The holidays are behind us, the district races are heating up and we’re entering that oh-so-brief brief time of year when basketball is king in Texas. 

For the next six weeks, we will be focusing entirely on area hoops, keeping tabs on the developing playoff picture and which of our area teams has the best shot of reaching the state tournament. 

As always, that should prove interesting, given that the Big Country perennially has a handful of teams with a chance of reaching the Final Four. 

Top Upcoming Matchups: Tuesday night, it’s difficult not to like the matchup between Class 1A No. 24 Aspermont (18-2) and No. 25. Hamlin (15-6) — the winner of which will have a leg up in District 14-1A. This game is particularly important for AHS, which can help its own cause greatly by defending its home turf.