2021-22 Texas UIL State Championship MVP's

Check out my in-depth scouting reports on the players voted MVP in their respective championship games from the 2021-22 State Championships in San Antonio! These players were selected to this honor by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches in attendance at the State Championships.   [player_tooltip player_id="889576" first="Anthony" last="Black"] 6’8 2022 Duncanville High School (6A MVP) Antony is one of the most skilled prospects in all of Texas. The 6’8 wing is fluid, can score at all three levels and is a special scorer with his back to the basket. His ability to create space out of the post and triple threat allows him to fade away from players. He has a great looking jumper with a fluid motion that he can consistently get off the dribble, at all three levels. What I have been most impressed with was his aggressiveness and willingness to live in the paint. He can destroy smaller matchups on the block and mid post, and quickly attack bigger and slower defenders off the dribble. On the break he is a monster, and uses his speed and athleticism to out run defenders on the break, with the ability to bang on anyone. He also scores at ease with a live dribble and can attack any defense with a pick and roll. He knows how to manipulate defenses with jab steps and hesitations and is especially good at freezing defenders out of the triple threat. When the defense switches on him in the pick and roll, he easily takes any big man off the bounce and can score in the midrange or blow by him for a look at the rim. When the defense goes under the screen he simply rises up for an easy jumper. The silky smooth wing was recently selected to the McDonalds All American game and boasts offers from a bunch of top programs such as Gonzaga, Duke, Kansas, and Auburn. [player_tooltip player_id="889568" first="Terrance" last="Arceneaux"] 6’7 2022 Beaumont United High School (5A MVP) Terrance is a lanky and athletic wing with all of the tools to dominate the next level, and looks to be a perfect fit for Coach Kelvin Sampson and his staff at the University of Houston. Arceneaux truly affects the game on both ends of the floor and his presence alone makes his opponents uncomfortable. Every time smaller guards drive in to attack the rim, they seem to be looking over their shoulder waiting for Terrance to smack their shot into the bleachers. He is a willing rim protector, who loves to jump on the fast break after he causes a turnover. Even when he does not affect the game with his scoring and ability to get downhill, he does all of the little things to help his team win. Whether he is getting on the floor after loose balls, poking the ball free from ball handlers or getting into the paint and creating looks for his shooters. His ability and willingness to put the team on his back is incredibly impressive and it is not hard to figure out why he is widely considered one of the best wings in Texas. It will be fun to see him join the University of Houston and their best recruiting class they have had! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v48GdKjTiU TJ Caldwell 6’4 2022 Oak Cliff Faith Family Academy (4A MVP) TJ has the perfect blend of athleticism for a combo guard that thrives at getting to the rim and stopping on a dime to shoot over the top of his defenders. He has great body control when he is attacking the rim, he can euro-step his way out of trouble or change his shot angle as he is hanging in the air. I was blown away by the amount of space he creates with his dribble moves, but also the space he is able to leap as he is getting downhill. Caldwell is not just a slashing bucket getter however, he has great court vision and an ability to deliver timely passes. Whether he was picking apart the defense with a cross court pass, or putting a kick-out pass or a dump off to his big after drawing the attention of a second defender created a plethora of easy looks for his team. He plays both ends of the floor and is a very high level rebounder for his size and position. He is great at using his ability to leap to sky for rebounds and clear the glass. His ability to defend the perimeter is very elite, and even came up with a steal off the inbounds and nailed a three pointer to end the half in the semi-finals. Rodney Geter 6’6 2022 Dallas Madison High School (3A MVP) Rodney is an athletic wing who dominates his opponents in the paint, especially on the glass. His relentlessness on the glass gave his team a plethora of extra opportunities and easy second chance points through his aggressiveness. He fights hard in the paint and in the post, and always boxes out the nearest man to him. He was consistently fighting for positioning in the low post, and working to move his opponent out of his way to clear driving lanes for his teammates. He is also good in the dunkers spot, he always manages to seal off his opponent at the right time to be an open receiver of a pass for his guards as they attack the rim. Geter displayed his intense defense on the perimeter and in the paint, coming up with blocks and locking down quicker guards on the perimeter. His length harasses ball handlers and forces them to pick up their dribble 30 feet from the rim and make a bad decision. He is a good screener who rolls hard to the rim and destroys smaller opponents who switch onto him. He is a consistent rim runner and when he gets a full head of steam not many opponents want to get in his way. LaMarcus Penigar 5’11 2022 Claredon High School (2A MVP) LaMarcus is a sharp shooting combo guard who had a good semi finals performance against La Poynor, and a dominant performance against the undefeated Lipan High School in which he scored 41 points to give his team the victory. He is a microwave scorer with the ability to get hot at any moment! He can shoot from beyond the arc off the catch with ease, and love scoring in bunches with his ability to create space off the dribble. His ability to consistently create space with his quick handle allows him to be a dominant offensive weapon. He is not just a sharp shooter tho, he can put the ball on the floor and put pressure on the defense in the lane. He is aggressive and can get to the free throw line whenever he want to with his ability to fight through contact. I was impressed with Penigar's willingness to affect the game on the defensive side of the ball as well. He was great at moving his feet laterally and keeping his opponent in front of him. He has active hands that love poking the ball free and allowing him to run in transition. There were plenty of easy looks in transition he and his team got due to his hard work on the defensive side of the ball.