20-21 Season Preview: Top Players from Killeen-Waco Area

<p>The 2020-21 High School basketball season is upon us as preseason matchups begin this week all across Texas. It was an unorthodox summer for the majority of high school hoopers, but the quickly approaching season will bring a bit of normalcy to the high school basketball landscape. The Killeen-Waco area, and the surrounding counties, are a growing hotbed for emerging basketball talent in Central Texas, with several D1 prospects and a few underrated gems highlighting our player season preview for the upcoming hoops year.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>In this article, we preview standout players from the Killeen-Waco Area who fans, coaches, and college programs should keep an eye on for the 2020-21 high school basketball season.</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="887080" first="Elijah" last="Stephens"] | PG | China Springs (2021)</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><em>Texas Ranking: 55</em></p> <p style="text-align: left;">One of the more underrated prospects in Texas for the 2021 class, Stephens is a fantastic floor general for China Springs who has elite speed and dribble-drive ability. He shows terrific burst towards the basket and has an exceptional level of awareness on his passes. Stephens can nail shots from deep, or be a great distributor and set up the offense to give teammates open shots. Stephens’ committed to play his college ball for American University back in early September. </p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="787585" first="Jamyron" last="Keller"] | PG | Killeen Ellison (2023)</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><em>Texas Ranking: 10</em></p> <p style="text-align: left;">Keller is another D1 prospect from the area and is arguably one of the top point guards in Texas. The sophomore playmaker is uber-athletic and as strong as he is explosive. Keller is aggressive when attacking the basket and can finish above the rim with highlight dunks, or finish through contact with acrobatic layups. He’s a powerful point guard prospect who can shoot the three-point ball at a high clip while also being a plus defender on the other end of the court. Keller holds offers from Sam Houston State, SMU, and Wyoming.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958563" first="Caden" last="Powell"] | PF | Waco Midway (2022)</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><em>Texas Ranking: 67</em></p> <p style="text-align: left;">A long and lean post prospect, Powell returns as the anchor in the paint for the Panthers this upcoming season. An athletic forward who can defend the rim, Powell excels at anticipating shots and using his length to get blocks or disrupt opponents in the paint. Strong and bouncy rebounder, who does a good job providing second chance opportunities. On offense, Powell is a smooth finisher around the block, but can also step out of the paint and hit on jump shots in the mid-range.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958605" first="TJ" last="Johnson"] | SG | Belton (2022)</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><em>Texas Ranking: 84</em></p> <p style="text-align: left;">Johnson enjoyed a huge summer playing with ATX Lockdown as he showed that he is a versatile wing who can perform at a high level at several different areas on the court. He consistently put up double-double performances and was money on his shots from both the mid-range and beyond-the-arc. He plays at a good pace and doesn’t get rattled in big moments. He crashes the board hard from the wing spot and also has the size to battle in the paint against forwards/posts. Johnson earned an offer from Army West Point earlier this fall. </p> <p style="text-align: left;"> </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958618" first="Cole" last="Reid"] | PF | Waco Midway (2022)</strong></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;"><em>Texas Ranking: 121</em></p> <p style="text-align: left;">Reid transferred over to play for the Waco Midway after playing at Crawford during his sophomore year and will provide a huge 1-2 punch down low with [player_tooltip player_id="958563" first="Caden" last="Powell"]. Strong, agile, and athletic, Reid is a versatile power forward who can handle the ball and stretch the floor with his shot. He also has a solid inside game where he deploys a few different post moves, all while being a very good rebounder in the paint who does a good job of using technique and angles to gobble up boards.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Watch List</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>PG Jordan Rogers - La Vega (2021)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>PG Jayce Wright - Killeen Ellison (2021)</em></span></p> <p><em>PG Aundra Jackson - Temple (2021)</em></p> <p><em>PG Josh Goings - Salado (2022)</em></p> <p><em>PG David McKnight - Waco Midway (2022)</em></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>SG Trendon Stewart - Killeen Ellison (2021)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>SG Joseph Stewart - Temple (2021)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>SG Terrance Carter - Harker Heights (2022)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>SG Antwan Taylor - Harker Heights (2022)</em></span></p> <p><em>SG Devin Pullen - Waco Midway (2023)</em></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>SF Javon Walker - Killeen Ellison (2021)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>SF Leon Hudson - Temple (2022)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>PF Camrin Forde - Harker Heights (2021)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em>PF Darius Wilson - Harker Heights (2022)</em></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>