pflugerville Classic.

Austin Akins came out running and gunning their way to a 25-14 1st quarter lead. At the half, they're up on Round Rock 38-25.

The sloppy 2nd half was spiced up by Round Rock Senior G Peyton Miller's dunk which posterized an Akins player. We'll keep him in the witness protection program :-).

Round Rock

Jay Johns 14

Peyton Miller 12

Akins

Yolonzo Moore 15

Kevin McFarlane 22

Killeen Ellison 62 Pflugerville Connally 57 (2OT)

2010 PG Cameron Gunter had 13 for Ellison in their double overtime win.

The opening game of the Pflugerville Coca Cola Tournament went to double overtime with two of Ellison's key starters fouling out. (Brown & Williams). There were numerous lead changes throughout regulation and both overtimes. Both teams had a chance to ice it late in regulation , especially Ellison but the game was marred down the stretch by erratic free throw shooting.

2010 G Terres Wilson of Pflugerville Connally led all scorers with 23 points, including 5 three pointers.

Connally

Terres Wilson 23

DarRenaldo Hall 11

Ellison

Devante Brown 15

Cameron Gunter 14

Jaleel Williams 11

Austin Round Up 300th Post!

In little more than a year of developing the online version of "Coach Max's Prep Report" this is the 300th post. Wow. Never thought I'd have the energy to keep this going, but the positive feedback from players and their families coupled with my following from college coaches has made it a worthwhile endeavor. Enjoy!

Bastrop 73 Austin McCallum 51
2011 G Jordan Roach had 16 to lead the Bears.

Lake Travis 91 Hays Lehman 31
2010 F Zach Karezewski had 29 as the Cavs kept their foot on the gas all night.

Austin Akins 87 Austin Reagan 79
2011 P Cornelius Cammock led the Raiders with 22 in the loss, while 2011 G Malcolm Canada dropped 22 for Akins.

Pflugerville Hendrickson 66 Dripping Springs 48
Daniel Alexander (Texas A&M) had 12 for Drip while 2011 W Jalen Washington had 14 for the Hawks in the win.

Georgetown 68 Austin St. Michael's 55
2011 G Jake Kocher had 18 for the Crusaders while 2012 PG Michael Hardge had 14 for Georgetown.

Westlake 69 Leander 36
The Chaps crushed Leander behind PG Cody Doolin's (San Francisco) 21. 2011 P Mark Nwakamma battling foot problems had 10 for Leander.

Marble Falls 87 Wimbewrley 61
2010 G Bron Etheridge had 20 for Marble Falls.

Kerrville Tivy 50 Smithson Valley 44

Left: 2010 G Jonathan Perry drives past a Smithson Valley defender on his way to a game high 22 points. Middle: Coach Max ponders the action Right: 2010 Tyler Kotson, Chairman of the Boards for Tivy.

This is my first trip ever to Smithson Valley, which in the past has been a basketball hinterland. This year the Rangers have a solid record and a senior lineup. Having said that they should be hard pressed to beat another senior laden squad in 4A Kerrville Tivy. Tivy's frontline is big, going 6'7" with Tyler Kotson & 6'8" with Taylor Finlay. Make no mistake about it though, the straw that stirs the drink is 6'4" combo guard Jonathan Perry who is certain (in my opinion) to be a Division One signee in the April 2010 late period. Perry can handle it, shoot it and this year brings a new explosiveness to his game thanks to his hard work in the off season with my partner, T.J. Garza of Speed Killz. At the half Kerrville Tivy has a 26-23 lead. It's my first time seeing Smithson Valley. Two of their seniors stand out as solid high school players. G Ty Etheridge shows nice quickness and a good shooting form although his shot has not gone down. P 6'5" Parker Taylor plays bigger than his size and brings toughness down low for the Rangers.

For Tivy, 2010 P Tyler Kotson shows a solid skill set to go with a physicality to his play that makes him a D-2/D-3 prospect. He finished the game with 12 points and 7 rebounds. 6'8" Finlay is rail thin and could also be a prospect if he hits the weight room. The other thing Tivy has going for it is superior, fundamental coaching from Brian Young whose teams are structured and most always get a high percentage look in the low post.

Couple the above with Perry, a two time All Region player and you can see why Tivy is 8-1 coming into this game. He's clearly the best player on the court. Perry had 16 in the first half, but SV has done a nice job on denying him on the perimete for most of the game and with less than a minute left he doesn't have a three pointer. Speaking of which, Perry missed a one and one which could have cost the game with 30 seconds left but he quickly made amends with a steal and then hitting the two subsequent freebies to give Tivy a 48-44 lead with 22 seconds remaining. A key board and two more free throws by Perry and it's over. Kerrville Tivy 50 Snithson Valley 44.

It was my first time meeting the SV Coaching staff. They seem like a great group of young guys. Best of luck to them as they develop their program in the shadows of SV's juggernaut football program.

