By Michael Adams
Austin Sports Journal
There are seven weeks left in the Texas high school men’s basketball regular season. District play is heating up for Austin-area Class 6A and 5A teams and will begin next week for most small school districts.
The story of the season so far is Westwood. The Warriors are 22-0 and have a few impressive wins to their resume. The real tests will come in Westwood’s next three games against the upper echelon of District 25-6A – Round Rock at home Tuesday, at Stony Point Tuesday and Vandegrift at home Jan. 7.
Speaking of 25-6A, it looks as those it is this year’s “District of Doom” for men’s basketball. The Dragons, Tigers, Warriors and Vipers all sitting at the top as the mid-point of the district season is right around the corner.
Leander (15-5) has the best winning percentage of area 5A teams, but there’s a handful of teams to keep an eye on, including 25-5A foe Rouse, East View and McCallum.
In the small schools, keep an eye on La Grange. The Leopards are 14-5 and have a few non-district tests before opening 22-4A at home against Giddings on Jan. 10.
Thorndale is also a team to watch. The Bulldogs are 9-4 started 26-2A play with a 77-13 win over Rosebud-Lott on Dec. 20. Thorndale is a heavy favorite to win the district.
Here are this week’s rankings.
Class 6A
| RK, TEAM | RECORD | LW |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Westwood | 22-0 | – |
| 2. Stony Point | 18-4 | – |
| 3. Round Rock | 16-6 | – |
| 4. Westlake | 14-6 | – |
| 5. Vandegrift | 16-6 | – |
Class 5A
| RK, TEAM | RECORD | LW |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Leander | 14-5 | – |
| 2. East View | 15-7 | – |
| 3. Pieper | 15-7 | – |
| 4. Rouse | 15-7 | – |
| 5. Pflugerville | 13-8 | – |
Class 4A & below
| RK, TEAM | RECORD | LW |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Davenport | 18-2 | – |
| 2. Lago Vista | 15-2 | – |
| 3. La Grange | 14-5 | – |
| 4. Thorndale | 9-4 | – |
| 5. Wimberley | 15-6 | – |
Five games to watch
East View (15-7, 1-0) at Pflugerville (13-8, 1-0), 12:30 p.m., Tuesday: An early 23-5A matchup that could have district championship implications.
Round Rock (16-6, 5-0) at Westwood (22-0, 4-0), 1 p.m., Tuesday: The first test for the Warriors before heading into the hostile Tiger Gym at Stony Point on Friday.
Westwood (22-0, 4-0) at Stony Point (18-4, 5-0), 1 p.m., Friday: The hottest team in the Austin area takes on last year’s 6A state finalist.
Leander (14-5, 2-0) at Rouse (15-7, 2-0), 7 p.m., Friday: A matchup featuring two of the three undefeated teams in 25-5A.
Del Valle (12-8, 1-0) at Dripping Springs (13-9, 1-0), 7:30 p.m., Friday: An early 26-6A matchup featuring a Cardinals team that defeated Lake Travis and a Tigers team off to a hot start.
