Tompkins among final field of Cinderella teams
This year’s Class 6A state semifinals have a much different look than in past years.
There is no traditional basketball powerhouse in the mix or a clear favorite, other than maybe No. 2 Austin Westlake — the highest-ranked team remaining — because they are all relative newcomers to the state basketball stage.
Allen made the trip once before in 2014, when North Shore won it all.
The other three semifinalists are first-time state qualifiers in boys basketball, and the Westlake-Allen semifinal looks more like a marquee football matchup than a key showdown on the hardwood.
Allen is a five-time football state champion, and Westlake is an eight-time state finalist with a title in 1996.
“I was talking with (Allen coach Jeff McCullough) … and I joked about how many students they have at Allen, and he said ‘Yeah, but they all want to play football,’ ” Westlake coach Robert Lucero said. “And I said, ‘Well yeah, I’m at Westlake, so I know exactly how that feels, but we have half the students.’
“So, for us, there’s always been a high expectation at Westlake for the athletic side, and we’re just trying to keep up with everybody else here who’s made deep runs in every other sport.”
Westlake (36-3) is finally here after falling in the regional finals the last two years.
Allen has won at least 26 games every season since McCullough took over the program in 2013-2014, but the No. 10 Eagles (32-5) had to upset No. 1 Denton Guyer in the regional finals to return to state.
South Garland (36-3) made one previous regional tourney in 2003 before doubling last season’s win total en route to San Antonio. Fourth-year Tompkins (31-8) hadn’t been past the first round.
With so much new blood, and no perennial favorite, the field is wide open.
“I don’t know if that matters,” Tompkins coach Bobby Sanders said. “But I hope it helps us.”
No. 17 Tompkins opens with No. 5 South Garland in the 6A semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Westlake and Allen collide at 8:30 p.m. Friday.
Tompkins’ Sanders has been here before
Tompkins coach Bobby Sanders isn’t a state newcomer.
He guided Episcopal to the SPC Division I final in 2011 — his last season with the Knights — but they fell 69-67 to St. John’s.
That Mavericks team was led by then-freshman Justise Winslow, who currently plays for the Miami Heat. Winslow put up 43 points, 15 rebounds, five 3-pointers and three blocks in the state championship game.
Now Sanders has a second chance at his first state title.
“That’s the reason I came to Katy ISD,” he said. “I wanted a chance to play in the UIL state playoffs.
“When I was in high school, I played in a regional championship as a senior for Brookshire Royal and we lost by one point in overtime, and ever since then, I wanted to coach a team to the state championship.”
Talent aplenty in San Antonio
The Class 6A bracket doesn’t feature a usual suspect, but it does present plenty of talent.
Tompkins leans on Jamal Bieniemy (Oklahoma), Kristian Sjolund (Georgia Tech) and unsigned senior C.J. Washington.
South Garland is led by junior guards Tyrese Maxey (21.8 ppg), who boasts 19 offers, including Kentucky and seven Big 12 teams, and Chris Harris Jr. (19.1 ppg), who holds seven, including Texas A&M.
Westlake has talent and size with 6-7 Brock Cunningham (Texas), 6-9 Matthew Mayer (Baylor), 6-5 Keonte Kennedy (Xavier) and point guard Luke Pluymen (St. Edward’s signee).
It’s 6-10 junior Will Baker who commands attention for Westlake. Baker has 13 offers, including Kansas, North Carolina, Texas and Texas A&M.
Jaylen Walker (Navy), a 6-5 forward, and guard Jordan Neely (Bethel College) lead Allen.
“The teams that are there are pretty talented and well-coached, so it’s going to be difficult for everybody who’s there,” Lucero said.
Tompkins makes history for Katy ISD
Tompkins’ talent took it where no Katy ISD team has gone before.
The Falcons are the first boys basketball team from the 100-year-old district to make the state tournament.
It’s a rare feat on the girls’ side, too. The Mayde Creek girls are the only other Katy ISD basketball squad to clinch a state berth and that was in 1989-1990 in the UIL’s second-highest classification. They lost in the semifinals.
Otherwise, Katy ISD has spent its existence thriving at a state championship level in baseball, softball, soccer and tennis, among other sports. Football is perhaps the district’s most notable distinction.
Jamal Bieniemy hopes Tompkins’ triumph this year means Katy ISD will become more of a factor on the court.
“We want it to be more Katy ISD teams because there’s a lot of great players in Katy ISD,” he said. “Not just football and other sports. We have some good basketball down here.”
Sanders ‘confident’ team has improved
Tompkins coach Bobby Sanders didn’t have to look far for film of South Garland and potential finals opponent Westlake.
Tompkins played both this season — and lost to both in lopsided fashion.
South Garland handed Tompkins its worst loss of the season, rolling 76-50 at the Whataburger tournament in Fort Worth.
Westlake pounded Tompkins 82-62 at the Hoopsgiving Classic in November. Sanders said Westlake’s size was an issue then but the Falcons are prepared for it if the teams meet in the state title game.
The head coach believes South Garland will see a different Tompkins team Friday than what the Colonels saw in Fort Worth.
“We’re familiar with them, and we know they spanked us in December,” Sanders said.
“But having played them, and we know how much we’ve improved, our guys are pretty confident.”