San Antonio Clark Wins South Padre Island Beach Bonanza

It wasn't exactly the place I thought I would run into the champions of the 5th Annual South Padre Island Tournament, but it was a great way to meet the Kings of the Court off the hardwood. The valley is known for it's produce stands that line 77 Interstate on your way up North. This is where I got the chance to meet Cougars coach Steve Sylestin and congratulate his team on a great win. It was their last stop on their way home from a weekend full of basketball. The SPI tournament carried 32 teams. Some of those teams included Brownsville Hanna, Brownsville Rivera, Brownsville Lopez and Harlingen South from the RGV, as well as teams from out of town, Plano East, San Antonio Stevens, Converse Judson, Austin Lake Travis, Tomball Christian Life, CC John Paul II, Houston St. Thomas, and Houston HCYA.

In the final, it was San Antonio Clark and Houston Second Baptist that were still fighting for that Island Crown. Final score was 60-56 with Clark getting the win. Clark point guard, Jason Brickman (Long Island Univ.), was named Tournament MVP and finished with 11 pts and 7 assists. Another leading scorer for Clark was Elhad Emerllahu, a four-year starter. He finished the game with a high 22 points. For Houston, it was Mikhail McLean that led his team with 16 points. San Antonio controlled the game the entire time, while Second Baptist came within one possession several times throughout the contest. With about 15 seconds left in the game, Houston landed a 3-pointer that brought them within three (59-56). The cougars answered back with Brickman making one of two free throws to ensure a victory. What a nail-biter!

Congratulations to Coach Sylestin and the San Antonio Clark Cougars for a great tournament!

(photo by Adrian Hernandez from myuniversalsports.com)

Austin St. Michael's Wins Marble Falls Tourny

Going 4-0, Austin St. Michael's won the Marble Falls Tournament in an extraordinarily exciting fashion. With time running out, 2011 G Jake Kocher launched a desperation shot at the buzzer from just inside midcourt as St. Michael's edged Austin Travis 77-75. Kocher led the Crusaders with 22, garnering him the tournament MVP. This came just one day after he set the school record for points with 39 over Copperas Cove. Check the video link below. Wow!

YouTube - Jake Kocher buzzer beater

San Antonio Lee Wins South San Tournament

2010 G Paul Garnica shown here with the Texas D-1 Ambassadors was visited by former Spur Antonio Daniels to see what all the hype was about. He confirmed that Paul is the real deal and deserving of the attention and respect he's receiving.

San Antonio Lee keeps winning against all odds. They captured the South San Tournament with a one point victory over San Antonio Antonian 78-77. 2011 W Jonathan Holmes led Antonian with 22but the story as has been the case more times than I can count was 2010 PG Paul Garnica (Northern Colorado). The sharpshooter mixed long distance shots with getting to the rim at will to score 41 points in the championship. The Lee Volunteers are now 13-1 on the season. The "Garnica Meter" keeps ticking like a New York City taxi during rush hour.

For those of you who are not aware, Garnica is chasing Devin Brown's career scoring record for the City of San Antonio and barring injury he's going to get it. He is now down to 378 points from taking the crown.

*****************************GARNICA METER 378********************************

Laredo United Champions! Lone Star Invitational Wrap Up

Daniel Rosas lit up Austin Westlake in the Championship of the Lone Star Invitational

The Texas D-1 Ambassadors were well represented in the Finals of the Lone Star Invitational Tournament in San Antonio I spent Thursday to today in Marble Falls and Killeen covering their events. I know I missed some great action here in the Alamo City as well at the Lone Star Invitational.

A landmark championship was won by Laredo United at the Lone Star Invitational. Laredo who checks in at #4 on my Top 20 from Central/South Texas were up to the challenge. It took a thrilling come from behind victory led by clutch three point shooting from 2010 G Daniel Rosas & 2010 G Mike Elizondo who made up a 5 point deficit with little more than a minute remaining to claim the crown over a very strong Austin Westlake team. The final score was 67-66. This was not a fluke either folks as Laredo United can shoot the ball with anybody from beyond the arc and have adequate size down low that allows them to not get overwhelmed by a power team.

2010 G Daniel Rosas led United with 22, followed by Mike Elizondo with 13. 2010 W Conner Kemper had 17 and PG Cody Doolin (San Francisco) had 15 for Westlake.

4 of the 5 starters for the Westlake Chaps were members of the Texas D-1 Ambassadors organization and almost ALL of the Laredo United roster made up the Laredo D-1 Ambassadors the past two summers. Coincidence? You be the judge.

This was a huge win for the kids from far South Texas, who rarely get respect in the basketball world. You could see it coming though as they had beaten McAllen and lost last second games to Converse Judson on the road as well as blowing a 22 point lead at home against powerhouse Converse Wagner. Couple that with Lone Star wins over Riverdale Baptist (MD), Wagner and Westlake in the final and you can see Laredo has made huge strides.

