The Road To State: Texas

<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">Saturday kicked off the Texas UIL postseason. In a stunner, the hot shooting <strong>Lovejoy</strong> Leopards edged out a talented Frisco <strong>Memorial</strong> team. Unsigned senior [player_tooltip player_id="887062" first="Carson" last="Holden"] led all scorers putting on a shot-making clinic.</p> <p>A physical 6-6 defender, <strong>Karson Templin</strong> is a major piece in one of the stingiest defenses in the area. In his second year of varsity play, he’s averaging two blocks a game and a steal. He has length and runs the floor.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="887062" first="Carson" last="Holden"]</strong> is one of the better unsigned wing prospects we have left in the DFW. Holden shoots the lights out all over the court. He excels at shooting off screens, getting his shot off quickly and effortlessly. As a catch and shoot specialist, it’s more of the same. He’s 6-6, athletic, and no play exposes that more than the poster dunk that was called a charge. Holden later offset that by drawing a charge plays later. He had a game putting the ball on the floor as well. The 2021 prospect scored on drives, absorbing contact, and making passes that didn’t seem to be in his game last season.</p> <p>Senior <strong>Mitchell Weaver</strong> is one of those guards that gives you what you need at the right time. He hit four deep threes, most coming off the dribble. His aggressive style brings a good pace to the pace of games.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1052077" first="Avery" last="Jackson"] Jr.</strong> is a consistent producer. He’s going to lurk in passing lanes, pressure ball handlers, and sacrifice his body to make plays. He has active hands and enough length to make for a gaudy wingspan for a 6-1 guard. On the offensive end, the proven point guard plays off the ball using his deadly three point shooting to space the floor. He hit the shots from behind the line while converting two tough drives.</p> <p>At a newly listed 6-8 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="779859" first="Josh" last="Thrower"]</strong> is rangy forward. His mobility shows up on both sides of the ball where he can look like a guard on the break and rotate over to block shots. His presence on the offensive boards gave change to the game’s flow.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="892163" first="Drew" last="Steffe"]</strong> is a known commodity in the basketball world. He holds multiple Division 1 scholarships in thanks to his shotmaking. Steffe can score from anywhere on the court. In this game, his biggest impact came from his three made shots from deep. A slick handle opened up space for him to finish at the rim.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="889589" first="Isaiah" last="Foster"]</strong> has truly found a balance between scoring and distributing the ball. He makes high-level passes, finding holes in defenses. As a scorer, his quickness amplifies his handle. His speed out of hesitation dribbles and crossovers puts him in the paint before Lovejoy defenders could react.</p>