Austin Area Preview: District 26-6A

The 2020-21 high school basketball season is upon us as pre-season matchups begin this weekend 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. We kick off our Austin Area Season Preview with District 26-6A, which features a plethora of top talent from Central Texas including a handful of Division-1 prospects, PrepHoops’ top-ranked players from the Austin-Metroplex in the 2021 and 2022 class, and a growing list of underrated gems to round out the watch list.   District 26-6A Teams Akins Eagles Austin High Maroons Bowie Bulldogs Del Valle Cardinals Hays Rebels Lake Travis Cavaliers San Marcos Rattlers Westlake Chaparrals   In this article, we preview standout players from District 26-6A who fans, coaches, and college programs should keep an eye on for the 2020-21 high school basketball season.   [player_tooltip player_id="773413" first="KJ" last="Adams"] | PF | Westlake (2021) Texas Ranking: 4 The Kansas signee returns for his senior year as the leader of the state-ranked Westlake squad with aspirations to reach the state championship after a 33-2 record last season. Adams, a top 50 player in the country and top five in Texas, has a terrific frame and strength for the power forward position. He bullies opponents in the paint, can step out and hit the three-ball and is a good distributor in the Chaparrals offense. Adams is a nightmare for opposing teams trying to figure out how to stop him on the court.   [player_tooltip player_id="779878" first="Coleton" last="Benson"] | SG | Bowie (2021) Texas Ranking: 29 One of the top scorers in Austin and a lethal deep-range shooter, Benson will lead the way for the Bulldogs this upcoming season. The Army West Point signee averaged 22 points per game last season for Bowie and is an absolute dog on the court who is always hustling and making game impacting plays. He plays with a great sense of pace and is incredible at moving without the ball. He is a true game-changer on the court and is a threat to score every time the ball is in his hands.   [player_tooltip player_id="887098" first="Eain" last="Mowat"] | PG | Westlake (2021) Texas Ranking: 108 Mowat is a savvy floor general who has full control of the offense for the Chaps. Has great court vision, technically sound and impressive ball-handling ability, good decision making, and a pristine shot. Understands how to attack off the pick-and-roll, and does a great job of setting up his teammates with open shots due to his accurate and creative passing ability. Mowat doesn't get the recognition that some of the other top players in Austin do, but he deserves to be mentioned in the same category as he consistently shows out in every game.   [player_tooltip player_id="887091" first="Cade" last="Holzman"] | SF | Bowie (2021) Texas Ranking: 110 A versatile forward with some elite defense traits and rebounding ability, Holzman is a key piece of Bowie's squad this season. He can play either small or power forward, and he brings a ton of athleticism and length to their front-court. Holzman is a mid-range monster on offense and is tough to keep off the glass with his bouncy vertical. He plays with great anticipation and lateral movement on defense and is a consistent presence at creating turnovers.   [player_tooltip player_id="889571" first="Nehikhare" last="Igiehon"] | PF | Westlake (2022) Texas Ranking: 32 Igiehon is our top-ranked player in the Austin area for the 2022 class and his transfer to Westlake this season is a huge move for both him and the Chaps. Igiehon oozes with potential and is a monster in the paint. He's an explosive playmaker with the ball in his hands and is rarely stopped when attacking the rim. An elite defensive prospect also, with the ability to guard positions 2-5. Igiehon plays with great strength and will benefit this season from playing with some of the top players in Austin at Westlake.   [player_tooltip player_id="892139" first="Malik" last="Presley"] | SF | San Marcos (2023) Texas Ranking: 15 A rising sophomore who saw his recruitment skyrocket over the summer, earning offers from several Division-1 programs including Houston and Oklahoma State. Presley is an elite athlete who is still growing into his frame at the position. He brings double-double upside to the Rattlers as a consistent contributor on the boards all while scoring in a variety of ways. Presley is impressive in the fast break where he leaps over opponents for highlight-reel dunks and is one of the better finishers in the area.   [player_tooltip player_id="957936" first="Kaden" last="Gumbs"] | PG | San Marcos (2023) Texas Ranking: 38 Another rising sophomore for the Rattlers, Gumbs impressed a lot of folks this summer with his play at point guard and is one of the more even-keeled players in Central Texas. Gumbs is a three-level scorer who continues to improve each time we see him in action. He understands what to do on the court and has natural basketball instincts. A smooth ball-handler, sticky on-ball defender, and has great awareness in fast-break opportunities. He has sneaky athleticism that shows up when he attacks the rim.   Watch List PG JaVante O’Conner - Austin High (2021) PG Durand Hill - Hays (2021) PG Donovan Armstrong - Del Valle (2021) PG Cade Mankle - Westlake (2021) PG Stephen Everett - Lake Travis (2022) SG William Agnew - Hays (2021) SG Michael Robertson - Akins (2021) SG Conor McManus - Westlake (2022) SG [player_tooltip player_id="787332" first="Jaden" last="Greathouse"] - Westlake (2023) SG Jonathan Vega - San Marcos (2023) SF [player_tooltip player_id="1027619" first="LD" last="Butler"] - Bowie (2021) SF [player_tooltip player_id="1039599" first="Donovan" last="Santoro"] - Westlake (2022) PF Aaron Jacob - Lake Travis (2021) PF Jackson Deutsch - Hays (2021) PF Preston Clark - Westlake (2022) C Miguel Mantilla - Lake Travis (2021) C Jonathan Callahan - Akins (2021)