Podcasts
Ep. 156 - GHSA, UIL, CIF Championship Rundown & Young Standouts, Ja's IG Episode & More!
On Episode 156 of the Ballislife In The Paint Show, hosts Ronnie Flores, Ani Umana and Horace Neysmith go hard on state playoffs in Georgia, Texas and California, which are down to their last week!
Horace breaks down the GHSA playoffs and if Cherokee (Canton, Ga.) has a shot against FAB 50 No. 33 Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) in the 7A title game. Horace also breaks down the showdown in 5A between Eagle’s Landing (McDonough, Ga.) and Kell (Marietta, Ga.). Does the winner of this game deserve to be FAB 50 ranked? Horace also talks about the top underclassmen in the other GHSA title game and offers a sneak preview of his Underclass All-American Game set for March 26 in Atlanta. He also dishes on Wheeler's Isaiah Collier and his Mr. Basketball USA candidacy.
Ani goes hard on the UIL State Championships, set for March 9-11 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The event features four FAB 50 ranked teams in its three top divisions and Ani makes his predictions for each! In 6A, No. 8 Lake Highlands (Dallas, Texas) and No. 13 Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas) are on a collision course, but will San Antonio Brennan or DeSoto crash the party? In 5A, No. 40 Kimball (Texas) is the favorite, but Ellison (Killeen, Texas) could be a team to look out for! In 4A, No. 34 Oak Cliff Faith Family (Dallas, Texas) just knocked off No. 38 Carter (Dallas, Texas) in its regional final, but can B.T. Washington (Houston, Texas) get to the final and give Faith Family a real test?
Ron talks about the SoCal and NorCal regional finals set for March 7 and some of the themes and players to watch for. Can Bronny James get to his first CIF state final after the state championships were canceled his freshman year because of COVID-19? Can Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) defeat league foe Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) for the fourth time this season in the SoCal D1 final? Will it be a repeat between FAB 50 No. 7 Centennial (Corona, Calif.) and Modesto Christian (Modesto, Calif.) in the CIF open final on March 11 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento?
The ITP crew also talk about the recent gun incident with the Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant and LeBron James' recent social media comments about Bronny. Where does Morant go from here? Why is LeBron pushing the gas so hard for Bronny?
The ITP crew offers some terrific insight on state championships around the country and Ja's situation, so make sure to tune in to Episode 156 from start to finish!
(0:00) - Intro
(1:31) - Reaction to Ja Morant IG Gun Incident
(9:19) - Horace’s Reaction to Bron’s Bronny Comments
(14:01) - Horace’s on his Underclass All-American Game (3/26)
(18:21) - Horace’s Take on GHSA Title Games (4A-2A)
(19:57) - Horace’s Take on Wheeler vs. Cherokee (7A-5A)
(25:14) - Dish on Isaiah Collier’s Mr. Basketball USA Candidacy
(27:55) - Ani’s Dish on Top UIL 2026 Players Still Alive
(30:09) - Ron’s Update on 2026 Standout Jason Crowe Jr.
(32:08) - Ani’s Dish/Predictions on UIL Final Four (5A-4A)
(40:19) - UIL FAB 50 Update: Every Game Counts!
(46:16) - Ani’s UIL 6A Rundown & Predictions
(51:32) - Ron’s CIF Rundown!
(59:08) - Advice For Seniors Still Looking!
(1:04:31) - Ballislife Podcast Network Shout-out!
(1:05:29) - What are Ron & Ani Looking Forward To?
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