HUTTO – Next month, area eigth–grade basketball players will be called on to defend the United States as teams from countries around the world gallop in to Round Rock to take on reigning international champs Dark Horse Hoops from Hutto.
Independent basketball club Dark Horse Hoops Empire continues to mount up state, national and even global wins. With three teams that compete locally, three that travel to tournaments outside the region and a staff of six coaches, the club is on its way to building the basketball legacy co–founders Alyssa Barrientez– Wells and Ryan Wells envision.
“We want to leave behind a legacy for the kids we’ve mentored.
None of our five kids actually play for Dark Horse,” Barrientez– Wells said. “We do this for the kids and families we’ve come to know. We mentor them and help each other out and don’t leave anyone behind.
We’re like our own little community, our own little empire.”
In just the last month or so, Dark Horse teams have won championship titles at the National Scouting Report tournament at Texas State University, Next Level May Madness in Georgetown, Primetime Regional in Round Rock, Lace’Em Up Shootout in Georgetown and Great American Shoot Out in San Antonio, all Amateur Athletic Union sanctioned events.
“A dark horse is somebody that is unexpectedly going to compete that you didn’t see coming,” said Wells. “ That’s who we were at first.
You didn’t see us coming. That’s not really who we are anymore, but we’re still riding the name and now when people see Dark Horse on the roster they know we’re going to give them great competition.”
The journey to an empire began when Wells started coaching his first basketball team in 2011 in Round Rock. The family moved to Hutto in 2016, and soon thereafter made the transition to becoming an AAU team.
The number of teams Wells coached grew as boys from as far away as Lampasas began trying out and earning spots.
One of the purposes of playing AAU basketball, according to Wells, is to improve a student’s skills for playing high school ball and being recruited with a scholarship. For that reason, middle and high school Dark Horse teams don’t play during school basketball
season.
“We just had two kids from our original team back in 2011 who just signed their college letter of intent,” Wells said. “Coach Eric Jones, one of our original coaches and founders, his first son EJ just signed to play at Arlington Baptist.”
Even with such emphasis on winning competitions, Dark Horse Hoops players meet only once per week for a 90–minute practice session, rather than having several long sessions weekly. Wells says that is thanks to well– scripted, no–nonsense practice sessions.
“I always tell the kids the hard work you put in behind closed doors, that’s when you win tournaments.
That’s when you play as a team and make a name for yourself.
That’s when you have accountability and integrity and it shows up on tournament days and you flourish,” the coach said.
Fall try– outs will be Aug. 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Round Rock Sports Center, 2400 Chisolm Trail in Round Rock.
Registration begins in July and will be available online at facebook.com/ DarkHorseHoops.
Boys who will be entering fifth grade and up are eligible.
See registration site for information on fees and other requirements.
Dark Horse Hoops founders Alyssa Barrientez-Wells and Ryan Wells (head coach).
