Skip to main content

5 Texas teams in men's NCAA Tournament feature these 28 former Texas high school basketball stars

From Baylor's Ja'Kobe Walter to Houston's L.C. Cryer, these men's college basketball players are set to play in 2024 Big Dance

The 68-team men's NCAA Tournament bracket was released Sunday afternoon, setting in place the bracket for 2024.

Five Texas colleges were included in the field, headlined by No. 1 seeded Houston, and 28 former Texas high school basketball standouts are spread across the Lone Start State's teams going dancing.

Dallas Jesuit leads the way with five former players in the NCAA Tournament, including former Rangers standout Max Abmas, who is leading 6-seed Texas with 17.1 points per game.

Former McKinney standout Ja'Kobe Walter, a McDonald's All-American who played his senior season at Link Academy, leads Baylor with 14.2 points per game.

The first four takes place Tuesday and Wednesday and the first round is spread across Thursday and Friday.

Here are the five Texas college teams in the field, and all 28 Texas high school basketball products among them:

BAYLOR BEARS (3)

Baylor guard Ja'Kobe Walter (4) shoots the ball during the second half against the Iowa State Cyclones at T-Mobile Center on Friday.

Baylor guard Ja'Kobe Walter (4) shoots the ball during the second half against the Iowa State Cyclones at T-Mobile Center on Friday.

Seed: 3; Region: West; First round: Against 14-seed Colgate

Ja'Kobe Walter, McKinney/Link Academy, shooting guard, fr.

Langston Love, Cibolo Steele/Montverde, guard, r-soph.

Caleb Lohner, Flower Mound/Wasatch Academy, forward, sr.

TEXAS LONGHORNS (10)

Texas guard Max Abmas drives to the basket while defended by Oklahoma's Rivaldo Soares during a game at the Moody Center.

Texas guard Max Abmas drives to the basket while defended by Oklahoma's Rivaldo Soares during a game at the Moody Center.

Seed: 7; Region: Midwest; First round: Against (10-seed play-in winner) Virginia/Colorado State.

Dylan Disu, Hendrickson, forward, sr.

Chendall Weaver, Mansfield Timberview, guard, soph.

Max Abmas, Dallas Jesuit, guard, gr.

Gavin Perryman, Dallas Jesuit, guard, r-soph.

Alex Anamekwe, Mckinney, forward, soph.

Preston Clark, Westlake, forward, r-fr.

Ze'Rik Onyema, San Antonio John Jay, forward, jr.

Devon Pryor, PSAT-XEA Academy, forward, fr.

Jackson Prince, Duncanville, guard, fr.

Brock Cunningham, Westlake, forward, gr.

TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS (3)

Texas Tech Red Raiders forward Robert Jennings (25) dunks the ball during the first half against the West Virginia Mountaineers at WVU Coliseum.

Texas Tech Red Raiders forward Robert Jennings (25) dunks the ball during the first half against the West Virginia Mountaineers at WVU Coliseum.

Seed: 6; Region: South; First round: Against No. 11 NC State

Jack Francis, Austin Anderson, guard, soph.

KyeRon Lindsay, Denton Guyer, forward, soph.

Robert Jennings, Texas Alliance of Christian Athletes, forward, soph.

TEXAS A&M AGGIES (5)

Texas A&M guard Wade Taylor IV was a 2,000-point scorer at Lancaster High School.

Texas A&M guard Wade Taylor IV was a 2,000-point scorer at Lancaster High School.

Seed: 9; Region: South; First round: Against 8-seed Nebraska

Hayden Hefner, Nederland, guard, sr.

Wade Taylor IV, Lancaster, guard, jr.

Jaelyn Lee, Paris, guard, r-fr.

Julius Marble, Dallas Jesuit, forward, sr.

Manny Obaseki, John Paul II, guard, jr.

HOUSTON COUGARS (7)

L.J. Cryer, who leads Houston in scoring, set a Morton Ranch High School record with 1,164 points in his senior season. He finished with 3,488 career points in high school — a Houston-area public school record.

L.J. Cryer, who leads Houston in scoring, set a Morton Ranch High School record with 1,164 points in his senior season. He finished with 3,488 career points in high school — a Houston-area public school record.

Seed: 1; Region: South; First round: Against 16-seed Longwood

Jamal Shead, Manor, guard, sr.

Ramon Walker Jr., Shadow Creek, guard, jr.

L.J. Cryer, Morton Ranch, guard, sr.

Kordelious Jefferson, Arlington Martin, guard, fr.

Ryan Elvin, Round Rock Cedar Ridge, guard, sr.

Terrance Arceneaux, Beaumont United, guard, soph.

Joseph Tugler, Cypress Falls, forward, fr.

-- Andy Buhler | andy@scorebooklive.com | @sblivetx