Westlake had to come through Dallas Lancaster, Fort Worth North Crowley, Duncanville to get to the championship game. Don't be surprised if this game was a Regional matchup in San Antonio come late February.

KISD Championship Houston Westbury Christian 53 Killeen 49

The pace of this game is brisk and compared to this afternoon's affair between Ellison & Westbury the "stars" seem on track and nobody's hindered by fouls from doing their thing. Should be a good one.

Both teams are firing up a lot of threes both in transition and out of their sets. Few are falling. 2011 P Ta'Shaun Thomas has blocked several shots and altered others. At the half Killeen is led by 2010 G Ja'Corie Baker and 2011 G Anthony Taylor both with 6 points. Ta'Shaun Thomas has corralled 10 boards in the first half. For Westbury Anthony Collins and Senior Justin Foreman have 6 a piece.

Win or lose, I'd be remiss not to mention the solid play of Senior Anthony Brancato who quietly goes about his business every game for WCS. He rebounds well and can shoot it a ton from behind the arc. Nick Shepherd (Long Beach State) had his first bucket of the evening, an And 1 well into the 3rd quarter. Ja'Corie Baker is beginning to assert himself with strong drives to the hole. At the end of 3 quarters Westbury holds a slim 38-36 lead over the hometown Roos.

Sheppard came alive in the first couple of minutes of the 4th quarter, coupled with Justin Foreman's 5th three pointer of the game and with 6 minutes left, the Roos are on the ropes trailing 46-36. In what could be huge, Anthony Collins goes to the bench with 4 fouls and 4:00 on the clock. WCS leads 46-40. Shepherd just threw...and I mean THREW someone's stuff into the stands. Killen's Coach Fosset has picked up a tech and Sheppard has blocked another shot. WCS has done a great job of running clock and wth 50 seconds left they are up 50-40.

Ja'Corie Baker led Killeen with 18 points in the loss. Justin Foreman was clutch with his 3 point shooting and he gets my Game MVP.

KISD GOLD BRACKET ALL TOURNAMENT

Championship Game MVP 2010 W 6'4" Justin Foreman Westbury

Tournament MVP 2011 G 6'1" Anthony Collins Westbury

2010 G 6'2" Jeremy Laday Huntsville

2010 W 6'5" Jaleel Williams Ellison

2010 P 6'8" Nick Sheppard Westbury Christian

2011 P 6'7" Ta'Shaun Thomas Killeen

2010 G 5'10" Ja'Corie Baker Killeen

KISD Semi Final Houston Westbury Christian 45 Killeen Ellison 38

2011 WG Jaleel Williams will need his "A" game today in order for Ellison to grab a win over Houston Westbury Christian. Long Beach State commit Nick Sheppard has his game face on.

2011 PG Anthony Collins leads Westbury's attack.

Ellison will have their hands full in this one as they'll likely have no answer for 2011 PG Anthony Collins who is being recruited by the Big Boys, including Kansas & Georgetown. The key may end up being whether Junior Wing Jaleel Williams can really step it up and lead the Eagles. To do so, he'll have to keep 2010 P 6'8" Nick Sheppard (Long Beach State) in check. There's no doubt that he has the ability to do so, as he's a high major prospect.

After being held scoreless for the 1st six minutes, Ellison finished the quarter with a flurry capped off by 2011 G Devante Brown's long three pointer. Both Sheppard and Williams have two early fouls and neither have been a factor...YET. To this point 2011 G Devante Brown is leading the Eagles with 9. Prior to the game Coach Alberto Jones told me he was the squad's emotional leader. This is by far the worst half I've ever seen Anthony Collins have. Hard to believe it will continue for another 16 minutes.

Just ran into Freddie Nichols (Tre Nichols' Pops) here at KHS. Tre originally played as a frosh at Texas State but decided that it wasn't a fit. He's finishing up at McClellan JC and is currently being recruited by Iowa State, Boise State and a lot of West Coast schools. Tre was a 4 year starter here at Killeen, and a Texas D-1 Ambassador. We wish him and his family all the best.

Halfway through the 3rd, Williams scores his first point (on a free throw) for the Eagles and then almost immediately picks up his 3rd foul and is banished to the bench. Even though the game is dead even I just don't see Eliison winning wthout a big 4th quarter from him.

Okay, it's money time. 8 minutes to play. Sheppard has 4 fouls. Quite honestly this was an ugly game. There were as many free throws as made baskets, and there was no flow of any kind. Fouls hampered the best players so folks did not get their money's worth. Ellison lost their composure in the last minute and Westbury hung on to close it out. Collins led all scorers with 13 points. Brown led Ellison with 12. Sheppard was held scoreless, while Williams 4 points came from the free throw line.

Killeen Ellison 11-9-6-12-38

Westbury Christian 9-8-8-20-45