The Cooldown: Week 22
Basketball season is moving through the middle part of district play and we’re just a few weeks from the playoffs starting! We will (hopefully) get to crown champions at the Final Four in San Antonio two months from now. There is plenty of basketball to be played between now and then. Let’s catch up with some of the top teams in the area. Here are three teams to watch over the next two months.
Richardson Eagles
Richardson has the best backcourt duo in the state with Rylan Griffen and Cason Wallace leading the charge. Griffen averaged 22 points over three games last week as Richardson went 3-0 for the week and remained undefeated in district play. Wallace scored 18 in a win against Richardson Pearce last week, which is close to his scoring average, and is one of the best defensive guards in the state. If Richardson makes a deep playoff run, these two will fuel it.
Coppell Cowboys
Coppell has an exciting trio of scoring threats. Anthony Black is a dynamic guard with the height to see over defenses. He’s also a talented football player and has scholarship offers in both sports. Ryan Agarwal averages nearly 19 points per game according to the Dallas Morning News and Nazir Brown scores in double figures regularly as well. Coppell beat Marcus, the 2nd place team in the district, last Friday 58-54. Black finished with 21, Brown added 16 and Agarwal chipped in 15. There aren’t many teams more exciting on offense than this one. Coppell is a must-see team this season and a deep playoff run could be in the cards.
Waxahachie Indians
Waxahachie’s star duo of C.J. Noland and Jalen Lake has powered the Indians to an undefeated record in district play so far. Noland dropped 16 points and Lake added 13 in a 103-43 win over Waco Midway last week. Sophomore guard Prince Banks has been a welcome addition to the Indians squad this season as he has helped Noland and Lake with the scoring load. Waxahachie upset Duncanville a few weeks ago and will have to face the Panthers one more time in district play. That loss was Duncanville’s only district loss to this point, and if things hold, the next meeting between the two teams will be for the district championship.
Player of the Week
Denton Braswell guard R.J. Jones is my player of the week! The sophomore guard scored 24 points in a win over Little Elm and 25 points in a one-point win over Denton Guyer. Braswell hosts a tough McKinney squad on Tuesday night before playing Prosper on the road later this week.
Team of the Week
My team of the week is the Coppell Cowboys! Coppell remained undefeated in district play with a 58-54 win over Flower Mound Marcus on Friday night. Coppell also beat Plano West 70-40 last week to go 2-0 on the week. The Cowboys host Hebron and a tough Lewisville squad at home this week as they look to remain undefeated in district play.