GASO Fall Classic Duncanville: What We Learned

Plenty of storylines for the upcoming season presented themselves at the Duncanville GASO Fall Classic, with state title contenders and elite level prospects all on display at the Duncanville Fieldhouse. TexasHoops analyst Lyndon Cook gives his take on several of the major talking points from the weekend in “What We Learned.”

Denton Guyer looked hungry on Saturday at the GASO Fall Classic. De'Vion Harmon was either muscling his way to the rim or draining pull ups from 25-plus feet. Jalen Wilson was aggressive looking for his shot and had it dialed in from all over the court. Jakobe Coles continued to make his case as the most skilled interior player in the 2020 class. Ty McGhie proved he can be the floor-spacing shooter a team like Guyer needs, but also that he is a lot more than a one-dimensional 3-point specialist.

Though Harmon and Wilson only played in their opening win against Waco Midway, it was clearly apparent that this year's incarnation of Guyer is on a mission. This team has always had the talent to avenge last season's regional final loss to eventual state champs Allen and claim their first ever basketball championship - and they look ready to push their chips to the middle of the table.

South Garland had a few question marks arise over the off-season that would possibly put their quest to get back to the state tournament in jeopardy. The rumors about Tyrese Maxey reclassifying to join the 2018 class and Dearon Tucker's departure to prep school looked like they could derail all the momentum the Colonels created last season. But Maxey and Chris Harris Jr. will both return to torment defenses at the high school level, and the supporting cast stepped up their game on Saturday.

With Maxey and Harris taking on coaching responsibilities at the GASO, it was Keyon Craddock and Jayden McGrew's time to shine. Craddock especially seemed to relish the chance to take on more of the scoring load, leading the break and making impact plays on both ends of the floor. With Tucker out of the picture, South Garland will need to up their firepower to make it back to San Antonio. On Saturday, Craddock and McGrew showed that they could be a major part of the answer that SG needs to do one-better than last year.

A few teams got a makeover over the summer, with none more obvious than Duncanville’s addition of Micah Peavy and Derek Luna. Peavy’s potential has always been obvious to see, but the player we saw over the weekend was well on the way to becoming a finished product. Peavy shot the ball as well as I’ve ever seen him, looked visibly stronger, and was aggressive to make an impact on both ends. Luna also showed flashes of what made Duncanville excited to add him to the roster, knocking down a few outside shots and playing well as an off-guard. Duncanville will be a tough match for anyone in the state as they get more time to get accustomed to each other’s games.

Another team to get a new look over the off-season was Waco Midway, who added Michael Jefferson and Godsgift Ezedinma (formerly of Sulphur Springs). Midway struggled at times on Saturday, but Ezedinma’s insatiable appetite for rebounds gives them a failsafe method to score, with the big man outworking defenders to get putbacks and good scoring positions. Jefferson has yet to settle into a defined role for Midway, sharing PG work with 2020 Ant Scott, but still showed the skill level that got him on recruiting boards in the first place. This team still needs time to gel before judgement is passed, but have no doubt they will be a problem come playoff time.

Allen lost many key pieces off last year’s 6A state championship team, but the starter they return was arguably their most important piece in their run to the title. Isaiah Stevens was at his best on Saturday, stuffing the stat sheet with points, assists and steals, and leading his team to impressive wins over Mansfield Timberview and Justin Northwest. As a pure PG, Stevens measures up well with the best in the state and will give his team a chance to win about just about any opponent.

Beyond Stevens, the rest of the roster has reloaded nicely with newcomers Thailand Elder, Mason Gibson and Manny Obaseki shouldering some of the scoring load. Obaseki gives Allen a dangerous tweener forward who can put up serious numbers, while Elder and Gibson both proved their worth as scorers for the Eagles. Add in senior interior player Charlie McCullough, who took at least 5 charges through 2 games, and a repeat is not out of the question for Allen.

The GASO Fall Classic in Duncanville may as well have doubled as a coming out party for the class of 2022, with several freshmen announcing themselves at the varsity level. Foremost among these young talents was St. Mark’s Colin Smith, who already possesses the skills required to make him a nationally sought after prospect. Also with St. Mark’s, Noah Shelby will add plenty of points throughout the year for one of the most exciting teams in the DFW area.

But the 2022 class is far deeper than one program. Lewisville’s Keyonte George looked like an experienced varsity player, hitting a game winner against Rowlett and scoring with ease throughout the day. Another freshman with a big day was McKinney forward Alex Anamakwe, making several big plays and not backing down against a talented Lancaster team.