Contenders, Prospects, and Sleepers: 6A Region III District 18

It is October and that means its only days away from season opening games. Let’s take a dive into the various districts, and begin previewing teams and players to watch! Today we dive into the 6A-III District 18!   Pre-Season Player of the Year: These two prospects should be the front runners for the MVP race. Tyler Simon looks to have a big year for the Bulldogs. Great length and is a bouncy prospect. His game has improved greatly over the spring/summer. He will be a handful in his district this season. Sir Issac Herron will also be in the talks for player of the year. The long and athletic forward looks to make a statement this year and dominate the district with his play. Teams to Beat: Bellaire Cardinals should be one of the teams to beat this season, could they take away the mantle from Sam Houston who has been district champion for the past 6 years. Bellaire has a solid junior point in Elijah Lawrence a crafty ball handler who can score off the dribble from the outside and mid-range. They will also have a stud freshman that will be a diaper dandy in Jacolb Cole. Surrounded by a great supporting cast of players and they play solid defense. Bellaire is no stranger to being a top team in the district. Last season they went 21-14 overall and 10-4 in district play where they made it to the second round of the playoffs. Sam Houston Tigers will be a scrappy team defensively overall with a nice in and out offensive presence. Coach Barreras will have his squad ready to go with strong play from his senior twins Jerrick and Garrick Baines who are some of the top on-ball defenders in the district. Big John Shanu will add size and should be a force down low while the sophomore point will control the flow of the offense Cameron Amboree. Sam Houston has finished first place for the past 6 years in their district. Last year they went 14-0 in district play and 29-6 overall were they third round of the playoffs. Biggest Threat: Lamar Texans will give teams a run for their money. Look for them to be a threat in the district this year led by junior small forward Sir Issac Herron a 6’9 prospect who brings a lot to the table. He has received multiple D1 offers and will be the anchor for his team as they look to improve on their season from last year where they went 18-17 overall and 10-4 in district play. They also made it to the second round of the playoffs. Sleeper: Houston Heights Bulldogs is the sleeper of the district once again. Expect them to crash the party and make some noise. There nucleus isn’t so young as they were before having prospects with 4 and 3 years of varsity experience should give them a boost. They lose one of the top Greater Houston area point guard who would’ve been a junior. Tyler Simon has had a big spring/summer season on the grassroots circuit and has garnered some nationally attention. Last season they went 13-10 overall and 8-5 in district play and made it to the playoffs and loss in the first round. Top Prospects to Watch: Jerrick Baines 5’11 G Sr. Sam Houston Garrick Baines 6’0 G Sr. Sam Houston Elijah Lawrence 5’11 PG Jr. Bellaire PHTX75 Kolby Williams 6’7 PF Jr. Heights Tyler Simon 6’3 SG Jr. Heights PHTX75 Cameron Amboree 6’0 PG So. Sam Houston transferred in from Richmond Foster High School Sir Isaac Herron 6’9 F Jr. Lamar PHTX75 Marcus Brown 6’5 SF Sr. Lamar Tre’Von Clay 511 PG Jr. Westbury transferred in from Langham Creek High School Tre’Shon Clay 5’11 PG Jr. Westbury transferred in from Langham Creek High School Jacolb Cole 6’4 WG Fr. Bellaire Jordan Johnson 6’2 SG Sr. Bellaire John Shanu 6’10 C Sr. Sam Houston PHTX150 Top Contenders <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Bellaire</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Sam Houston</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Lamar</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Heights</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Westbury</li> </ol>