Texas Hoops Notebook: 5 Takeaways from South San Tournament

It was another huge weekend for hoops in San Antonio, with 32 teams in the field for the South San ISD Tournament. With state contenders in multiple classifications vying for a championship, TexasHoops analyst Lyndon Cook recaps the weekend.

Last year's 6A runner-up San Antonio Wagner might be expected to drop out of state contention following the graduation of Baylor's Tristan Clark. But with breakouts like Daraun Clark, Jalen Jackson, and Kevin McCullar, this year's version of the team looks to be in good hands. Jackson is one of the toughest defenders and ball-handlers in the state, and had his floater going all weekend in a tournament MVP performance. McCullar didn't look to be at 100% during the quarterfinal against SA Johnson, but powered through to prove again that he's one of the city's most effective scorers. And with Journee Phillips and Daraun Clark adding their own production, the T-Birds look like a balanced group this year. A 32-point win over defending 4A champ Silsbee in the championship game proved that the Wagner program is something to watch out for going forward. The 27-6A district matchups with Cibolo Steele have the potential to be some of the best games in the city, with D1 talent on both rosters.

Excluding their championship game loss to 6A contender Wagner, the Silsbee Tigers generally looked the part of defending state champions over the weekend. Always dangerous in transition, Silsbee ran past opponents all the way to the championship game. Don't let his size fool you, 5-foot-6 guard Braelon Bush is already one of the most skilled scorers in 4A and has volleyball-line range on his jumper. Devon McCain is a strong wing-type player who uses his muscle and crafty footwork to finish around the rim on the drive, and Jordyn Adams can score it inside and out with a nice high release on his shot. 4A is a very competititive class, but if these three are not stopped then the Tigers will be lifting another trophy in San Antonio come March.

When San Antonio basketball powers are discussed, South San might not get a mention, but the Bobcats proved they can hang this weekend by taking home 3rd and beating some impressive foes. Knocking off teams like Midland, Keller Central, and SA MacArthur while hanging tough with Silsbee signals that the Bobcats are not to be taken lightly. Relying on proven scorers like Andrew Rios and Josue Izarraras and playing tight defense are the calling cards of this well-coached unit. Don't be surprised to see the Bobcats come out of their Laredo-heavy district and make some noise in the playoffs.

The San Antonio district 26-6A will be tight at the top again, but MacArthur looks to have the scoring pedigree necessary to be considered favorites for the title. A comfortable win over Dallas Kimball in the quarterfinals highlighted their weekend, with Saturday's performances not matching the standards set by most of their early season play. With a trio of seniors in Nate Levine, Charles Henderson, and Marshawn Sparks leading the team along with 2019 Carson Murphy, the Brahmas expectations are high for an experience-laden squad.

San Antonio Johnson gave Wagner a fight for most of the first half in Friday's quarterfinal matchup before the T-Birds opened up a big lead after the break. Two players who caught the eye for the Jaguars were 6-foot-9 inside man Brody Hollingsworth and sophomore guard Mike Chandler. Hollingsworth is adept at sealing and asking for the lob, then finishing over the help when it arrives. Chandler's vision and basketball IQ are what stood out for him over the weekend. Both prospects will be revisited in the spring GASO in San Antonio.