By Michael Adams
madams@onthesidelinessports.com

There are five games left in the 2023-24 Texas high school boys basketball regular season. Playoff races are heating up all over the Greater Austin metro area. In many cases, this week will clear up a lot of playoff pictures.  

Manor might be one of the more surprising teams and has moved into second place in District 25-6A. The Mustangs and Round Rock are tied for second place with 6-3 records, but there’s a jumbled mess from second to seventh place. Good luck trying to figure all that out.

In District 26-6A, there is one game that has our eye: Bowie at Westlake, which is our On the Sidelines Sports Austin Metro Boys Basketball Game of the Week.  

Game of the Week

Bowie at Westlake, 7:30 p.m., Friday

It’s always fun when Bowie and Westlake get together, regardless of what sport it is. However, Friday’s game is going to be the hottest ticket in Austin.

Both teams will likely bring six-game winning streaks into Chaparral Gymnasium that includes a couple of impressive wins. Westlake beat Lake Travis on Jan. 16, while Bowie knocked off Buda Johnson on Friday.

The Bulldogs and Chaps are almost certain of playoff berths, but they also aren’t out of the district title picture. Bowie has the toughest path with Lake Travis waiting on the horizon next Tuesday. Should the Bulldogs pull off upsets against the Chaps and Cavaliers, they have a real shot at the district title. Yet, they will still need a bit of help.

On the other hand, Westlake is only a half-game behind Lake Travis and tied with Buda Johnson for second place. The Chaps travel to Johnson on Feb 6 to seek revenge for their Jan. 5 loss to the Jaguars.

Five more games to watch this week

Manor at Round Rock (7 p.m., Tuesday) – The Mustangs have won two straight and are riding momentum into the final stretch. The two teams are currently tied for second place.

Cedar Park at Glenn (7 p.m., Tuesday) – Both teams bring substantial winning streaks into this pivotal District 24-5A matchup. Cedar Park has won four straight while Glenn has won five in-a-row.

Holland at Thrall (7 p.m., Tuesday) – Thrall is looking to avenge an earlier loss to the Hornets. The No. 2 seed from District 27-2A is on the line in this one.

Hendrickson at Georgetown (7 p.m., Friday) – Much like the girls matchup, the boys game  will also have district championship implications.

Round Rock at Vandegrift (7 p.m., Friday) – Every game will be meaningful in District 25-6A, but this has the potential to really shake things up, especially if Round Rock falls to Manor on Tuesday.