THW: Antonian tops SAISD, Lancaster’s hot start & more (Dec. 10)

Insight into the major Texas hoops happenings throughout the state from last week, and analysis of those events going forward. This week’s version takes a look at the game of Alec Zambie, analyzes why Red Oak may have the tools to make a run, and talks Lancaster after the Tigers returned to DFW with some hardware after an impressive weekend at the Cy Hoops Invitational.

Red Oak took down 6A powers Desoto and Waxahachie to win the Arlington Classic last week, and kept up business as usual as the Hawks cruised to a 73-51 win over Plano West in the Cedar Hill championship game of the Saturday. Red Oak has found their rhythm offensively, feeding off the scoring ability of Marcus Sasser and Josh Miller’s dynamism to forge a strong team identity. Red Oak led by 10 at the half but after the break Sasser and Miller really took over to ease to a second championship in as many weeks. Both Sasser and Miller went for 20+ points, and look like a top-5 duo in the entire 5A class.

This early success looks like it is setting the tone for a strong season for Red Oak, with the Hawks now up to No.6 in the latest TABC rankings and only behind Lancaster in region 2. Looking at the long term, Red Oak and Lancaster (along with Sulphur Springs) look to be the favorites for the regional title and it will be interesting to see how that particular bracket plays out. But with Sasser and Miller on the floor, Red Oak will have to like their chances of making it to San Antonio this year.

Alec Zambie didn’t have the best day on Saturday shooting the ball, but the talented sophomore showed why people are already talking about him as a high ceiling prospect. He plays with a certain maturity that most prospects that age don’t, and has a versatile skill set that allows him to impact the game in a variety of ways. Zambie reads the game very well, and has an instinctive passing ability that allows him to keep the defense on their toes. He needs to add more consistency in scoring at the varsity level, but overall things look promising for the player. Zambie also has the advantage of playing for the Lebanon U18 team to aid his development, and we will certainly be tracking his progress over the next two seasons.

Lancaster had one of those season defining weeks over the past 7 days, first knocking off South Garland at the buzzer and then going into Houston and snagging the gold at the Cy Hoops Invitational. While the Tigers are No.2 in most rankings and don’t have the skins on the wall that Mansfield Timberview does (Guyer and Northwest), the way that Lancaster attacks teams from the jump makes them a favorite to get back to the state tournament after a two year absence.

A big part of Lancaster’s success can be traced to their guardplay, with 2020 Mike Miles earning MVP honors at the Cy Hoops Invitational after they knocked off Cy Springs 73-60 in the championship game. Miles has been on a tear so far this season, along with backcourt partners Wade Taylor and Marco Foster also having productive starts to their years. There’s a reason that the only team to defeat Lancaster this season is 6A No.1 Denton Guyer, and on current evidence it might be a while before they lose another.

Now on to the major hoop news from San Antonio, where Juan Reyna led the way for Antonian as they took top spot at the San Antonio ISD tournament. Reyna was on top form all weekend, and was named MVP after dropping 28 on St. Mary’s Hall in the championship game. His status as of the top players in the city has never been in doubt, but performances like this certainly help his reputation as a bright 2021 prospect.

Antonian also got productive games from junior Devin Grant and sophomore Chance Felix, who put up 19 and 13 respectively in the final. Add fellow sophomores Bryon Armstrong and Gavino Ramos into the mix, and the Apaches have 5 non-seniors who can flat out play.

It would bad reporting to not also mention the weekend that Avery Eugster had in getting his St. Mary’s Hall group to the championship game of the SAISD tournament. Eugster is making a name for himself as a 2020 prospect who can score in several ways, and wound up with an impressive 26 point game in the final against Antonian.

All this young talent coming through bodes well for the future of the game in SA, with Antonian already benefitting from it to the tune of a trophy over the weekend.