Originally appeared on Vype.com.

While the football playoffs are in full swing, the basketball tournament season is full of hot games over the Thanksgiving break. There was as appetizer last week as several top-ranked squads were on the courts.

Tompkins won the McDonalds’ Tourney in Pasadena, Texas, while Eisenhower won the Aldine ISD Tourney.

Stay tuned as the VYPE Thanksgiving Classic goes down this weekend, the HoopsGiving Classic on Wednesday night and the Texas Jamboree at Episcopal over the week.

Here’s a quick early-season breakdown.

Cy Falls Eagles — Coach Flores is doing an excellent job at showing trust in his seniors, getting every player engaged and designating roles. The Eagles’ squad look as if they have been playing together though the spring, summer and fall. We all know that there are pros and cons to being in midseason form early on, but only time will tell if that will be an issue for the reigning state champs. A 2-0 start is only the beginning to a very long road to state.

Sam Houston Tigers — Coach Barreras has been fortunate to have a few key pieces enroll who have been missing in the past. This is personally my favorite Tiger team of the Kendric Davis-era. Shooters who can spread the floor, guards that get after it and versatile inside guys who can step outside and make free-throw makes this Sam Houston team a very dangerous team. Taking an early loss to Eisenhower only hurts the record but can build character and hunger that only makes things worse for the next opponent.

Tompkins Falcons — Another year and another head scratching start for one of the most talented rosters in the state. Coach Sanders takes a lot of the pressure of off the players, rightfully so, but in the end, we need to see more consistent production from the cast. CJ Washington has been their most consistent player but with an ACC and BIG12 commit on the roster teammates, evaluators, and onlookers are expecting a lot more from those guys. After a humbling loss to Cy Falls in their season opener Coach Sanders was able to rally the troops to go 5-0 to and capture The McDonalds invitational championship.

Yates — The Lions have well-seasoned seniors to go along with young poised guards. The ability to go deep into their bench and have no drop off in productivity is what makes them dangerous. The Yates press has made national waves in years past but one focal point in this year’s group is not to have any wasted possessions. Coach Wise puts great emphasis into defense and not just because it's fun to watch but because at the end of the game, the team with the most points win.

Dickinson — The Dickinson Gators certainly continue to be a team to keep an eye on throughout the winter to see if the Coach Wilson can get all of his players onto the same page. After only a few games in, the team has already suffered a few internal blows. The Gators have the ability to be a top ten program in the area for the next few years but if they do not get it together soon, they will find themselves on the bottom of the list.

College Park — One of my favorite teams in the 2017-18 season for multiple reasons, but it's disappointing that this team does not know how to win. This roster needs to find balance and make winning plays. The look offs and creating something out of nothing will lead to bad news for all. Everyone in the country knows what Grimes is capable of and the supporting cast should be able to fill in all gaps as they a very talented bunch.

Clear Lake — The Falcons had a powerful statement game in their season opener only to lose their second game to Lamar. Not a knock against Lamar, but at some point teams recognize matchup advantages and expose them. There was a lot of talk about who is the most underrated guard in the city during the Season Opener, but losing a quality head-to-head match up and giving up 40+ points does not help the argument.

Eisenhower & Morton Ranch- Both are playing very well right now but I won't jinx it. Ill hold off my comments until next time.