Houston ISD Yates High School Boys Basketball Coach Greg Wise celebrates his one thousandth victory at Burnet Field House, overwhelming Kashmere, 92-55.

Following a two-year hiatus during which he observed his son Nick Wise compete in college basketball, Wise has been an integral part of the Yates Lions community since 2008. He led the Lions to secure two championships and a national title in 2010.

Esteemed as one of the leading coaches in the Houston area and across the state, Wise is committed to his defensive approach, which focuses on stifling offenses through a pressing and trapping style which aims to force turnovers that lead to points.

This year’s team is looking to extend its playoff journey after last season’s regional finals loss to Wheatley, 90-84.

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Though the Duncanville Boys Basketball team does not appear in the Class 6A top ten rankings, don’t let that be a reason to fall asleep on the battle-tested Panthers. The No. 11 state-ranked power have endured a challenging out-of-state schedule, which included losses to nationally-ranked teams. Top-ranked Montverde Academy, FL, handed the Panthers one of its losses, 103-74. Also, a few state-wide teams have defeated Duncanville, but the Panthers hope its rugged schedule will reap benefits in the playoffs.

The Panthers won the 2022 Class 6A Championship before being stripped of the title for using an ineligible player. Following, it opted to sit out the 2023 playoffs to avoid additional UIL violations. However, the memorable season without the playoffs benefited from the rewards of a mythical national title. Led by five-star player Ron Holland, the Panthers fashioned a 29-1 record.

In other notable news, the spotlight shines on Plano East, who packs an unblemished record of (34-0). Despite a loaded field, the No. 1 ranked Class 6A team hopes to enjoy a lengthy run in the state playoffs. No. 5, greater Houston area Fort Bend Clements (31-0) is the only other undefeated Class 6A team. Like Plano East, Clements hopes to make the trip to San Antonio, where the final four of each classification will compete to bring home a title.

View the list of rankings by classification below.

Class 6A

1. Plano East (33-0)
2. Stony Point (32-1)
3. North Crowley (30-3)
4. SA Brennan (28-4)
5. FB Clements (30-0)
6. Seven Lakes (33-2)
7. Shadow Creek (29-2)
8. Atascocita (28-7)
9. Bmt United (30-3)
10. Allen (30-5)
11. Duncanville (18-9)
12. Waxahachie (21-10)
13. Keller (26-5)
14. Mans Lake Ridge (27-6)
15. Austin Westlake (26-7)
16. Lake Travis (29-5)
17. New Braunfels (30-4)
18. South Grand Prairie (29-6)
19. Hou Bellaire (26-6)
20. TW College Park (31-4)
21. Schertz Clemens (26-8)
22. Cypress Falls (26-4)
23. Buda Johnson (26-7)
24. McKinney (25-8)
25. Frenship (26-5)

Class 5A

1. Lancaster (23-5)
2. SA Veterans Memorial (35-1)
3. FB Marshall (31-2)
4. EP Chapin (30-4)
5. Amarillo (30-4)
6. L Rouse (27-7)
7. Mans Summit (26-7)
8. Frisco Lone Star (29-3)
9. The Colony (27-5)
10. K Ellison (29-5)
11. Dallas White (23-6)
12. SA Southwest (30-3)
13. Waco University (27-6)
14. Boerne Champion (29-5)
15. Palo Duro (21-6)
16. CC Veterans Memorial (24-8)
17. Longview (29-4)
18. Mt Pleasant (27-7)
19. Mans Timberview (26-8)
20. South Oak Cliff (20-10)
21. SA Wagner (21-10)
22. K Shoemaker (27-8)
23. Dallas Kimball (19-12)
24. Edinburg Vela (30-5)
25. PA Memorial (27-8)

Class 4A

1. Faith Family (18-10)
2. FW Eastern Hills (26-4)
3. Randall (29-3)
4. Dallas Carter (28-4)
5. Houston Washington (22-3)
6. Silsbee (23-9)
7. Iowa Colony (20-14)
8. Krum (30-3)
9. Estacado (22-7)
10. Bishop (26-9)
11. Stafford (28-6)
12. Boerne (29-5)
13. Kennedale (26-4)
14. Canyon (19-9)
15. Chapel Hill (27-4)
16. Hamshire Fannett (26-7)
17. Sinton (18-14)
18. West Plains (21-9)
19. Wheatley (20-6)
20. La Vernia (30-1)
21. Dallas Lincoln (16-15)
22. Burkburnett (23-8)
23. Hirschi (14-11)
24. Somerset (23-11)
25. Dallas Pinkston (17-16)

