2022-23 boys basketball preview: Austin-area teams, players to watch
The 2022-23 boys basketball season tips off this weekend, and the American-Statesman presents its top 10 teams as well as a preseason all-Centex team.
Preseason Top 10 teams
1. San Marcos, 2021-22 record: 27-9
Ranked No. 17 in the preseason poll conducted by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, the District 27-6A Rattlers welcome back star forward Malik Presley and court general Kaden Gumbs as well as two other starters and six seniors.
2. Stony Point, 23-9
The defending District 25-6A champion Tigers, now led by former lead assistant Antoine Thompson, feature arguably the best big man in the area in Josiah Moseley as well as all-district combo guard Tiki Morin and an all-district move-in from New Braunfels Canyon in sophomore point guard Uzziah Buntyn.
3. St. Michael’s, 26-10
Already loaded in the frontcourt with returning all-state players Ma’Shy Hill and Josh Jones, the No. 3 TAPPS powerhouse received an offseason boost with the arrival of all-Centex point guard Hayes Pounds from Wimberley.
4. Rouse, 24-11
Perhaps the favorite in a loaded District 25-5A, the No. 24 Raiders welcome back an experienced roster and their four leading scorers from a year ago, including high-scoring wing Nazar Mahmoud and active guard Jojo Moore.
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5. Westlake, 38-2
The Austin area’s premier program has a 219-25 record with seven district titles and three appearances at the Class 6A state tournament over the past seven seasons, but head coach Robert Lucero and his staff will have to work their magic with a whole new crop of starters for the No. 7 Chaps led by veterans such as Loch Cunningham and Blake Miri.
6. Burnet, 24-12
A guard-heavy rotation for a defending district championship team in Class 4A may lack size but features plenty of experience and even more shooting from players such as Baylor Dawes, Andre Miller and Hudson Bennett.
7. Liberty Hill, 30-7
Longtime assistant Blake Boren has replaced his father, Barry, as head coach and the No. 20 Panthers only return one starter in wing Gunter Daniels, but a wealth of depth and an impressive group of young bigs should keep them in contention in District 25-5A.
8. Thorndale, 23-11
A perennial playoff threat in Class 2A, the No. 23 Bulldogs boast a potent inside-out combination with guard Blake Roberts and 6-foot-4 forward Clason Beasley and feature plenty of backcourt talent including sharpshooter Kaden Kovar.
9. Johnson, 30-7
With all five starters back from a team that went three rounds deep in Class 5A last season, an offensive-minded squad led by guards Quinton Hairston and Jaxson Vandegarde looks like a playoff threat in its new District 26-6A.
10. LBJ, 26-8
Graduation gutted their roster, but the Jags have won 25 consecutive titles under longtime coach Freddie Roland and look like the favorites in District 24-5A behind versatile CJ Carter and guard Malkeyce Harris. An eventual influx of talent from the football team will be led by Noah Baker.
Austin-area preseason boys basketball team
First team
G Kaden Gumbs, senior, San Marcos: The 6-foot-2 point guard, a Texas State signee, not only averaged 17.1 points and 5.3 assists for the Rattlers last season but also earned his district’s defensive player of the year award.
F Ma’Shy Hill, senior, St. Michael’s: The 6-8, 215-pound forward who runs the floor with a point-guard mentality averaged nearly a double-double for the Crusaders last season and recently signed with Abilene Christian.
G Nazar Mahmoud, senior, Rouse: A 3-year starter and a 3-star recruit with offers from schools such as Rice and Sam Houston, the 6-5 shooting guard has averaged 17 points and five rebounds in his career.
F Josiah Moseley, junior, Stony Point: A first-team all-Centex selection as a sophomore, the 6-6 forward with a dozen collegiate offers is a force on both ends of the court who averaged 17 points, nine rebounds and 2.1 blocks a game last season.
F Malik Presley, senior, San Marcos: An uncommitted blue-chip wing with offers from schools such as Texas, Houston, LSU and Texas A&M, the 6-6 Presley is a complete offensive player that showed his ability to attack the rim and hit the 3-pointer while averaging 22 points and eight rebounds last season.
Second team
G Jayden Barrs, senior, Manor: A two-way standout who earned his district’s defensive player of the year honor last season, the recent Lamar signee will serve as the centerpiece for a young but talented Mustangs team in its first season under coach John A. Smith.
G/F Gunter Daniels, senior, Liberty Hill: A complete player with size and athleticism, the 6-6 University of Colorado-Colorado Springs signee averaged 13.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, three assists and two steals a game last season and also converted 36% of his 3-point shots.
G/F Hudson Greer, sophomore, Lake Travis: One of the state’s top recruits for the class of 2025, the 6-6 wing averaged 11.5 points and 4.5 rebounds as a freshman while showing off the shooting range that has already drawn an offer from Texas, among others.
F Cam Jackson, junior, Weiss: The 6-9 “Board Man Cam” enters his third year as a starter as a premier old-school post who averaged 10.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks a game last season while shooting 67% from the floor.
G Hayes Pounds, junior, St. Michael’s: Last season’s all-Centex newcomer of the year at Wimberley, the 6-foot point guard averaged 18.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.7 steals a game.
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Third team
G Baylor Dawes, senior, Burnet: The 5-10 team leader brings plenty of savvy, skill and a deadly outside jumper after scoring 16 points a game last season for the Class 4A powerhouse.
G Jojo Moore, junior, Rouse: A 6-4 guard who uses his size in the paint to punish smaller defenders, Moore averaged 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists a year ago.
F Gabe Parr, senior, Westwood: A defensive anchor for one of the best defensive teams in the area, the 6-8 Parr averaged 10 points and six rebounds for a squad that went 30-6 a year ago looks poised for an even bigger role in his third season as a starter.
G Jaxson Vandegarde, junior, Johnson: One of the top marksmen in the Austin area, the 6-1 shooter averaged 18 points a game last season and thrives in a Jaguars’ offense that emphasizes spacing and the 3-point line.
G Damareon Williams, senior, Del Valle: The 5-8, 145-pound point guard may be the best inch-for-inch playmaker in the Austin area after leading District 26-6A’s Del Valle in scoring and assists a year ago while earning first-team, all-district honors.
— Thomas Jones
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: 2022-23 boys basketball preview: Austin-area teams, players to watch
