MaxPreps 2012 Preseason Xcellent 25 Basketball preview: No. 2 Fort Bend Travis

Sure, there are question marks about the Fort Bend Travis (Richmond, Texas) roster entering the 2012-13 season.

There isn't a true threat in the post and seven of the top 10 scorers from last year's Class 5A state runner-up team are gone.

But nobody in the country has a backcourt like the Tigers. Identical twin sensations Andrew and Aaron Harrison are prototype guards – both in the 6-foot-5, 210-pound range and consensus top five senior prospects nationally – that can simply do it all.

One game into the season, the Harrisons are looking comfortable with their new-look cast. In a win over Cypress Lakes (Katy) last Tuesday, the twins combined for 53 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds and seven steals as Travis rolled 87-59. Point guard Andrew led the way with 30 points and seven assists.



Against Cypress Lakes, Travis also received solid contributions from returning guard John Burnett (nine points) and sophomore post Juwan Williams (seven points, nine rebounds).

Head coach Craig Brownson and the Tigers hope to take things one step farther than they did a year ago, when they took national No. 2 Marcus (Flower Mound) to the wire in the 5A state championship game. Coaches around Texas expect that to happen as they installed Travis at No. 1 in the preseason 5A rankings, a major tip of the cap to a school that opened its doors in 2006.

Fort Bend Travis' last five seasons:
2011-12 – 36-4 (Craig Brownson), Class 5A runner-up
2010-11 – 34-5 (Craig Brownson)
2009-10 – 22-10 (Craig Brownson)
2008-09 – 25-10 (Craig Brownson)
2007-08 – 17-16 (Craig Brownson)

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Classification/Division:
UIL Class 5A

Enrollment:
2,269

Head coach:
Craig Brownson (sixth year as head coach at Travis)



Career record:
135-45

Big district, major talent:
Travis opened its doors in 2006 and is one of 11 high schools in the massive Fort Bend Independent School District, located on the southwest edge of Houston. The district serves more than 22,000 high school students. Four schools have opened since 2000 and the area has developed a reputation as an athletic hotbed. Here is a sampling of prominent talents to come out of FBISD:

Matt Albers, Clements (Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher)
D.J. Augustin, Hightower (Indiana Pacers guard)
Matt Carpenter, Elkins (St. Louis Cardinals utility player)
Devard Darling, Austin (former NFL wide receiver)
Daniel Ewing, Willowridge (former Duke, NBA guard)
T.J. Ford, Willowridge (former NBA guard)
Jake Matthews, Elkins (Texas A&M junior offensive lineman)
Kevin Matthews, Elkins (Tennessee Titans offensive lineman)
Russell Okung, Bush (Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman)
Manny Ramirez, Willowridge (Denver Broncos offensive lineman)
Cameron Ridley, Bush (Texas freshman center)
Thurman Thomas, Willowridge (NFL Hall of Famer)

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Key returners:

Andrew Harrison (6-5, Sr., G), No. 2 overall prospect in Class of 2013 Top 100, Kentucky verbal commit

Aaron Harrison (6-5, Sr., G), No. 3 overall prospect in Class of 2013 Top 100, Kentucky verbal commit



John Burnett (5-9, Sr., G)

Chris Idi (5-8, Jr., G)

Quinten Davis (5-11, Jr., G)

Newcomers:

Derrick Nwaneti (6-3, Sr., F)

Efiom Ita (5-10, Jr., G)



Juwan Williams (6-3, So., F)

Tyronne Jordan (6-1, Jr., G)

Circle the date:
The Tigers will take a pair of trips to California in December, the first being for a nationally televised Dec. 13 showdown with five-star forward Aaron Gordon and Archbishop Mitty. Travis will begin the month at the Marshall County Hoopfest in Kentucky, where the Harrison twins are sure to receive a hero's welcome for games against Ballard (Louisville) and Madison Central (Richmond).

Tournament time:
Travis' second trip out west will be for the MaxPreps Holiday Classic following Christmas. Preseason national No. 7 Rainier Beach (Seattle), four-time defending Georgia AAAA champ Miller Grove (Lithonia), New York's Cardinal Hayes (Bronx) and perennial California powers Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood), Loyola (Los Angeles), Orange Lutheran and Westchester (Los Angeles) will be among the teams that will be lined up for a shot at the Tigers.

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