4A SEMIFINAL
Kimball vs. San Antonio Brennan
8:30 p.m. today
KIMBALL
District: 11-4A (second). Record: 22-9. Coach: Royce “Snoop” Johnson.
State titles: 1990, 1996, 1997, 2011, 2012
Previous appearances (last): 10 (2012)
Playoff victories: 69-38 over Bryan Adams; 74-57 over Carrollton Newman Smith; 70-63 over Lincoln; 56-49 over McKinney North; 54-52 over Arlington Seguin
Top players: Keith Frazier, 6-6, G, Sr.; D’Angelo Allen, 6-7, F, Jr.; Trent Brinkley, 6-6, F, Jr.; Jordon Adams, 6-1, G, Sr.; Gabe Lilly, 6-1, G, Sr.
Notable: Kimball’s hopes will rest on the health of Frazier. He was elbowed in the mouth in the third quarter of the Seguin win, helped from the court. Johnson said that Frazier dislodged a tooth, but did not suffer a concussion. If that prognosis changed, Frazier would need to be cleared by a physician and would need to complete the “Return to Play” protocol established by DISD. … Allen, the team’s leading rebounder, is a high-major Division I prospect, with offers from schools such as Marquette, Oklahoma and Georgetown.
BRENNAN
District: 28-4A (first). Record: 39-2. Coach: Tommy Hines.
State titles: None. Previous appearances (last): None
Playoff victories: 61-38 over Boerne Champion; 75-54 over Cedar Park; 76-55 over Austin LBJ; 63-42 over Port Lavaca Calhoun; 59-54 over San Antonio Alamo Heights
Top players: John Azzinaro 5-11, G, Sr.; George King, 6-5, G/F, Sr.; Jordan Murphy, 6-6, G/F, So.
Notable: Brennan, in its third year as a school, advanced two teams to the state basketball tournament this year. Its girls team lost to eventual champ Georgetown in last week’s semifinals. … Brennan scored the first six points in overtime of its regional-final win, after Alamo Heights hit a 3-pointer at the end of regulation. Azzinaro (22 ppg, 6 apg) has signed with Bucknell. King (18 ppg, 12 rpg) and Murphy (14 ppg, 11 rpg) provide scoring and rebounds from the wing. … Hines was an assistant on the San Antonio Jay team that beat Kimball in 2002 4A final on a half-court buzzer beater.
3A SEMIFINAL
Madison vs. Abilene Wylie
1:30 p.m. today
ABILENE WYLIE
District: 4-3A (1st). Record: 34-4. Coach: Russell Perkins
State titles: 0. Previous appearances (last): 1 (2007).
Playoff victories: 73-35 over Pampa; 53-32 over Seminole; 64-55 over Kennedale; 57-55 over Wichita Falls Hirschi.
Top players: Duane Hopper, 6-4, G, Sr.; Mike Lopez, 6-0, G, Jr.; DeAndre Key, 6-2, F, Sr.
Notable: Lopez, who averages 15 points and five assists per game, hit a jumper with 2.3 seconds left to beat Hirschi, 57-55, in the regional final. … Hopper (13 points and seven rebounds per game) was named the MVP of the regional tournament. … 6-6 senior Tyler Hicks (seven points, seven rebounds per game) provides size for Wylie, which has won 15 straight.
MADISON
District: 11-3A (1st). Record: 30-4. Coach: Damien Mobley
State titles: 2 (1997, 2009). Previous appearances (last): 5 (2010).
Playoff victories: 94-47 over Carrollton Ranchview; 75-38 over Roosevelt; 105-82 over Texarkana Liberty-Eylau; 88-65 over Wilmer-Hutchins.
Top players: Admon Gilder, 6-2, G, So.; JD Wallace, 6-8, F, Sr.; Derrick Smith, 6-2, G, Sr.
Notable: Gilder is the team’s leading scorer (averaging 17.5 points), but Madison often has four double-figure scorers per game. … During its 16-game win streak, Madison has won by less than 20 points only twice, against 4A Tyler John Tyler and 5A Garland Lakeview. … In its last state appearance, Madison lost in the 3A final to Lubbock Estacado, 69-63.
CLASS A DIVISION I SEMIFINAL
Triple A Academy vs. El Paso Harmony Science Academy
8:30 a.m. Thursday
TRIPLE A ACADEMY
District: 14-1A Div. I (first). Record: 26-5. Coach: Tim Singleton.
State titles: None
Previous appearances (last): None
Playoff victories: 93-35 over Avery; 80-46 over Muenster; 78-43 over Munday; 87-61 over Stamford
Top players: Jeremiah Jefferson, 6-3, G, Jr.; Tyler Singleton, 6-2, G, So.; Dalyn Mumphrey, 6-7, F, So.; Harrison Henderson, 6-8, F, Fr.
Notable: In its first season affiliated with the UIL, the South Dallas charter school has been the favorite for the state title all season, ranked No. 1 by the TABC since the start of the season. … Triple A led in each of its losses, all coming against playoff teams in 5A, 4A or 3A. Triple A beat 4A El Paso Hanks, 68-51; Hanks finished the season ranked No. 4 in its area by the El Paso Times. … With star guard King McClure out with a dislocated kneecap, the scoring burden falls on Jefferson (19.1 ppg), the younger brother of UConn freshman guard Moriah Jefferson, and Singleton (11.4 ppg, 5.4 apg), whose father, Tim, is the coach and a former starter for Digger Phelps at Notre Dame.
EL PASO HARMONY
District: 7-1A Div. I (first). Record: 26-3. Coach: Mike Gonzales
State titles: None
Previous appearances (last): None
Playoff victories: 78-56 over Forsan; 48-46 over Farwell; 52-50 over Clarendon; 70-51 over Wellington
Top players: Bryan Urrutia, 6-0, G, Fr.; Ivan Gutierrez, 5-11, G, Jr.; Alfredo Rodriguez, 7-3, C, Fr.; Daniel Bustillos, 6-0, F/C, Sr.
Notable: Like Triple A Academy, El Paso Harmony is an open-charter school. The meeting of two charter schools at the state basketball tournament is a first for the UIL. Harmony is in its third year as a basketball program. … Guards Urrutia and Gutierrez are a scoring force, combining to average 45.3 points per game this season. Urrutia averaged 3.2 steals. … Whether 7-3 freshman Rodriguez can be a factor might determine how close this semifinal is. Rodriguez has 100 blocks this season, averaging 8.6 points and 8.7 rebounds. But Triple A Academy’s pace could negate his size.