Where does this year's Duncanville national championship team fit in?
Texas is an undisputed high school basketball hotbed, producing 43 players who took the court in NBA games during the 2021-22 season, including LaMarcus Aldridge, Jimmy Butler, Alex Caruso, Cade Cunningham, De'Aaron Fox, Julius Randle and Marcus Smart among many others.
The Lone Star State also produced high school basketball's national champion this year in
Duncanville, which went 35-1 en route to a historic three-peat.
That led us to question where Duncanville stacks up against the top teams in the state since the turn of the century. Evaluating resumes, national rankings and talent on the roster, we put together a list of the top teams in Texas since 2000. See the complete breakdown below.
Marcus Smart and Phil Forte (10) embrace after leading Flower Mound Marcus to the 2012 Class 5A state title.
Photo: Alik McIntosh
Record: 35-1, Class 6A state champions
National ranking: No. 1
Notable players: Anthony Black, Aric Demings, Ashton Hardaway, Ronald Holland, Davion Sykes
Rundown: Became the first team since Wheatley (Houston) from 1969-1970 to win three consecutive state titles in the Lone Star State's highest classification. The Panthers finished No. 1 in the MaxPreps Top 25 with wins over No. 2 Centennial (Corona, Calif.) and Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), the No. 1 team in MaxPreps National Top 20.
Record: 40-0, Class 4A state champions
National ranking: No. 1
Notable players: Chris Bosh, Byron Eaten, Bryan Hopkins, William Langrum, Kevis Shipman
Rundown: While the 11-time NBA All-Star Bosh was potentially the most dominant big man in high school basketball during his senior season in 2001-02, ultra-athletic point guard Hopkins was a lethal second option as both players earned McDonald's All-American honors that season. One of the most talented teams to ever come out of the state of Texas, Lincoln was balanced with a clear leader in Bosh, who averaged 20 points and nine rebounds as a senior.
Record: 34-0, Class 4A state champions
National ranking: No. 1
Notable players: Alexander Davis, Darius Gardner, Brandon Peters, Elton Roy, Joseph Young
Rundown: Broke the national record for points per game at 116.2. The Lions had a stretch of 15 consecutive 100-point games and boasted single game totals of 170 and 163. The Lions' signature full-court pressure wore down their foes, winning by over 50 points per contest and reeling off 58 consecutive victories from 2009-10.
Record: 39-0, Class 5A state champions
National ranking: No. 2
Notable players: Daniel Ewing, T.J. Ford, Kenny Taylor, Curtis Walker
Rundown: Behind its McDonald's All-American backcourt duo of Ewing and Ford, the Eagles captured back-to-back Texas 5A state titles while the senior-laden group ended an impressive two-year run on a 62-game winning streak. Along with their dynamic guard play, Willowridge had a dominant post presence as 6-foot-9 Walker was named 5A finals MVP after scoring a game-high 18 points along with six rebounds and two blocks.
5. Duncanville, 2006-07
Record: 39-0, Class 5A state champions
National ranking: No. 3
Notable players: Roger Franklin, Corey Johnson, D'Walyn Roberts, Brent Stanton, Shawn Williams
Rundown: Notched six wins against out-of-state opponents and were ranked as the top team in the Lone Star State for the entirety of the season. The Panthers outscored opponents by an average of 17.5 points per contest en route to the state title.
Record: 39-0, Class 5A state champions
National ranking: No. 5
Notable players: Jawann McClellan, Larry Posey, Leon St. Rose, Tramaine Webster
Rundown:
Led by 2004 Texas Mr. Basketball McClellan, the Buffs ran the table en
route to the Class 5A state title. McClellan led the way with 31 points,
eight rebounds and three blocks in the championship game victory over
Cedar Hill. Milby was coached by Boyce Honea, the all-time winningest
coach in Houston Independent School District history with a career
record of 739-258.
Record: 39-2, Class 5A state champions
National ranking: No. 2
Notable players: Nick Banyard, Phil Forte, A.J. Luckey, Marcus Smart
Rundown: The Marauders went 78-3 over the course of Smart's junior and senior year. Although this group lost one game more than the season prior, a ramped up schedule saw them fall to Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) before knocking off Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.) later that month. Marcus also defeated nationally-ranked Fort Bend Travis (Richmond) in the state title game.
8. Marcus, 2010-11
Record: 39-1, Class 5A state champions
National ranking: No. 2
Notable players: Nick Banyard, Phil Forte, A.J. Luckey, Marcus Smart, Connor Taggart
Rundown:
After slipping up to Judson (Converse) 52-50 in overtime early in the
season, the Marauders reeled off 30 consecutive wins and captured the 5A
state championship with a 40-38 victory over Lakeview Centennial. NBA Defensive Player of the Year Smart was the driving force in
the title game victory, finishing with 16 points, 11 rebounds and four
steals to win MVP honors. Forte was also a key contributor, averaging
16.8 points as a junior.
9. Willowridge, 1999-2000
Record: 36-1, Class 5A state champions
National ranking: No. 6
Notable players: Daniel Ewing, Ivan McFarlin, T.J. Ford, Curtis Walker
Captured their first of two consecutive state championships behind a
core that would close out their careers on a 62-game winning streak. Head coach Ronnie Courtney went on to become a Division I head coach
at Texas Southern for six seasons before returning to the high school
ranks. Ewing, who was named Mr. Basketball in Texas in 2001, had a game-high 20 points
in the state title game as a junior.
10. Duncanville, 2020-21
Record: 29-1, Class 6A state champions
National ranking: No. 6
Notable players: Ronald Holland, C.J. Ford, Damon Nicholas Jr., Zhuric Phelps, Juan Reyna
Rundown: A balanced scoring attack saw four players average 13.4 points or more. The Panthers outscored their opponents by an average of 24.7 points per game.
