6A-State Championship Recap & Standouts: Duncanville v. Westlake

Duncanville (66)-Westlake (53)

In the battle of one-loss teams to determine the 6A state champion, Duncanville (Duncanville, TX)  faced off against Westlake (Austin, TX) in a rematch from an early-season matchup. Westlake’s only defeat coming into the game was from that early-season matchup against Duncanville, losing 77-67 in November. Saturday’s title game was a battle of two well-coached, high IQ teams that featured top talent in the TX rankings. Seniors, KJ Adams KJ Adams 6'7" | PF Austin Westlake | 2021 State #69 Nation TX & Zhuric Phelps Zhuric Phelps 6'3" | PG Duncanville | 2021 State TX went toe to toe and proved why they are consensus top 10 Texas recruits for the 2021 class. Saturday’s game was closer than the score indicates as Westlake was able to drive and kick to knock down threes to help keep them within striking distance. In the end, Duncanville’s talent & winning pedigree prevailed as they were able to make winning plays down the stretch to win their second straight 6A state title (2019, 2020*, 2021). Deleted:

#0 Zhuric Phelps Zhuric Phelps 6'3" | PG Duncanville | 2021 State TX (Duncanville- 2021) Zhuric Phelps Zhuric Phelps 6'3" | PG Duncanville | 2021 State TX was the best player on the floor Saturday night. Phelps is a guard with good size that lived in the paint against Westlake. His hesitation dribble and change of pace ability made him extremely difficult for Westlake guards to keep in front. Phelps used his strong frame and length to finish thru contact and be a creative finisher at the rim. He can change direction quickly and has quick-twitch footwork that makes him hard for transition defenses to load up on while additionally being a lob threat. Phelps’s ability to get in the paint forced defenders to give him a bit more cushion than they would probably want to, which allowed him to create pull-ups off hesi-dribbles. Defensively, Phelps used his length and timing to deflect three passes while defending the ball and had an impressive block when helping his teammate at the rim. The most impressive thing about Phelps was that he was not only the best player throughout the game but when it was time to put the game away, he rose to the occasion. In the closing minutes, Phelps displayed high-level shot-making & touch with a double-clutch reverse lay-in and a couple of tough floaters, including a tough hesi left to right cross into a one-leg floater that sealed the deal for Duncanville. The SMU commit finished with a game-high, 27 points and was named the MVP.

#20 Juan Reyna Juan Reyna 6'3" | CG Duncanville | 2021 State TX III (Duncanville- 2021)  Juan Reyna Juan Reyna 6'3" | CG Duncanville | 2021 State TX III is a steady guard for Duncanville. He’s crafty with a solid handle with the ability to create jumpers for himself. The southpaw has the ability to hit lay-ins from tough angles as displayed in the 2nd quarter with a tough spin move and flip off the glass while falling. Reyna also hit a tough catch & shoot three in the corner off a BLOB pass, displaying his tough shot-making ability. The thing that stands out the most about Reyna III is his DEEP range. It’s not out of the ordinary for Reyna III to pull-up from almost half-court whether it’s off the bounce or the catch. His willingness to take those shots makes him a threat alone but he’ll hit his fair share if he gets it going. That takes defenders out of their comfort zone and creates immense spacing for his team. Overall, Reyna III is an unselfish, winning player with the IQ and skill set to play on the next level.

#25 Damon Nicholas Damon Nicholas 6'4" | SF Duncanville | 2021 State TX Jr. (Duncanville- 2021)  Damon Nicholas Damon Nicholas 6'4" | SF Duncanville | 2021 State TX Jr. is a versatile two-way wing that brings a ton to the table. Nicholas showcased the ability to drive and kick to shooters while playing off aggressive euro steps. Duncanville doesn’t have a ton of size, so at times, Nicholas was tasked with guarding the post. When doing so, he showed toughness and competitiveness- walling up at the rim and competing for rebounds. Nicholas saved his best play for late in the game. In the final minute, he was able to grab an offensive rebound for an And-1 putback to put Duncanville up four. After Duncanville got a stop on the ensuing possession, Nicholas got out in transition and got another And-1 finish- finishing thru contact and putting the game away for Duncanville. The Sam Houston State commit is clearly a winning player as he has played on multiple state championship teams.

#24 KJ Adams KJ Adams 6'7" | PF Austin Westlake | 2021 State #69 Nation TX (Westlake- 2021) KJ Adams KJ Adams 6'7" | PF Austin Westlake | 2021 State #69 Nation TX is a tough matchup for most on the high school level. Adams is one of the top players in Texas due to his all-around game and athletic, mature frame that draws fouls. He plays the point-forward role for Westlake and his grab & go ability from the 4 spot can be tough to deal with. Adams showed impressive vision to find open shooters in the corners off a live dribble while being able to draw a crowd whenever he got the ball in the post. On the block, Adams likes to face-up but he has some traditional big man ability as well as he displayed with a drop-step dunk in the 4th quarter. Adams doesn’t have the smoothest of shot releases but he can make an open three- hitting two of them in Saturday’s game, finishing with 20 points. Defensively, Adams displayed shot-blocking ability and discipline with staying vertical without fouling. The Kansas commit has intriguing long-term potential if he can continue to hone in on his versatile skillset.

#25 Eain Mowat Eain Mowat 6'0" | PG Austin Westlake | 2021 State TX (Westlake- 2021) Earl Mowat kept Westlake in the game with his catch & shoot ability. While more of a catch & shoot player, Mowat has the ability to handle and make plays if needed with his IQ & slick passing ability. In the 4th quarter, Mowat was able to create a stepback pull-up going baseline- showing he can do a bit of everything offensively, finishing as Westlake’s second-leading scorer with 15 points.