Class 3A

1. Hitchcock (28-3)
2. Shallowater (26-2)
3. SA Cole (27-9)
4. MP Chapel Hill (32-1)
5. Hooks (28-1)
6. Ponder (31-6)
7. Brock (27-8)
8. Holliday (29-2)
9. Kountze (31-5)
10. Orangefield (31-5)
11. Dallas Madison (18-11)
12. Poth (18-5)
13. Mexia (24-11)
14. Franklin (14-5)
15. Westwood (23-8)
16. Paradise (23-11)
17. Tatum (23-9)
18. Trinity Leadership (18-16)
19. Childress (24-8)
20. City View (18-10)
21. Lorena (23-9)
22. Northern Oaks (20-12)
23. Marion (21-9)
24. London (21-13)
25. Life Oak Cliff (24-10)

Class 2A

1. Martins Mill (29-4)
2. Lipan (29-4)
3. Beckville (22-7)
4. Reagan County (26-6)
5. Thorndale (28-4)
6. Hawkins (29-1)
7. Honey Grove (27-4)
8. North Hopkins (25-7)
9. Nocona (23-11)
10. Poolville (27-5)
11. Somerville (25-6)
12. Mumford (26-11)
13. Shelbyville (23-7)
14. San Augustine (19-8)
15. Sam Rayburn (23-9)
16. Plains (30-3)
17. New Home (26-7)
18. Grapeland (24-10)
19. Evadale (24-12)
20. Marlin (17-4)
21. Farwell (23-9)
22. Timpson (11-6)
23. Tolar (15-14)
24. SA Stacey (20-8)
25. Port Aransas (25-9)

Class 1A

1. Graford (28-4)
2. Jayton (31-3)
3. Benjamin (18-1)
4. Texline (26-5)
5. Perrin Whitt (31-4)
6. Brookeland (25-8)
7. Huckabay (22-11)
8. Gordon (16-5)
9. Dodd City (25-7)
10. Nazareth (16-11)
11. Slidell (25-8)
12. Fayetteville (27-4)
13. Calvert (17-9)
14. Rocksprings (23-3)
15. Wildorado (27-5)
16. San Perlita (15-9)
17. McMullen County (26-8)
18. Westbrook (15-4)
19. Irion County (21-8)
20. Electra (27-5)
21. Eula (26-4)
22. Garden City (23-9)
23. Laneville (22-14)
24. Knox City (26-3)
25. Penelope (26-3)

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HISD Booker T. Washington Golden Eagles have punched its ticket to the 2023 UIL Boys Basketball State Finals Tournament in San Antonio by defeating Silsbee 78-70 in the 4A Region III Championship before a pack house.

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Whatever it takes to get the job done. United (31-0), a school in its third year of existence, met every challenge it faced this season. 31, to be exact. 32 if you included Covid-19.

Nothing stopped this underclassman laded team from the Beaumont Independent school district.

The Timberwolves entered the championship game with a 30-game winning streak and got all it wanted from Dallas Kimball before junior Terrance Arceneaux canned an NBA three-pointer with time ticking away, shocking the Knights in the Class 5A finals, 71-70 in overtime, to help Beaumont United claim its first state basketball title in school history.

Guard Kendris Henry in-bounded the ball to sophomore forward Trealyn Porchia, who found Arceneaux beyond the key. Arceneaux took one dribble and pulled up, stroking the trey from NBA range to send the crowd of burgundy and yellow screaming as time ticked down from three seconds until the buzzer sounded.

Arceneaux grabbed the MVP honors while guiding the Timberwolves with 24 points. Porchia chipped in 17 points, and Wesley Yates III poured in 16.

Kimball watched its last opportunity fold after a half-court shot fell short of the rim as it closed out the Knights’ season at (26-9) while losing a bid for its seventh state crown.

