Central Texas boys basketball teams are in the thick of district play as the calendar enters 2026.
Texas
Boys high school basketball: Top 10 power rankings for Central Texas
Nolan Barkley of St. Michael’s powers his way up for a shot during the 2025-26 high school basketball season.
Though teams finished tournament play last week, most schools are at least two games into district play, which is the most important time of the season. While teams have been in action since mid-November, these are the games that truly count, with the goal being to qualify for the state playoffs in the last week of February.
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In District 25-6A, the lone nine-school district in the Austin area, most teams have already played five games.
Here’s the American-Statesman’s top 10 power rankings entering Jan. 5:
1. St. Michael’s
Though the Warriors (20-5) lost to two teams from California early last week, they bounced back to knock off Bowie, our previous No. 1 team, 77-66. Nolan Barkley’s double-double of 24 points and 10 rebounds and Sun Jinkal tallying 24 points and six rebounds paced St. Michael’s, which begins TAPPS District 3-6A play this week.
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2. Westlake
The Chaps (17-5) went 3-1 at the Strake Jesuit tournament and beat Hays in nondistrict play. Mack Martin tallied 23 points in a 92-70 win over Stratford, Bo Ogden scored 23 points and Blake Cannatti finished with 20 points during a victory over Jordan, Martin and Ogden combined for 42 points to defeat Cy-Park, and Cannatti, Ogden and Martin all hit double figures in the win against Hays.
3. Bowie
The Bulldogs (20-3) finished 3-1 at the Pride of Texas tournament in Corpus Christi before losing to St. Michael’s. Joshua Baskin averaged 18 ppg, 4 rpg and 4 apg and Lamin Jabbi tallied 8 ppg and 4 rpg in Corpus Christi to earn all-tournament honors.
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4. Westwood
The Warriors (17-2) won their division at the Hays tournament by defeating Connally 92-26, Austin High 52-42, Dripping Springs 60-50 and the hosts 63-47. Luke Carpenter and John McNair both averaged 16 ppg to pace Westwood to the title.
5. Vandegrift
The Vipers (18-4) went 3-1 at the Glenn tournament and beat Cedar Ridge 52-40 in district play. Trey Block poured in 21 points and Hayden Brannan added 12 points in the win over the Raiders.
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6. Lake Travis
The Cavs (15-7) finished 2-1 at the Allen tournament with wins over San Antonio Pieper and Tyler Legacy. Lake Travis coach Brandon Shaver noted that Tate Tapken, Aaron Mathis, Alex Jacob and Will Slyker all played well in the three-day event.
7. Cedar Park
The Timberwolves (14-4) only played once, but they made it count with a 59-50 win over Lampasas.
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8. Hendrickson
The Hawks (17-6) won the rugged Glenn tournament by defeating Vista Ridge 64-58, Copperas Cove 83-76, Houston Memorial 68-44 and the hosts 65-57. Legend Samuel earned tournament MVP honors after averaging 17 ppg, including going off for 28 points against Vista Ridge. DJ Hardge (11 ppg, 5 apg, 4.5 rpg, 2.5 spg) and Ryan Longoria (13.5 ppg) were also voted to the all-tournament team, while Tristan Thomas averaged 9 ppg, 4 rpg and 3.5 apg.
9. Round Rock
The Dragons (15-5) went 3-1 at the Hays tournament with wins over Liberty Christian, Weiss and Killeen Ellison and defeated Hutto 64-52 in District 25-6A play. Luke Reeve tallied 18 points and seven rebounds, Max Lipinsky had 13 points and seven assists, Matthew Holland recorded 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists and Teyo Barnett finished with 10 points to lead the win over the Hippos.
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10. East View
The Patriots (17-5) finished 3-1 at the Hays tournament with wins over Rockdale 64-32, Austin High 76-47 and La Joya 82-55. Cayden Hinderman-Close averaged 16 ppg to lead East View, including pouring in 26 points against La Joya. Cameron Sanford (13 ppg) and Isaiah Villegas (11.5 ppg) also played well for the Patriots.
Just outside: Wimberley
The Texans (20-2) went 3-1 in tournament play, including wins over Liberty Hill and Lockhart, to continue a scorching start to the season.
