The Dallas Morning News’ high school boys basketball expert Myah Taylor previews the Dallas area boys basketball season with these top storylines to know.
Top storylinesDuncanville’s new coach
Neiman Ford took the reins of the defending 6A Division I state champion after former coach David Peavy left to lead Florida’s Southeastern Prep.
Ford, who was most recently the Duncanville girls coach, served as the interim head coach for the boys program in the 2022-23 season, when the team finished 29-1 and was ranked No. 1 in the nation by USA Today.
As the girls coach, Ford compiled a record of 64-11 in two seasons. He led the Duncanville girls to a 2024 state title and to the regional finals last year. When Ford was an assistant coach for the Duncanville boys, he won championships in 2019 and 2021.
High School Sports
He has developed several All-Americans and is now tasked with leading the Duncanville boys into the future.
Prep schools still on the rise
Top boys recruits have continued to leave UIL programs for in-or out-of-state prep schools.
When former Duncanville coach David Peavy left for Florida’s Southeastern Prep, he took his stepson, five-star point guard Beckham Black, with him. Four-star Texas Tech pledge Dakari Spear left The Colony to play his senior season at Jermaine O’Neal’s Irving-based Dynamic Prep.
Spear is teammates with five-star junior Marcus Spears Jr., the top player in Texas in the Class of 2027. Dynamic Prep was the runner up in last season’s invite-only Chipotle Nationals tournament.
Oak Cliff Faith Family, which left the UIL last season after winning four UIL state titles, also has its share of top recruits. Faith Family announced in June that it had accepted an invitation to the Nike EYBL Scholastic League, which includes national powers such as Montverde Academy (Fla.), IMG Academy (Fla.) and Long Island Lutheran (NY.) The league has spotlighted future NBA talent, including Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
More boys basketball preview content
SportsDayHS’ 2025-26 preseason area boys hoops rankings: See which teams top our list
top their respective classifications’ rankings.
Celina gets ‘reality check’ as playoffs begin without Bill Elliott amid investigation
Celina’s head coach was placed on leave amid an investigation into his son, who faces charges related to invasive recording and child pornography.
SportsDayHS’ 2025-26 preseason all-area boys basketball team
Five-star Duke pledge Bryson Howard returns to a Frisco Heritgae team that went to the 5A-I state semifinals last season.
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