The UIL and TAPPS basketball seasons wrapped up their respective seasons last week through the weekend. While the DFW didn't have the banner year it did in 2018-19, the teams representing the Metroplex brought back five State Titles.
Duncanville (boys), Argyle (boys), DeSoto (girls), Dallas Bishop Lynch (girls) and Fort Worth Southwest Christian (girls) all were crowned state champions over the last week.
Like I did for the football season, I'm going to offer up some top-of-mind, knee-jerk predictions for the 2021-22 season - so here we go.
Duncanville's Run Might Be Over
Duncanville's three-year run has been highly impressive. Coach David Peavy has done a masterful job of making Duncanville the premier basketball program in the area - and probably the state - either with or without some of the top talent in the state. The team wins.
I think that ends, though, in 2021-22. Although, I won't be surprised to see them back at state next year, I think there are a number of teams within the DFW primed to take Duncanville down.
Hedging Bets on McKinney
To tailcoat off the previous idea, I think McKinney is the team to beat out of the area. Ja'Kobe Walter, as a sophomore, showed he's a stud and with a number of key contributors returning to next year's team, McKinney will have lots of eyes and expectations coming its way.
All-In on Mackenzie Buss, Lake Dallas
Mackenzie Buss has been a phenomenal player for Lake Dallas the last two years. Each year, she's taken great leaps in showcasing her talents, and I expect that to continue next season. With her continued growth and another stacked team coming back in 2021-22, Lake Dallas will be a team to be feared in 5A.
A Full, Uninterrupted Season
Kind of a cheat from the football article, but like football, I don't expect the season to be shortened or have any team suffer major interruptions in its schedule. We're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and hopefully by November, we've officially turned the corner. The 2021-22 tournament season is going to be crazy and a welcome return to normalcy.
DFW Hoops Bounces Back
While the DFW did take home five total championships this year, I expect that number to reach double digits next year. Granted, there are a lot of great teams and coaches across the state at all levels and organizations. However, the DFW is simply stacked like no other with talented players in both public and private schools in the '22 class.
Melissa Cardinals
