Central Texas boys basketball teams are in the thick of district play as the calendar enters 2026.
Texas
Texas A&M Holds Off Pitt for Road Win in ACC/SEC Challenge
Fast tempo against slow tempo.
A matchup where the SEC clashes with the ACC. Texas A&M and Pittsburgh.
The Aggies got the better of the Panthers at the Peterson Events Center on Tuesday night to add another important win to the resume.
With the 81-73 victory, it is now the second straight win over an ACC school, and it was only the second time that Pittsburgh had lost at home this season. Senior Rashaun Agee electrified A&M on offense with 21 points and 13 rebounds to post another double-double.
Going into the contest, coach Jeff Capel had done a good job in his eighth season, getting the Panthers to average 71.5 points per game while giving up 66.5. When coach Bucky McMillan’s team came rolling into the evening, it held its opponent to right around the 70-point mark and increased the numbers Pitt had been giving up, producing plenty of offense to walk away pleased.
Entering a hostile environment, the Aggies were seventh in the country in 3-pointers per game with 12.1, ninth in free throws with 22.0, and 11th in turnovers created with 17.62. In those categories, the squad assembled nine 3-pointers, made 20 free throws on 22 attempts, and forced 11 turnovers.
Starting the night, the Aggies picked up where they left off against the Seminoles, continuing to shoot from behind the arc, beginning a 10-1 run started by sophomore Ruben Dominguez and junior Mackenize Mgbako, who combined for two made threes from downtown.
Two of Pittsburgh’s best players, guards Omari Witherspoon and Barry Dunning Jr., kept their team in the game, combining for nine of the first 10 points. It was a back-and-forth game after that, where Agee finished the quarter out strong with a solid layup, mid-range jumper, and crazy dunk, where A&M went to the locker room leading 35-33. From the field, A&M only shot 39.4 percent and 38.5 percent from three.
In the second half, the Aggies let the Panthers fall behind 12 points, with the lead getting extended to 57-45, before a technical foul that did not go in favor of McMillan’s team.
After the lead faded, A&M got careless on defense and let Pittsburgh go on a 15-0 run to take a 61-57 lead. Transfer guard from Kansas, Zach Clemence, finally stopped the scoring drought with a layup and free throw to get back within one.
Texas A&M guard Rylan Griffen took back the lead after a quiet night, getting himself a layup and going to the free throw line, making both of his shots. After that, Pittsburgh was unable to push the accelerator to get to the final destination, where A&M ended on a 17-10 run to close the night out.
Ending the night, A&M out-rebounded Pittsburgh on the offensive and defensive side, generating 22 defensive rebounds and 14 offensive rebounds. There were 15 fast-break points tallied, 17 points scored off turnovers, and 32 paint points, which were among the reasons A&M now has its seventh win of the season.
A&M is back on the road against another ACC team, SMU, on Sunday, Dec. 7, at 4 p.m. on ESPN2.
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.
With nearly all of the college football world thrust into the 2026 offseason, Texas A&M football is in the middle of a nationwide arms race that will determine the ability for a sustained playoff campaign this next year.
For head coach Mike Elko, an incredibly pressing need is the defensive line, which will be heavily depleted this next season. From losing Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year Cashius Howell to depth pieces along the defensive line, the Aggies have a need that must be addressed.
Therefore, Northwestern transfer Anto Saka presents a perfect opportunity for Elko and his staff to develop him into an SEC-caliber defender, and he has the measurables to back it up. Now, he’s set for a visit to College Station.
D-Line U?
A&M has had its fair share of players going off to enjoy successful careers in the NFL, but as of late, those players are becoming indomitable forces on the defensive front. In fact, Aggie alum Myles Garrett just finished setting the single-season record for sacks, and Washington outside linebacker Von Miller is still getting the job done in his 15th season with 9 sacks.
Consensus All-American Cashius Howell is on track to go in the first 50 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft, which could easily draw Saka to commit to the program that Elko is building from the ground up.
Elko has showcased his ability to develop players such as Howell, and Saka could follow a similar blueprint. The six-foot-four, 255-pound edge has been making an impact since the day he stepped foot on Northwestern’s campus, and he racked up 12 sacks in his three years as a Wildcat.
His junior campaign was his least productive in terms of sacks, but he still managed to force two fumbles and create disruption on the defensive line for the rest of his supporting cast to make an impact as well.
NFL talent in college quickly equates to success and championships, and the more that the Aggies can bring home to College Station, the easier it will be to get to where they want to be as a program. Adding a defender like Saka would bring an all-around pass rusher who is built for any situation.
Saka’s build is very similar to that of Howell’s, and although it would be crazy to anticipate a player replicating his success, the only way folks would know is if he decides to make Aggieland his final stop in college.
Texas
Some Venezuelans in North Texas celebrate Maduro’s capture, hopeful for the future: “We know this is just a first step.”
The celebration continues among the Venezuelan community in the Dallas-Fort Worth area following Nicolás Maduro’s capture. Sunday afternoon, several dozen people gathered at Vitruvian Park in Addison.
“It’s something amazing. You feel relieved because we’ve been in this situation for 27 years,” said Jani Mendez. “We’re glad this country. They opened their arms to us, but we’re here because it was a necessity; because we- they- were afraid to be in Venezuela.”
Among the crowd was a Venezuelan politician, Angel Caridad.
“I’ve been in the United States for five years now,” said Caridad. “We had to flee because our lives were in danger. My house was shot up.”
According to data from the U.S. Census, Texas has the second-largest population of Venezuelans in the U.S., behind Florida. An estimated 122,000 Venezuelans live in the state, with approximately 20,000 in the DFW area.
“At this moment at this point, all my family is here. I brought all my family because I was scared something happened to them,” said Mendez.
Many celebrating also say this is something they are doing for those in Venezuela who cannot.
“Imagine not being able to express how you feel, or not being able to say what you think, simply because you’ll be accused of being a terrorist,” said Maria Huerta.
Those attending were also asked their thoughts on the U.S. running Venezuela during the transition.
“It’s very good, it’s very important, and it’s very necessary,” said Caridad.
“We know this is just a first step, and many things still need to happen and will happen over the next few days, but knowing that the person at the top has been taken down is a relief,” said Huerta.
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