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10 players to watch at UIL boys basketball state tournament, including Duncanville’s Anthony Black

Keep an eye on these area standouts from Duncanville, Kimball, Madison, Mansfield Timberview, McKinney, and Oak Cliff Faith Family.

Here are 10 players to keep an eye on during the 2022 UIL boys basketball state tournament, which runs Thursday through Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio:

Class 6A

McKinney’s Ja’Kobe Walter dunks in the first half during a boys high school basketball game...
McKinney’s Ja’Kobe Walter dunks in the first half during a boys high school basketball game between Frisco and McKinney, Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021, in McKinney, Texas. (Matt Strasen/Special Contributor) (Matt Strasen / Special Contributor)

Ja’Kobe Walter, McKinney

The four-star junior is one of the state’s top scoring threats. He averaged 24.7 points per game in the regular season for McKinney, and had a season-high 49 against state-ranked Denton Guyer in February. The 6-5 shooting guard (who holds offers from Baylor, Texas, Auburn and others) has yet to crack the 20-point mark in the postseason for McKinney as team ball and a balanced offense have helped it to the state semifinals for the first time in 94 years. But, in a win-or-go-home game in San Antonio, Walter is the caliber of player who can take over when needed.

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Ron Holland, Duncanville

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Holland is inarguably the best big man left playing in the UIL state tournament. A five-star recruit, he’s 247′s 14th ranked junior in the country and the top prospect in Texas. He scored 15 points in Duncanville’s regional final win over Garland (which fielded Zuby Ejiofor, a four-star center signed to Kansas) and has playoff pedigree. He scored a game-high 20 points in Duncanville’s state semifinal win over Richardson last season, and won a gold medal in August at the FIBA U16 Americas Championship while averaging 19 points and 10.2 rebounds for Team USA.

Anthony Black, Duncanville

He’s a point guard in a big man’s body. He can read the floor and make highlight reel passes and guard a team’s best player, one through five. What’s not to like about Anthony Black? A five-star recruit with offers from Duke, Gonzaga, Oklahoma State and others, Black is one of the state’s most versatile players. He scored 19 points in Duncanville’s regional semifinal win over Cy Ranch, and played one-on-one defense against Ejiofor in Garland’s win over Garland in the regional final. A McDonald’s All American (and a three-star football recruit who reeled in offers from Baylor, Arkansas and Texas), Black sought legal aid to gain eligibility this season after the UIL prohibited him from playing following a transfer from Coppell. He was in-and-out of Duncanville’s lineup this year because of that, but did play in the team’s last two playoff games. Duncanville may still be title favorites with or without him, but his addition gives the reigning champs a dynamic playmaker few in the country have.

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Jaden Greathouse, Austin Westlake

If Black is the basketball mega-star who moonlights as a wide receiver, Jaden Greathouse might be his foil. Greathouse — a four-star wide receiver recruit who totaled 246 yards in Westlake’s 6A-II title win over Denton Guyer in December — also knows a thing or two about hoops. He scored 31 points in Westlake’s regional semifinal win over San Antonio Warren, 15 points against San Antonio Clark in the third round and 14 points against Brennan in the regional finals. The 6-2 junior holds football scholarship offers from Texas, Baylor and Miami, and has helped Westlake’s basketball team win a state-best 37 consecutive games. Westlake lost to Duncanville in last year’s 6A state title game.

Class 5A

Kimball's Arterio Morris (2) brings the ball downcourt during the Class 5A Region II boys...
Kimball's Arterio Morris (2) brings the ball downcourt during the Class 5A Region II boys basketball championship game against Frisco Memorial High at the Curtis Cullwell Center in Garland on Saturday, March 5, 2022. Kimball won in overtime 80-67. (John F. Rhodes) (John F. Rhodes / Special Contributor)
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Arterio Morris, Kimball

The reigning Dallas Morning News Player of the Year has the credentials. He’s a five-star recruit, a McDonald’s All American and he’s signed to Texas. Morris averaged 19.4 points per game and 6.6 assists in the regular season for Kimball and drained 108 3-pointers. On top of that, he’s one of the Dallas area’s most gifted dunk artists. Revenge will certainly be on his mind as well as Kimball will play Beaumont United in the state semifinals. United ended Kimball’s season last year in the 5A state championship game, 71-70, despite a 19-point effort from Morris.

Terrance Arcenaux, Beaumont United

Speaking of Beaumont United, Arcenaux is the key force behind the state’s top-ranked 5A team. A four-star recruit signed to Houston, the 6-7 forward hit the game-winning shot in overtime of last year’s state title game. He’s continued his heroics this season, hitting a game-winning shot in triple-overtime of United’s win over Goose Creek Memorial in the regional semifinals, and scoring 19 points in United’s win over Crosby. The play of four-star junior Wesley Yates (20 points per game, per MaxPreps) has made life easier on Arcenaux. But, he’s shown that when the game is on the line, he’s the man to feed the ball to.

Chendall Weaver, Mansfield Timberview

With the way that Mansfield Timberview plays, it has a number of players that could be the guy to watch on any given night. But Weaver, a senior, has been the go-to man in the postseason through five games. He has so far averaged 23.6 points in the playoffs (including a game-high 34 against Grapevine in the second round) and was a freshman when Timberview last won a state title in 2019. The 6-2 guard averaged 16.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in the regular season and has only raised his play in the playoffs.

Class 4A

Brandon Walker, Faith Family

Built more like a defensive end more than a Division I-bound basketball player, Walker combines good shooting with physical inside play for Faith Family. The UT-Arlington signee averaged 16.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in the regular season. He scored 18 points and pulled down 6 rebounds in Faith Family’s win over Carter in the regional finals. Against TAPPS 6A state champion John Paul II in December, Walker scored a team-high 17 points in the first half alone and was named Dallas Mavericks Fall Classic MVP. At 6-6, 225 pounds, Walker is a tough cover.

Jared Harris, Silsbee

Just a sophomore, Harris leads Silsbee with 18.4 points per game according to MaxPreps while shooting 42% from 3-point range. The 6-2 guard scored 21 points in Silsbee’s win over Houston Washington in the regional finals.

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Class 3A

Latrell Wright, Madison

he Dallas area’s leading 3A scorer this season, Wright scored 18.6 points per game in the regular season and has upped that average to 24.6 in Madison’s last three playoff games. He’s been the key cog for a Madison offense which has averaged 71.6 points per game this year, all while holding opponents to under 45 points per game.

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