UIL 6A Area Round: Standout Forwards and Bigs

I was able to make it out to two 6A area round playoff games this week. The Denton Braswell Bengals earned a 60-34 win over the Arlington Bowie Volunteers on Thursday, and the Plano East Panthers defeated the Richardson Eagles 78-39 on Friday. There were several individuals who caught my attention during these matchups. With that in mind, here are seven standout prospects from the second round of postseason action. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="135370" first="Alisa" last="Williams"] | 2022 | 6’2’’ Small Forward/Power Forward | Denton Braswell HS</strong> - Williams showed off her all-around game on Friday with an 18-point, 7-rebound, 2-assist performance. She came out of the gates locked in. The LSU commit was terrific in the post, knocked down some mid-range jump shots, and scored at the rim off the dribble. She is comfortable handling the ball on the perimeter and in the open court and is a sneaky good passer and decision maker. Furthermore, she has an explosive first step that can catch opposing post players off guard. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="391609" first="Torie" last="Sevier"] | 2023 | 6’4’’ Power Forward/Center | Denton Braswell HS</strong> - Sevier possesses fantastic size and length. She boasts a wiry frame, solid mobility, and a real knack for utilizing her height to finish through traffic. She consistently scored over the top with tremendous body control for her size. Beyond that, the Braswell junior was fabulous as both a rebounder and rim protector. On defense, Sevier was great about staying vertical when challenging shots, really discouraging Arlington Bowie from getting into the paint and forcing them to settle for jump shots. She ended the night with a double-double, recording 10 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="158866" first="Kennedy" last="Evans"] | 2024 | 5’10’’ Small Forward | Denton Braswell HS</strong> - Evans was productive in a variety of areas on Thursday, finishing the game with five points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and four steals. As a playmaker, she was great at threading the needle for some brilliant assists. I loved her willingness to always make that one extra pass to get a great look on offense. At the other end, the sophomore wing displayed outstanding perimeter defense, looking engaged and showing active hands. Additionally, she isn’t afraid to be physical at either end. <strong>Idara Udo | 2023 | 6’0’’ Power Forward/Center | Plano East HS</strong> - Udo once again blew me away with her touch in the paint. She is so good at establishing positioning in the post and converting. Her back to the basket game is so strong, and she is decisive when receiving a touch down low. She got things rolling for Plano East in the first quarter and dominated her matchup from start to finish. Her efficiency and effectiveness were phenomenal. <strong>Ada Anamekwe | 2022 | 5’11’’ Small Forward/Power Forward | Plano East HS</strong> - Anamekwe’s overall athleticism is off the charts. She can run and jump with the best of them and does so in an incredibly smooth way. She crashes the glass hard and is a big contributor as a rebounder. The senior forward also defends multiple positions at a high level. She showed that she can drain catch-and-shoot threes as well on Thursday. She is versatile, energetic, and deserving of more praise for doing a lot of the dirty work for her team. <strong>Alaisha Brown | 2023 | 5’9’’ Small Forward | Arlington Bowie HS</strong> - Despite suffering a pretty big loss, Brown was brilliant vs. Braswell on Thursday. She displayed a potent offensive game highlighted by her three-level scoring ability. The Bowie junior has some good shake as a ball handler and knows how to get to her spots and knock it down. She also operates as a point forward at times and showed some terrific playmaking when doing so. Moreover, Brown was an active defender who came away with some crafty blocks against Braswell. She is an all-around two-way player with a killer instinct that you simply can’t teach. This is a prospect with the potential to fly up the rankings this summer. <strong>Ciera Hanks | 2024 | 5’9’’ Power Forward | Richardson HS</strong> - Hanks had a solid outing on Friday, posting seven points and eight rebounds in what would prove to be Richardson’s season Finale. The sophomore forward battled in the post at both ends. She pulled down some impressive defensive rebounds and managed to get to the foul line where she was an excellent free-throw shooter. It was not Richardson’s night, but Hanks showed a lot of promise for an underclassman.