Duncanville High School boys basketball team opts out of this season's playoffs
DUNCANVILLE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – Duncanville High School will not be playing in this season's playoffs – the district's superintendent announced on Friday.
It comes just weeks after the UIL stripped the boys basketball team of last year's state championship and put it on probation because of an ineligible player.
"We're one of the best teams in the country, if not the best," Duncanville High School varsity captain Jackson Prince said. "We put in all the hard work."
Prince says the team doesn't understand why the district would opt out of post season play.
"We're 16 to 18-year-old kids and it's just distressing that we're getting caught up in the politics of all this," he said.
"We just feel powerless in the situation," player Aric Demings said. "We feel the most affected, but also the most neglected."
In a statement, Duncanville ISD Superintendent Dr. Marc Smith said:
"The decision comes after the UIL stripped the team of its 2022 Class 6A state championship and placed the team on three years' probation after ruling the team used an ineligible player.
The family of the player sought and received six court orders from four different courts to allow him to keep playing. Duncanville ISD was not a party to the legal action, nor did it challenge the UIL's earlier decision or take any legal action against the UIL. This was a legal dispute between a player, his family, and the UIL. At all times, Duncanville ISD followed the court orders."
The player, Anthony Black, now plays for Arkansas. Last year, he was ineligible due to the nature of a transfer from Coppell to Duncanville. However, a court order nullified the decision and Black went on to play.
The UIL is also suspending the team's head coach for a year and putting girl's head coach on suspension for a year for allegedly violating a recruiting rule.
"I just think that this is their senior year," parent Tarasha Holland said. "They've been at the school since freshman. They've been loyal to the school since their freshman year."
Parents and players now asking the UIL to step in.
"Reverse that decision," Holland said. "These boys haven't done anything wrong to have their season taken away from them the way that it has."
The team says the district's decision will not affect how they play during the regular season. Their first game is Saturday.
They hope all of this won't hurt any recruiting efforts.
