South Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie, TX) won over 30 games in each of the past two seasons, reaching the regional finals (state semifinals) in 2011/2012.  Sparked by its class of 2013, which features Virginia Tech-bound two-guard/small forward Ben Emelogu , SGP captured a regional title and moved on to the 5A state championship game in 2012/2013.

“It all boils down to senior leadership.  We had six seniors this season, and three were starters,” said South Grand Prairie head coach Brandon Bennett, whose team lost by eight points in the title game to Fort Bend Travis.

“They just responded all year, no matter what the situation as.  That was the special thing about this team.  They were resilient.  There were some times when a lot of teams would pack up and stop playing, but our guys just kept playing.  That comes from the seniors.  They step up and respond, and the young guys follow.”

Emelogu led the team in scoring with an average of around 14 points per game.  The 6’5″, 190-pound senior guard also led the team in rebounding.

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