The Final Four Predictor 6A

It is always tough in Texas to predict the final four because teams come from such great distances to compete against one another.

Region I - Duncanville

Region II - Klein Forest

Region III - North Shore

Region IV - Cibolo Steele

Some would say that the Duncanville Panthers came out of the toughest region in the state, having to fight through victories versus Waxahachie, DeSoto and then Denton Guyer. Duncanville has a new coach this year in David Peavy, who is no stranger to the playoffs having taken his former school, Spring Dekaney to regionals the last two years. The North Shore Mustangs came out of the Houston Region, Region III and at one time were the top-ranked team in the state, which is now held by Duncanville, according to TABC. The Mustangs have won games by one, four and five points in punching their ticket to San Antonio. Both teams come from a strong basketball tradition and North Shore won the state title in 2015. Duncanville won three titles between 1991 and 2008.

What to Watch For...

North Shore comes into the Alamo dome living on the edge with a one-point victory over George Ranch in the Region III Finals this past weekend. The Mustangs are led by three seniors, 6-foot-7 Jalen Means, 6-foot-3 Bruce Scott, and 6-foot-5 Keiman Capers. Means ability to control the paint will be critical against Duncanville as the Panthers have shown the ability to dominate the scoreboard off the dribble as they penetrate and finish at the basket.

Duncanville will go into the Final Four with two of the top players in the state in 6-foot-5 Jahmi’us Ramsey and 6-foot-7 Micah Peavy. The one-two combination can be devastating at times against opponents and North Shore will counter with their length and toughness.

North Shore’s Scott is considered one of the top three-point specialist in Houston, while athletic Ramsey gives the Panthers the advantage over most teams with his physical game. He sometimes drives aggressively trying to pick up fouls and loves to attack the basket. One of North Shore’s strong suits is taking charges. That is definitely something to keep your eye on. If Ramsey stays out of foul trouble, I give the edge to Duncanville. The Texas Tech signee is just too much to handle, and Peavy is one of the top juniors in the state. Peavy has had several big games this year and the Panthers point guard, Ja’Bryant Hill, needs to have a solid game as well for the Panthers to be able to handle the North Shore pressure.

North Shore has a very well-balanced attack with several players contributing on the offensive end. The Mustangs will have a slight advantage in depth. Taking everything into consideration, I’ll go with the Panthers by four. Coach Sam Benitez of North Shore has his troops on a mission, but Duncanville at full strength should be too much for the Mustangs.

The Cibolo Steele Knights lost a number of games early in the season but have recovered making a strong run in the playoffs. Steele has a strong basketball tradition and was last in the state semi-finals in 2016. That Steele team lost to DeSoto in overtime.

The Knights traveled to the Allen tournament earlier in the season and took Allen into double overtime before losing 93-91. Allen, of course, was the defending state champions and ranked No.1 in the state at that time. Steele captured the Region IV title with two impressive double-digit wins.

Klein Forest defeated the defending Region II champs in South Garland by the score of 64-53. Klein Forest is no stranger to the playoffs having lost to Dallas Skyline two years ago in the Region II finals and they entered the contest against Skyline as the top-ranked team in the state and undefeated. The Eagles have dominated the playoffs on their side of the bracket, winning games by 24, 22, 15, 4 and 11.

In the contest against Rockwall, in which they won by four points, the Eagles were up 19-4 and at the end of the 3rd quarter 54-35. Klein Forest is showing the state of Texas their intense style of defense. What is unique about this Eagles team is they have beaten two McDonald All Americans in South Garland’s Tyrese Maxey and Rockwall’s Samuell Williamson. Klein Forest is led by senior’s Kharee McDaniel who signed with Central Oklahoma and unsigned senior Calvin Solomon.

What to look for

Klein Forest has a tremendous amount of momentum entering this game. I like their inside game with 6-foot-6 Solomon and the outstanding guard play of 6-foot-2 Dylan Hamilton and 5-foot-11 McDaniel. If Solomon gets in foul trouble, I would lean towards Steele. Both teams have great leadership and coaches. Cary Black and Lonny Hubbard are considered by many as two of the top coaches in the state, and their track record and programs capture those thoughts.

Steele will counter the Klein Forest attack with some talent of their own in 6-foot-3 Kwabena Davis (Army), 6-foot-5 Alijah Comithier, and one of the top sophomores in the state, 6-foot-4 Langston Love.

Something to look for early is Klein’s ability to handle the press. The Eagles looked really shaky against Rockwall late in their semi-final game, when the Yellowjackets closed the contest on a 21-8 run. Cibolo Steele can bring some heat like few teams anywhere. That could be a game changer. This game comes down to two very similar teams, athletic, quick, tremendous defense teams, well-schooled and disciplined. If Soloman dominates as he did against Rockwall and South Garland, I give Klein Forest a slight edge. The Eagles by two.