Cold weather has postponed high school basketball games early this week.
But last week, hot-shooting performances by two freshmen highlighted the week.
Bishop Gorman’s EJ Coppock and Palestine Westwood’s Kavian Bryant — both in their first year of high school basketball — earned Tyler Morning Telegraph Boys Basketball Player of the Week honors for games played Jan. 8-13.
Coppock averaged 25.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals in wins over Yavneh Academy and Plano Coram Deo Academy.
Coppock had 11 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals in the 79-71 triple-overtime victory over Yavneh on Thursday. He followed that up on Saturday by hitting a school-record 12 3-pointers in a 92-50 victory over Coram Deo on Saturday. Coppock finished with 39 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Bryant averaged 33.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.0 steals in wins over Groesbeck and Fairfield.
Bryant opened the week with 21 points, seven rebounds, four assists and seven steals in an 86-19 win over Groesbeck. He followed that up with 46 points, five rebounds, six assists and a steal in an 81-70 victory over Fairfield. It was Bryant’s second 40-point performance of the season.
In other outstanding performances in the area last week (nominated by coaches):
Tyler Legacy’s Ja’Corian Oes averaged 21.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 3.5 steals and 1.0 block in wins over North Forney and Rockwall. Jayden Jones averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 steals. He also scored his 1,000th career point in the win over Rockwall. Gage Nuckolls averaged 10.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals.
Palestine’s Perry Cole had 22 points, 14 rebounds and four steals in a win over Rusk. Gerrle Adams had 19 points, seven rebound and two steals. K’Mari Gipson had 16 points, six rebounds, five steals and three blocks.