Kentucky commit Tyrese Maxey had a choice of attending any high school he wanted because Texas allows students to make that choice. In junior high, Maxey and his current high school basketball teammates all opted to go to the same school – South Garland. It was the only school that had openings for them all and Maxey’s father was also one of the coaches there.
“They had always played against each other but thought they could come together on one team and win a state championship,” Denyse Maxey said. “They almost did last year but had a heartbreaking loss in overtime in the semifinals. He won’t talk about it but he broke the state record set in 1972 with 46 points in that game.
“He was amazing. Sometimes I watch him and think he’s done a good job. Other times I’m even amazed by what he can do.”
Now Kentucky fans will have a chance to see how “amazing” the 6-3, 185-pound Maxey is because he’ll be playing three games in Marshall County Dec. 28-29. He’ll play one game Dec. 28 before South Garland plays two games on Dec. 29 in the Marshall County Holiday Classic.
“I know Kentucky fans are going to love him as a player because of the way he plays. But I also hope they love him for who he is because he’s really a good kid with a big heart and he’s going to enjoy BBN a lot,” Maxey’s mother said.
South Garland went 36-3 last year and finished as runner-up in Class 6A last season. South Garland beat Sunrise Christian 77-71 last year. If that doesn’t impress you, consider that Sunrise beat Oak Hill Academy – and current UK freshman Keldon Johnson – last year.
Maxey, a five-star combo guard, was named Offensive Player of the Session after averaging 24 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.9 steals per game during the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League’s stop in Indianapolis this summer and was on Team USA that won a gold medal in the under 18 FIBAS Americas Championship.
He averaged 22.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocked shots per game last year for South Garland.
Garland’s teammate, shooting guard Chris Harris, is a three-star player who averaged 19.1 points per game last year. The 6-4 Harris has verbally committed to Texas A&M.
More details on the game pairings Dec. 28-29 will be released soon and advance tickets will be sold during the upcoming Marshall County Hoopfest Nov. 29-Dec. 1. That event will include another UK commit, Dontaie Allen of Pendleton County, will play against host Marshall on Dec. 1. Kentucky recruiting target James Wiseman of Memphis will also play Dec. 1 in Hoopfest.
“I amlooking forward to that. There is going to be some good competition,” Allen said. “I have always heard about it. To be able to play in it will be huge. I hope a lot of our fans come and I think they will because people here are excited. Everybody knows how big basketball is in Marshall County and I think a lot of Kentucky fans will probably come out to see me play.”
Those same UK fans will turn out to watch Maxey, too.
Playing in a special event like this is why Maxey didn’t reclassify to the 2018 recruiting class as he was encouraged to do by his parents. His parents made him quit playing football in middle school to concentrate more on academics and that push gave him the option to reclassify. However, he wanted to spend his senior year with his friends at South Garland.
“We actually did our best to push him to leave (high school) early. But it was his choice, his life and we did not want to do anything where he one day might say, ‘My parents made me do this.’ He loves his friends,” Denyse Maxey said. “He’s Garland born and bred. He loves the city. He wanted to finish what he started with the guys he started it with.”