5A Playoffs Preview: Top Austin-Metroplex Players

<p>With the 2019-20 regular season wrapped up and the 5A Texas High School Playoffs beginning this week with bi-district rounds, there are more than a handful of talented players from the Austin-Metroplex that could make a splash in the state tournament.</p> <p>Three districts and 12 total teams will represent the Austin-Metroplex in the 5A bracket. District 17 had Cedar Park (11-1) take the district title, with Glenn (9-3), Pflugerville Connally (8-4) and Weiss (8-4) rounding out the playoff teams. In District 18 Hutto finished the season undefeated at 12-0. Manor (9-3), Georgetown (7-4), and Cedar Creek (6-6) earned the 2-4 seeds from District 18. Austin LBJ (13-1) won the title for District 25. Dripping Springs finished in second place with a 12-2 record, with Northeast Early College and Austin Travis finishing out the District 25 playoff teams with 8-6 records.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Here are some players from the Austin-Metroplex to keep an eye on in the 5A playoffs:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff9900;">Cory Canada</span> - Cedar Creek (Bastrop) - 6-5 Shooting Guard</strong></p> <p>Averaging 23.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a senior, Canada has the opportunity to turn Cedar Creek from a fourth seed in District 18 to a cinderella team in the Region III 5A bracket. Canada is a volume scorer who has deep range from beyond the arc. The Eagles will need a big performance from Canada to get past Cedar Park in the opening round.</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff9900;">Jean-<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/pierre-sanders/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/pierre-sanders/">Pierre Sanders</a></a></span> - Hutto - 5-10 Point Guard</strong></p> <p>Sanders is the second-leading scorer in District 18 with 22 points per game, while also averaging 5.3 assists, 6.6 rebounds and 4.6 steals per game. His all-around game led the Hippos to a 31-3 overall record and an undefeated district title. Sanders ended the regular season with a 30-point performance against Cedar Creek and will look to remain hot entering into the bi-district round matchup versus Pflugerville Connally. </p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff9900;">Princeton Humphries</span> - Weiss - 5-11 Shooting Guard</strong></p> <p>Weiss snuck into the playoffs behind great play from Humphries during the district schedule. As a senior, he averaged 13.6 points per game and was a leader on the court for the Wolves. Humphries is a do-it-all player for the Wolves who can get to the rim at will and has a good mid-range shot. Humphries and the Wolves will look to upset Manor in their bi-district round matchup. </p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff9900;"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/trace-young/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/trace-young/">Trace Young</a></a></span> - Dripping Springs - 6-2 Combo Guard</strong></p> <p>Young, a Colorado State commit and ranked number 178 in Texas, was the leader on the court for the Tigers during their 12-2 run in District-25. With a high IQ on the court, Young constantly found himself in a position to succeed by making plays on both offense and defense. Young and the Tigers face a tough Boerne-Champion squad in the bi-district round.</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff9900;">Xavier Phillips</span> - Dripping Springs - 6-1 Shooting Guard</strong></p> <p>Phillips, a Texas Lutheran University commit, was also a big contributor to the Tigers successful 2019-20 season. As a senior Phillips showed off his scoring ability with a high percentage from beyond the arc and strong drives into the paint for layups. Dripping Springs has a stacked backcourt, and Phillips is the key to giving the Tigers a deep run in the playoffs. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Honorable mention:</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff9900;">Kaden Smart</span> - Hutto - 6-0 Combo Guard</strong></p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff9900;">Carloz Ramirez</span> - Cedar Creek (Bastrop) - 5-9 Point Guard</strong></p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff9900;">Alfred Collins</span> - Cedar Creek (Bastrop) - 6-6 Power Forward</strong></p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff9900;">Jayden Guevara</span> - Dripping Springs - 6-1 Point Guard</strong></p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff9900;">Aidan Bailey</span> - Dripping Springs - 5-11 Shooting Guard</strong></p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff9900;"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jordan-teal/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jordan-teal/">Jordan Teal</a></a></span> - Austin LBJ - 6-2 Shooting Guard</strong></p> <p><strong><span style="color: #ff9900;"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/levi-rutledge/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/levi-rutledge/">Levi Rutledge</a></a></span> - Cedar Park - 6-5 Small Forward</strong></p>