CTX Tip Off: What We Learned

And just like that, high school basketball is back in the state of Texas. And after just one weekend of play there are already several storylines to chase, starting with a trio of takeaways from the CTX Tip Off where analyst Lyndon Cook was stationed this weekend.

Lake Travis was one of the few teams at the CTX Tip Off that looked free of any first game jitters, comprehensively beating Vista Ridge on Friday night. Although the Cavs lost two D1 caliber players from last year’s squad, Mercer’s Luke Hamilton and Ohio State football pledge Garrett Wilson (early graduation), they were able to effectively run their offense through DJ Thorpe and reap the rewards of his production inside.

Thorpe was playing aggressive, using strong dribbles to get to the middle and score as well as splashing a few shots from around the outside. When he plays like this, it makes life significantly easier on scoring guards like Ryan Bormann and Bennett Mohn. Bormann especially benefitted from Thorpe’s interior dominance, dicing through defenders and hitting his pull up consistently.

While Lake Travis lost two big pieces off of last year’s regional finalist team, they added a significant one in Texas baseball commit Brett Baty. Baty gives them a hard nosed, drive-first wing who makes an impact on the defensive end. There is the sense that momentum is building out in Lake Travis, and whether or not that continues has a lot to do with the play of Thorpe. If he can play like he did on Friday night for the whole season... Look out.

Austin Westlake handily beat Round Rock McNeil Saturday afternoon, but had to overcome a shaky start to the contest as shots weren’t falling and McNeil was able to hang around without any of their football players or senior forward James Curtis. With the likes of Will Baker, Darius McBride, and KJ Adams on the floor, the talent is undeniable and yet it was a more workmanlike performance that got them out into the lead.

The question of who assumed primary ball handling duties for the Chaps is one that many have asked over the off-season, and the answer seems to be a committee appointment. Jackson Arnette and sophomore Eain Mowat both showed some promise, but Westlake was actually best in transition when it was the 7-foot Baker leading the break.

But even with all the worry about their guardplay, Westlake is more than talented enough to get back to state. Playing though Baker in the halfcourt to let the Texas commit get his, while also freeing up space for Adams and McBride to exploit is a promising strategy in itself. A lot of eyes are already looking forward to the heavyweight clash between Baker and DJ Thorpe to most likely decide the district championship.

Killeen Shoemaker started off the year ranked 22nd in the TexasHoops poll, but looked underrated as they ran past Wagner in a 15-point game. Granted, there were probably 50 fouls called the whole game and it was played at a disjointed pace as a result, but J’wan Roberts was simply too big and too good on the inside for Wagner to keep up.

Roberts is one of the most underrated players in the state, and does nothing but produce impressive stat lines every time I observe him. What impresses me the most about Roberts is how none of his stats seem inflated. He doesn’t force anything and lets the game come to him, then takes advantage with a skilled offensive repertoire. The Houston commit easily had a double-double on Saturday night, and came up with a bunch of blocks too.

But it wasn’t just Roberts producing for the Wolves on Saturday. Jalen Childs showed off his smooth scoring ability by starting the game hot, and Taveon Sevaaetasi using his quickness and strong finishing at the rack to keep Shoemaker in the lead. The district matchups with Waco Midway should surely determine who comes out on top of 12-6A, but don’t be surprised to see Shoemaker making moves come playoff time.