The Herald/Star’s 2023-24 All-Area Boys Basketball Superlatives

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The Brownsville Herald and Valley Morning Star’s 2023-24 All-Area Boys Basketball Superlatives

Offensive Player of the Year – Julian Johnson, San Perlita

San Perlita’s Julian Johnson displayed his versatility as a scorer with the ability to get buckets from anywhere on the court during his junior season to earn The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star’s 2023-24 All-Area Boys Basketball Offensive Player of the Year.

Johnson led San Perlita to an undefeated District 32-1A championship and was named the district’s most valuable player.

“At the beginning of the year, we had a lot of people that counted us out so we had to make this our year. We went out and brought the district title back home,” Johnson said. “I love to drive, take my guy off the dribble, kicking it out to my shooters, always moving.”

The 6-foot-4 guard upped his game in the postseason with a bi-district victory over D’Hanis, an area-round win over Richards, and a 21-point, 12-rebound, eight-assist game against Rocksprings during a regional quarterfinal.

Johnson also was named to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Class 1A Region IV All-Region Team.

Defensive Player of the Year – Esiah Gracia, Santa Maria

Santa Maria’s Esiah Gracia played a key role for the Cougars on the road to the Region IV-2A tournament for the first time in program history.

The senior guard hit some big shots during Santa Maria’s postseason run, but his ability to stick to opposing scoring threats like glue is what garnered Gracia The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star’s 2023-24 All-Area Boys Basketball Defensive Player of the Year honor.

Gracia, who was on the TABC Class 2A Region IV All-Region team, helped the Cougars capture the District 32-2A title with an unbeaten record in league play before picking up postseason wins over Three Rivers, Johnson City, San Antonio Lee Academy and Sabine Pass.

Sub-5A Player of the Year – Cleveland Smith, Port Isabel

Port Isabel junior point guard Cleveland Smith was the maestro of the Tarpons’ high-level attack this season to finish as The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star’s Sub-5A Player of the Year.

Smith piloted Port Isabel to its second consecutive District 32-4A championship and helped put together a 22-game winning streak that spanned two and a half months.

“I told myself every single game I just want to hustle on the court. I don’t really care about scoring, I don’t really care about that, I care about winning,” Smith said. “I just want to win. I have the mindset to win and I’ll do anything it costs. If it’s rebounds, assists, passing the ball, I just wanted to be the point guard I was.”

Some the brightest moments of Smith’s junior campaign included knocking down five 3-pointers in a 90-58 bi-district playoff win over Alice and a triple-double against Brownsville Jubilee with 20 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and two steals.

The Port Isabel junior point guard also was named to the TABC Class 4A Region IV All-Region team.

Utility Player of the Year – Keyan Lopez, Rio Hondo

Rio Hondo’s Keyan Lopez did it all for the Bobcats during the 2023-24 season to help the program raise its first district championship trophy in 10 years and finishes as The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star’s 2023-24 All-Area Boys Basketball Utility Player of the Year.

“I worked really hard this past offseason, so it feels go to see it come together and get something that shows how hard I’ve worked,” Lopez said. “It’s an honor to be trusted whenever the team needs me. It’s really an honor and I’m just glad they have the faith in me to get us where we need to be.”

Lopez routinely filled the stat sheet as an all-around threat that could score with the state’s best while also locking down defensively.

He earned Dave Campbell’s Mr. Texas Basketball Player of the Week honors after dropping 43 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists and nine steals during a 92-54 win over Monte Alto on Jan. 17.

Lopez was also a member of the TABC Class 3A Region IV All-Region team.

Newcomer of the Year – Nick Zarate, Brownsville Jubilee

Brownsville Jubilee’s Nick Zarate made an instant impact for the Titans during his freshman year to earn The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star’s 2023-24 All-Area Boys Basketball Newcomer of the Year honor.

The 6-foot, 5-inch first-year forward led the Titans in four stat categories with 22.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 2 blocks per game. He also was second on the team with two assists per game.

“After my second game I started seeing double teams,” Zarate said. “It was a good season, but I feel I could have done better. I just want to take this team far in the playoffs.”

Zarate used his size inside to score in the paint but also displayed shooting ability with 40 made 3-pointers on the year. He finished with three games with 30 or more points and had eight games with 14 or more rebounds. He helped Brownsville Jubilee get back into the postseason.

Coach of the Year – Johnny Cipriano, Santa Maria

Santa Maria head coach Johnny Cipriano is The Brownsville Herald/Valley Morning Star’s 2023-24 All-Area Boys Basketball Coach of the Year after leading the Cougars to a District 32-2A championship and into the Elite Eight for the first time in program history.

The Class 2A Cougars struggled out of the gate with a 4-12 record playing up against teams from Class 3A to Class 6A in non-district action, but that experience is what built Santa Maria into a battle-tested squad that went on to reach the fifth round of the playoffs. They finished the season 20-13 and won 16 straight games before their loss in the Class 2A regional championship.

“The first part of the season was a bumpy road going through a lot of ups and downs,” Cipriano said. “Once we got into the playoffs, we were able to execute defensively and hitting from the outside. Going from the beginning of the season, watching their faces, their disappointment in losing games, and then after every playoff game, watching the smiles on their faces — as a coach it was just fulfilling and fun. We had a great group of kids this year that went to practice everyday and did exactly what we asked them to do.”

Santa Maria upset a few teams during its postseason run with wins over Three Rivers, Johnson City, San Antonio Lee Academy and Sabine Pass.