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Bakari LaStrap
RECRUIT SCOOP: TWCA's LaStrap goes viral, helps recruiting
Some things are just mysteries and unexplainable… UFOs, big-foot, who shot JFK?
The recruitment of The Woodlands Christian Academy's Bakari LaStrap ranks right up there.
What does this kid have to do? The 6-foot guard led his team to its third straight TAPPS title appearance – winning two of them.
He is an exemplary student, he's improved on his three-point game and he has the hops.
LaStrap had a dunk go viral in the state semis that showed off his athleticism.
"When it happened, I thought, that's a nice highlight. I liked the dunk," he laughed. "Overtime retweeted it and my phone blew up. I'd refresh my phone and it was more and more follows."
OKAY GET LOOSE ONE TIME 🤮 @Mr_Lastrap (via @TWCAbasketball) pic.twitter.com/8OvYJA2umg
— Overtime (@overtime) February 29, 2020
College coaches across the country have passed on Bakari LaStrap… except Scott Schumacher.
The Blinn AD and men's hoop coach who has over 550 wins in 29 years as a junior college coach.
He's delivered over 80 players to the DI ranks. His brother Tim Schumacher was the head coach of the Houston Hoops, leading some of the recent McDonald's All-Americans to come through H-Town. This is a family that know college recruiting like no other. Blinn has been heavily courting LaStrap along with Ranger and Tyler Junior College.
"Most people are afraid of his size," TWCA coach Tanner Field said. "If he's 6-foot-2, he a high-major recruit. He is the total package. He shoots the three at 39-percent, he gets everyone involved, he's great in the classroom and he has one focus – to play DI basketball. Coaches are missing out. Wherever he lands, his team is going to fall in love with him."
TWCA assistant Jason Tocabens, who coaches AAU teams and is also in touch with the recruiting process, weighed in.
"If he played at a public school and could do whatever he wanted, he'd be signed," he said. "If you let him take 30 shots and average over 25 points per game, things would be different. We reward those guys that take 30 shots a game in Houston. Why? Guys at Kentucky don't get 30 shots. What can you do when you take 10 shots and run a team. Our style hinders him in the recruiting game because we teach him what it's going to be like to play in college."
That's simply not LaStrap's game. He can score, but he's a true point guard.
"My sophomore and junior seasons, I was more of a playmaker," he said. "This year I took a bigger scoring role. Here's my mindset. I can go score 30 points, but my teammates might not be satisfied. You have to sacrifice yourself like making the extra pass. You have to hand it off to the bigs so they can get a dunk so they will play harder. That's what comes with being a point guard. You have to care for others other than yourself. That's how you win championships."
While the recruiting process has been a roller-coaster for LaStrap, he's taking it in stride.
"I've really researched the junior college route," he said. "You have to go where you are wanted and I can't worry about it – there's always a plan.
"I won't decide until April and my door and ears are open," he said. "The juco route would be me betting on myself to play well and get re-recruited. That's what's will likely happen."
Don't thing he's not playing with a HUGE chip on his shoulder to prove all of those college assistants wrong.
FEATURE: A Slam Into Immortality
HOUSTON - Marc-Anthony Batts didn't think he was going to get the ball.
As he streaked down the far side of the court on a fast-break, with 99 points already on the scoreboard, Batts saw the court-length pass from Chuks Isitua go towards the basket. Underneath it was Darryl Brown, who caught it in the middle of the paint, while back-pedaling.
Brown's trajectory was going to take him out of bounds. So, instead of putting up an ill-advised shot directly under the basket he tossed it to Batts.
Batts caught it. Stopped. Hopped and slammed his and the 2019-2020 Jack Yates Lions' way into basketball immortality.
"Wow, I'm about to be remembered for this 100th point," Batts said after the game as he reflected on that moment.
VYPE INTERVIEW: The man of the hour ... Marc-Anthony Batts has the two handed slam with 1:40 left in the 3rd quartet to give @JackYatesHigh 101 points which in turn gave them the record. @abc13sports @MaxPreps @HISDAthletics @JackYatesHigh @KUBE57 @kingchuks_1 @rjcrossover11 pic.twitter.com/msNFBL0vzv
— VYPE Houston (@vypehouston) February 12, 2020
With Batts' two-handed jam, it brought the crowd inside Houston ISD's The Pavillion to their feet as they roared "Third Ward High". Batts turned around and gave a huge high-five to Isitua, while the Yates bench celebrated.
The 101st point of the night had just given Jack Yates its 16th-straight game of 100 or more points, which broke the national record.
"It feels great to cement myself in history," Batts said. "It feels great to know that we're going to be remembered for a long time even after we leave here to be part of Jack Yates history. And not even just that. Also, state history and national history."
READ MORE: Jack Yates breaks National Record with 16th-straight game with 100 or more points (w/video)
The national record they broke had been broken just 10 years ago.
It was broken by the Jack Yates team that year, which broke the previous record of 14 set by Hobbs High School in 1969-1970, when there wasn't a three-point line.
"It's a national record, I'm not part of too many of them," Jack Yates' Rubin Jones, who finished with a game-high 19 points, said. "It's real big."
The 2009-2010 team, which broke the record and went on to win the Class 3A State Championship with a 34-0 record that year, is considered as one of the city's best teams of the past decade.
Being mentioned with that group, which will be honored during the Lions' first playoff game of the year according to Yates coach Greg Wise, is special Jones said.
"That's all we've been hearing all year," he said. "We're living up to it."
Now, the last box this version of the Jack Yates Lions has to check off to be able to be fully compared to the 2009-2010 team - win a state championship.
"This is just one of the goals under that. State, that's the ultimate goal," Batts said. "Last year we came up short and we felt that we should of won that. So, this year that means more to us than any record."
Jones added: "That's the last thing on the list now. We won district. We beat the national record. Now, it's just state."
BREAKING: @JackYatesHoops has broken the National Record with their 16th-straight game with 100 or more points with this bucket!! #txhshoops @overtime @ESPNAssignDesk @espn @hoopinsider @JackYatesHigh @HISDAthletics @SportsCenter @FOXSportsSW @ATTSportsNetSW @KUBE57 @MaxPreps pic.twitter.com/LWkDoYLnVQ
— VYPE Houston (@vypehouston) February 12, 2020