Despite trailing by 11 points in the fourth quarter, the Knights worked its way back into the game by converting baskets. Then Arterio Morris’ trey gave Dallas Kimball the lead, 59-58, with under three minutes left in regulation. And after stretching the lead, 64-61 with 20 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the Knights had to deal with Arceneaux’s hot shooting as his three-pointer sent the game to overtime, 64-64.

Morris finished with 19 points, Jerqualen Parks scored 11, and Chauncey Gipson added 10.

The Timberwolves knew this season could be special after finishing last season 33-3 and falling 65-63 to Summer Creek in the quarterfinals.

United opened its doors in the fall of 2018 after Beaumont Central and Ozen merged, allowing the new school to surface.

The last time a Beaumont school faced Dallas Kimball, Central lost, 60-56 in the title game at the Frank Erwin Center on March 6, 2014. Top scorer E’Torrion Wilridge left the game with a strained MCL and never returned.

As next season awaits, the Timberwolves could have more to say with a young team returning.

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Aldine – Hightower passed every test the Sharks threw its way. Including Shadow Creek’s late desperation efforts to press the ball.

The Hurricanes survived a late rally, and Bryce Griggs scored 43 points to send Hightower to its first state championship appearance since 2011 by defeating district rival Shadow Creek, 71-62 in the Class 5A Region III finals at the Campbell Center on Saturday evening.

The No. 2 ranked Hurricanes will join top-ranked Lancaster, who blew-out rival Dallas Kimball, 90-69, Mansfield Timberview, and San Antonio Wagner in San Antonio at the Alamodome next Thursday night at a time to be determined.

With two minutes left in the fourth quarter, guard Kristopher O’Neal sank two free throws to put the Hurricanes ( 32-5) ahead, 66-56. But within seconds, Shadow Creek’s junior guard Will Young drilled a trey to tighten the gap, 66-59. Then Griggs responded by netted two free throws, making the score 68-59.

Sharks’ guard Zy’Tarious Morlte continued this see-saw affair as he connected on the first of two free throws, missed the second shot, as teammate Young grabbed the rebound and scored, giving Shadow Creek a three-point play as it drew within six points, 68-62 with 58.61 left. That would be as close as the Sharks would come as Griggs closed out the game, converting four free throws.

Griggs, which led Hightower with 43 points, six assists, five rebounds, and two steals, knocked down shots from the perimeter as well as inside, frustrating the Sharks. The sophomore point guard is one of the top players in the state barring any classification.

Robertson chipped in 13 points for the Hurricanes.

Griggs possess the rare ability of a well-rounded player, who shares and shoots the ball with consistency coupled with speed and quickness to defend the most elusive players. He create matchup problems for most teams. Tonight was no different.

In the third quarter, the Hurricanes led by as many as 20 points on three occasions (48-28, 50-30 and 52-32). But Shadow Creek wasn’t ready to throw in the towel, instead, filtering a change that watched Young score five consecutive points— a three-pointer and a close-range jumper. Following, sophomore guard Shawn Jones stole the inbound pass, found Walker under the goal, was fouled as he made good on a layup. He converted the bonus free throw as the stunned Hightower crowd looked on while the lead shrank to twelve 62-40.

With the momentum in hand, the Sharks searched for more.

Shadow Creek (29-4) did not lack effort. At crucial moments, the baskets seemed closed. Several times, it grabbed the offensive board but came away with no points, which made the hole deeper to dig out.

Young led Shadow Creek with 30 points and seven rebounds. Walker poured in 25 points with five boards.

Trailing 20-15 after the first quarter, Griggs led Hightower on an 11-0 run, opening the second quarter. Senior guard Kristopher O’Neal penetrated the lane for a layup. Griggs scored back to back three-pointers to help regain the lead, 23-20. Then he absorbed a foul and converted one of two free throws before tossing a no-look pass to center 6’7″ Ja Robertson for the dunk.

Shadow Creek’s junior guard Ramon Walker stopped the Hurricanes run with a jumper inside the three-point line, but Griggs answered with another deep three, pushing the lead, 29-22.

Young got free under the goal and banked home a loose rebound in efforts to help the Sharks keep pace with Hightower. It proved ineffective as the Hurricanes closed out the half on a 9-0 run. Cameron Collins swished a trey, Griggs scored on a reverse layup, Robertson drained a free throw, and Griggs beat the buzzer with a trey from the right baseline as he trotted to the locker room with Hightower leading 38-24.