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Tip-ins
Glenn (13-9) finished second at its own tournament, losing to Hendrickson in the final after beating Texas Lions Academy 74-55, Hutto 78-77 and Vandegrift 84-77. Dallas Hernandez (21 ppg, 5 rpg, 3 apg, 2 spg) and Hudson Roberts (20 ppg, 5 rpg, 2 apg, 2 spg) earned all-tournament honors.
Dripping Springs (12-9) went 3-1 in the gold division of the Hays tournament with wins over Rockdale, East View and El Paso Pebble Hills. Rushton Budge averaged 26.5 ppg and 5 rpg in the tournament to lead the Tigers. He also passed 1,000 career points during the event.
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Vista Ridge 53, McNeil 49: Gavin Howard scored 21 points and Cayden Sneed finished with 18 points as the Rangers (15-7, 2-2) picked up a District 25-6A win.
Anderson 65, Cedar Creek 42: The Trojans (8-14, 1-0) opened District 24-5A play with a win as Miles Rickards tallied 12 points and four rebounds, Austin Haywood had nine points and six rebounds and Luke McReynolds finished with nine points.
McCallum 65, Crockett 34: Ethan Plummer poured in 27 points and both Darby Roldan and Ben Cook finished with 12 points as the Knights (7-11, 1-0) started District 24-5A play with a dominating victory.
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LBJ 72, Lago Vista 37: Marquis Murry II tallied 27 points, eight rebounds and five steals, Tre Riley had 16 points and DJ Johnson added 10 points to lead the Jaguars (9-12, 1-0) to an easy win in their District 25-4A opener.
Manor New Tech 48, Northeast 29: Kamerion McBride finished with 16 points and nine rebounds and Legend Williams recorded 11 points and five boards to pace the Titans (17-3, 1-0) to a win to begin District 25-4A play.
The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and the Peach Bowl announced this week that Texas football head coach Steve Sarkisian is among this year’s 20 names included on its annual preseason watch list. The award “celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance […]
HOUSTON, TEXAS – MAY 27: Democratic Senate Candidate James Talarico speaks at a rally at Rich’s Houston on May 27, 2026 in Houston, Texas. Talarico held the rally after the primary runoff and to explain his plan on how he will take on Republican nominee Ken Paxton. (Photo by Danielle Villasana/Getty Images)
Texas has reported 48 cases of Cyclospora, a foodborne illness caused by a parasite that health experts say can lead to severe gastrointestinal symptoms.
Dr. David Winter, an internal medicine physician with Baylor Scott & White, said cyclospora infections typically increase during the summer. However, he said the current increase affecting several states could become the worst in years.
At least 20 people nationwide have been hospitalized with symptoms that can last for weeks.
“It’s really bad disease right now and sometimes you get in your intestines and that gives you these horrible cramps and gurgling and then diarrhea. In fact, the diarrhea is so bad, they call it explosive diarrhea,” Winter said.
Cyclospora is caused by a parasite rather than a virus or bacteria. Winter said the parasite multiplies inside the intestines, contributing to recurring symptoms.
“It’s a parasite. It’s not a virus, it is not bacteria. So the parasite, once it gets in your intestine, it starts to multiply. And then when it builds up a certain amount, then it comes out with this explosion, and then it starts multiply again,” Winter said.
The illness spreads through food or water contaminated with infected feces and is rarely transmitted from person to person.
The source of the current outbreak is unknown. Previous outbreaks have been linked to fresh fruits and vegetables, including basil, cilantro, raspberries and snow peas.
Doctors recommend thoroughly washing fresh produce before eating it to help reduce the risk of infection.
For many people, symptoms can be managed at home, and antibiotics are also effective, according to Winter.
He said patients with severe diarrhea should let their doctor know about their symptoms because many routine stool tests do not automatically screen for cyclospora.
“Most stool tests in laboratories don’t look for this. So you want to be sure and tell your doctor, I’ve got this, quote, explosive diarrhea. I’m cramping, I feel like hell, I have all this fatigue,” Winter said.
While the infection is uncommon, Winter said it can be especially difficult for those who become sick.
“It’s rare, but boy when you get it, it is tough,” Winter said.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.
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