Expect roller coaster ride through Texas basketball season

If the first week of the 2010-11 Texas high school boys' basketball season is any indication, expect a wild ride full of unpredictable twists and turns that will likely carry all the way into next February when the playoffs start.

How else do you explain a couple of games there were decided by a total of 79 points, one by 32 points and the other a whopping 47-point margin? Without further adieu, let's look at some of the action in the early going.

An anticipated contest between Class 5A power Fort Bend Bush and Class 4A juggernaut La Marque turned into a one-sided show of power by the smaller classification Cougars, who administered a 103-71 beat down on Bush. Both teams have aspirations for a state championship in their respective classifications, but it was La Marque that came out with a sizzling effort in the season opener.

Behind University of Texas-bound Julien Lewis' 37 points and sidekick Dequentin Greer's 26, La Marque actually trailed 22-19 after one quarter before turning on the jets. The Cougars' offense kicked into gear in the second stanza in outscoring Bush, 30-10, to take a 49-32 halftime lead that La Marque would only build on in the second half. Bush was led by the 28 points of 6-10 star Cameron Ridley.

Another season opener that garnered statewide attention took place between Class 3A Burkburnett and three-time defending Class 2A state champion Ponder. This time it was the bigger school that hit on all cylinders as the Bulldogs rolled to a 106-59 victory over the Lions. The win also marked the 600th career win for Danny Nix, who has coached at Burkburnett for 29 years.

MARQUEE MATCHUPS
In a high school basketball landscape more competitive than ever, more teams find it advantageous to schedule strong opposition out of the gate, as seen above. Most classifications are considered wide-open this year and thus teams can get an early gauge on their strengths and weaknesses by playing other stellar programs.

From the Dallas-Fort Worth area, another 5A versus 4A contest saw Lakeview Centennial (Garland) take on The Colony, two more teams that have legitimate shots at winning it all in their respective classifications.

Lakeview seized the second and third quarters to come away with a 66-54 win. Lakeview's dynamic duo of Toddrick Gotcher and Chris Jones both netted 18 points in the triumph, while Austin Chatman had a game-high 19 in the loss. Expect both of these clubs to continue building momentum throughout the year.

Finally, another 5A/4A meeting of traditional powers saw the DeSoto Eagles under Chris Dyer top the Fort Worth Dunbar Wildcats in a decisive 67-40 contest. DeSoto took off after a 14-14 tie ending the first period.

From the San Antonio area, it was Stevens (San Antonio) capturing a tight 50-48 victory over Converse Judson. Uche Ofoegbu led the winners with 16 points while Cameron Griffin notched 13 to pace the Rockets.

NORTH SIDE BOYS' LOSING STREAK ENDS
Congratulations to the North Side (Fort Worth) Steers, who ended a 67-game losing streak the first week of the year by downing Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis, 49-32. North Side trailed 14-12 at halftime, but its offense kicked in with a 37-point second half barrage.

CUBS COACH EARNS 300TH WIN AT OLNEY
Coach J.D. Sullivan picked up his 300th career win at Olney, as the Cubs beat Bridgeport 62-27 to begin their season. Sullivan has been at Olney for 13 years.

STATE'S TOP TWO SIGN COMMITMENTS
The fall signing period saw the top boys' and the top girls' players in the state sign their letters of intent. Dallas Lincoln's LeBryan Nash inked with Oklahoma State while Georgetown's Krystal Forthan signed with LSU.

EARLY COMMITMENTS
Some players from the Class of 2012 and 2013 have already indicated where they plan to play in college, even if they cannot sign letters of intent at this time. Baylor University has a definite head start with verbal commitments from 7-0 Arlington Grace Prep senior Isaiah Austin and 6-7 Dunbar (Fort Worth) junior Kyle Wilson. Zach Peters, a 6-9 senior at Plano Prestonwood Christian Academy, has indicated he will play collegiately at Kansas.

GIRLS' POWERS ON DISPLAY
One of the exciting early-season contests on the girls' side involved DeSoto and Dallas Lincoln, which ended with the Lady Eagles edging Lincoln, 63-59. Lincoln grabbed a 30-25 halftime lead but DeSoto made up the deficit by controlling the third quarter, 20-12. Chelsea Gardner had 15 points to pace the winners while Breanna Hayden knocked down 13 for Lincoln.

NOVEMBER MEANS TOURNAMENTS
The high school basketball tournament season heats up over the weekend for both boys and girls. As always we will be reporting results from championship games in this space, so be sure to check in every week on the column.

2010-11 TEX PREPS BASKETBALL MAGAZINE NOW AVAILABLE
Lastly, the sixth annual Tex Preps Basketball Magazine is now available statewide at Barnes & Noble, Hastings and Borders locations. Orders are also accepted online at www.texprepsbasketball.com. Here is the store locator link: http://www.texprepsbasketball.com/newstand.html.

R.V. Baugus is the publisher of Tex Preps Basketball Magazine and texprepsbasketball.com.