The two teams split a game each in the regular season and finished 16-1 in District 24-5A. Shadow Creek won the first meeting, 74-86, and Hightower walked away with 80-64 victory on February 11th.

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Despite the lopsided score, Lake Creek showed a few reasons why it advanced to the Class 5A Region III Semifinals. Still, it had trouble matching Hightower’s intensity as the game slipped away and watched its season end, 82-63, on Friday night at the Campbell Center.

The win sends the Hurricanes to its third meeting with district rival Shadow Creek on Saturday at 2 p.m in the regional finals at the Campbell Center. The two teams shared the district title with matching 16-1 records.

“You can’t take it for granted,” Hurricanes coach Woods replied. There is no guarantee that we are going to get back to this point next year.”

Hightower’s intensity pushed the Lions over the edge. Lake Creek entered the contest riding a five-game winning streak but had no answer for the speed and quickness of the Hurricanes.

“We knew what we were up against,” Shanon Spencer, Lions coach explained. They are not No. 2 in the state for nothing. They have a great team.”

Bryce Griggs topped all scorers with 31 points. Center Ja Robertson poured in 25 for Hightower.

Collins dunk started a 7-0 run as Kristopher O’Neal converted a free throw followed by Bryce Griggs short jumper and layup to open the game.

However, Lake Creek would show why it reached thus far in the tournament by going on a 9-0 run to take a 9-7 lead. Noah Cantu free throw started the run as Ty George stroked a three. Pierce Spencer drained two free throws before snatching a rebound and sprinting coast to coast as he finished the play with a layup while drawing a foul. He converted the bonus, stunning the Hurricane crowd.

Griggs quickly helped Hightower regain the lead, 10-9, by drilling a deep trey from the right side.

Later in the quarter, Spencer’s midrange jumper would knot the game at 11 before Cantu took an excellent feed to the basket, giving the Lions a 13-11 lead. Then Hightower (32-5) ran off seven unanswered points to close out the first quarter, 20-13.

Spencer led Lake Creek with 27, and Hudson chipped in 14 points.

Both teams continued trading baskets in the second quarter. Senior guard Zack Hazlewood nailed a trey from the left baseline, pulling Lake Creek (27-12) within two, 20-18. However, the Hurricanes and its tenacious spirit would answer as Griggs knocked down a three-pointer.

Then Ja Robertson, and O’Neal took advantage of consecutive baskets as the Hurricanes built an 11 point lead, 33-22. Moments later, Lake Creek’s junior forward Hudson Boyd and Junior guard Jordan Fitch connected on consecutive three-pointers to cut the lead to five, 33-28.

Again Hightower responded after Christopher Harris drew a fouled in the act of shooting a trey. He drained all three fouls shots. That made the score 36-28.

The Hurricanes also entered tonight’s contest on a 13 -game winning streak.

Soon after, the Lion fans cheered as Boyd netted a three-pointer, grabbed a board, and scored a close range basket. Then Spencer’s steal and dished to Hazzlewood, led him to the basket for a layup. That closed the gap, 38-35 entering intermission.

Coach Woods felt like the three-point deficit shed light and could ultimately set the tone for the second half.

Fans cheered loud in the third quarter as the up tempo action kept the game flowing with the exception of Hightower’s two 6-0 runs, which made the difference.

In the fourth quarter, Griggs took over, nailing a fadeaway jumper and drilling a pair of free throws as the Hurricanes built a 16-point lead, 67-51, with 6:12 left.

After Hazzlewood’s trey, Griggs and the Hurricanes ran off eight unanswered points before officials whistled the Hurricanes bench and coach Woods with a double technical foul.

Spencer connected on three of four technical shots to pull Lake Creek within 18 points, 75-57, with 2:51 to go. But it never gave the Lions the spark it needed as the Hightower crowd began chanting, let’s go Canes.

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Aldine – The physical style of Shadow Creek came to its rescue. The bigger, potent Sharks took control of the game in the second quarter after junior guard Ramon Walker’s trey knotted the contest at 15.

