Texas Basketball's Max Abmas Reuniting vs. Colorado State's Isaiah Stevens in March Madness
CHARLOTTE -- Texas Longhorns guard Max Abmas has become one of the best players in college basketball history since coming of out Jesuit Prep in Dallas in 2019, but everything's coming full circle for him headed into Thursday's first-round matchup against Colorado State in the NCAA Tournament.
Abmas and current Texas reserve guard Gavin Perryman were teammates together at Jesuit and reunited this past offseason after Abmas transferred from Oral Roberts. The two played high school ball against Colorado State Rams guard Isaiah Stevens, who starred at Allen High School in the Dallas area. He'll be looking to lead No. 10 seed CSU to an upset win over No. 7 seed Texas.
While this is hardly the first time collegiate standouts have reunited against each other, Abmas and Stevens have developed a unique relationship that the Allen native says goes "way back" and has continued during past offseason workouts.
Both guys were asked about each other during Wednesday's media availability and delivered eerily-similar responses.
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"We're both from Dallas area, grew up playing against each other in AAU," Abmas said. "Then our senior years in high school, we were in the same district. So we played against each other a couple times then too. Then in college, getting a chance to work out together over with Tyler Ruf a little bit. So we've got a pretty good relationship."
"Yeah, me and Max go way back," Stevens said. "We played against each other in AAU as kids. Our high schools are in the same conference, so we had a lot of matchups, even worked out with each other in the summertime over the past few years."
The mutual praise between the two was also abundant and genuine.
"Excited to compete against him," Abmas said. "He's had a great career. He's one of the elite point guards in the country. So I'm looking forward to competing with him."
Stevens responded.
"He's an electric player," he said of Abmas. "He's been that way since he was young. Can score at all three levels, makes plays for others, super quick and dynamic that way. It's going to be really cool just seeing him out here at this stage, at this level, and just kind of seeing how our journeys have crossed paths again. It's going to be really cool."
You can find pictures of Abmas and Perryman facing off against Stevens in high school at the link here.
No. 7 Texas and No. 10 Colorado State tip-off at 5:50 p.m. CT on Thursday from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