Following a 9-0 run, the Sharks never looked back as it rolled to a 62-49 victory in the Class 5A Region III Semifinals on Friday night at the Campbell Center.

The Sharks (29-3) advanced to its first region finals, where it will face the winner of Hightower/Lake Creek game on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Walker nailed a three-pointer, tying the game at 15 with 6:40 remaining in the second quarter. Right after, guard Will Young sandwiched Kyron Drones’ layup with a pair of jumpers as it scored nine unanswered points, increasing the score, 21-15.

Walker led the Sharks with 30 points.

An essential factor in the game, watched the physical Sharks clean up the boards, and impose its will. Coupled with its athleticism, Shadow Creek proved to be a force.

”Rebounding was key tonight,” Shadow Creek David President said. “The guys did a great job on the boards and made free throws down the stretch.”

Mustang’s standout guard Jamal Shead went to the free-throw line and connected on one of two shots before Walker, Zy’Tarious Morlte, and Young completed a 6-0 run, pushing the Sharks lead, 27-16 at the halftime.

Shead scored 32 points, including six three-points to lead Manor.

In the third quarter, the Sharks continued to feed, even with Manor trading baskets, it managed to build a 12-point lead, 44-32 going into the fourth quarter.

The Mustangs (27-11) cut the lead to ten twice in the fourth quarter but missed free throws during that span. Shadow Creek consistently kept its offense flowing, which made it difficult for Manor to gain ground.

Mustangs’ 6’4” junior guard Carl Chester score on a bank shot, making the score 44-34. Later, Shead stroked a deep three-pointer to bring the score to 55-45 with 2:43 left. Manor left a possible six points on the board when it missed the front end of two one-and-one’s, and Shead missed two free throws down the stretch.

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Two sophomore guards were at the center of starlight. Hurricanes’ Bryce Griggs and Crosby’s PJ Haggerty, but it boiled down to whose guard would help his team move on to the next round of the playoffs.

Defense set the tone, and Hightower’s offense kicked in as it mounted a 14-point lead in the first 2:00 minutes of the game, on its way to an 86-71 victory on Tuesday evening in the Class 5A Region III quarterfinals at Delmar Field house.

” We focused on defense to start us off, and I think that rattled them,” Hurricanes coach Stephen Woods said.

The Hurricanes (31-5) will face Lake Creek in the regional semifinals on Friday at the Campbell Center.

Griggs led four Hurricanes with 25 points, center Ja Robertson scored 23 and had 11 rebounds, Kristopher O’Neal chipped in 18, and Cameron Collins added 12.

Before Crosby (26-11) could take a breath, the Hurricanes sprinted out to a 14-0 lead with 6:00 left in the first quarter. Nine of its first 14 points, steamed from turnovers. Hightower accounted for eight steals in the first quarter alone, converted four of six free throws and led, 28-11 after the first quarter.

Griggs and Haggerty are two of the top guards in the area. Dunn and Haggerty kept Crosby on-air support with a few three-pointers, but it could not overcome the Hurricanes’ quickness and guard penetration to the basket.

” Teams want to beat us, so we have to play hard with a chip on our shoulders every game,” Griggs explained.” We can’t take teams for granted.”

Dunn, Haggerty, and junior guard Jaylen Herman combined for 24 first-half points.

In the second quarter, both Dunn and Haggerty tagged up and aided the Cougars as it traded baskets with Hightower until it reached its breaking point after Robertson’s post-move down low and scored off the glass, stretching the lead to 20 points, 42-22 with 2:08 left in the second quarter.

A couple of minutes later, Hurricanes Collins drilled a buzzer-beating trey to send the game to intermission with Hightower holding a 47-27 lead.

Though the Cougars scored its most points in the third quarter, it was not enough as Hightower consistently traded baskets, keeping the game out of reach.

The Hurricanes led by as much as 23- points in the third quarter. The up and down the court continued without much defense.

Crosby battled to reduce the deficit to 16 points at the closing of the third quarter and to 11, 72-61 after Herman made one of two free throws with 4:10 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Yet, O’Neal and Christopher Harris converted baskets to increase Hightower’s lead to 15, 76-61. The basket trading symbolized the pattern of the evening.

Haggerty gave his best effort, tossing in 28, and Deniguez Dunn poured in 24 for Crosby.

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