Richmond Heights’ run to three straight state championships has been fueled by their big three of guards in Dorian Jones, De’Erick Barber and Demarris Winters. The three have been the life blood of the Spartans. All three can run the offense, score from inside and out and work the boards if needed. In the preseason, Jones and Barber announced their commitments to Ohio State and UTEP, respectively. Winters joined his teammates in announcing his commitment this preseason, as he took to his social medias to announce his commitment to Texas Rio Grand Valley (UTRGV) on Sept. 18. 100% committed pic.twitter.com/uasPnZL4hN — Demarris Winters (@Dem0fficial) September 18, 2024 Winters, a three-star recruit according to 24/7 Sports, chose the Vaqueros over offers from Akron, Arizona State, Ohio and Tulane. What made them stand out was their plan for the future as the team is also transitioning from the Western Athletic Conference to the Southland Conference. “I feel like what made UTRGV the right fit for me was ultimately the coaching staff and the blueprint they set for me,” Winters said. “They told and also showed me ways they would utilize me within the team. They also gave me confidence in some areas of my game that others didn’t see.” Winters’ commitment not only ends the key trio’s commitments for the Spartans, it allows them to focus completely on the season with no lingering questions. They are on a quest to be the first team in boys basketball history to win four straight state championships. While none of the three are going to the same school, Winters shares the same excitement for his future that he does his teammates. The three have been intricate not just to Richmond Heights’ run over their time there but also the development of themselves. Being able to grow as players together helped them all be ready to take the next steps in their journey. “First, all of us committing is a blessing and I love my brothers. We definitely talked about our commitments before with each other and we all felt comfortable with our decisions after we went over it,” Winters said. “The opportunity presented itself, and we all took the step that we’ve been talking about since ninth grade. My teammates have helped me prepare just by going at it in practice. The skill and maturity level of us three have allowed all of us to get better. It can be guarding each other, pushing each other in runs or even bumping heads. At the end of the day. we understand we have bigger things to accomplish.” The Vaqueros feature a new coaching staff, headlined by head coach Kahil Fennell, who was an assistant at BYU under Mark Pope, the new head coach of Kentucky. The staff is littered with coaches who have experience at the major and mid-major level who are able to guide Winters’ continued development at the collegiate level. UTRGV has had some recent success, playing in the College Basketball Insider Tournament in 2018 and the CollegeInsider.com Tournament in 2019, where it beat Grambling State, 74-73. But the Vaqueros haven’t posted a winning record since that season. But Winters has confidence, not just in the direction of the program but to be able to play a part in that process early in his career. “With the all new and improved coaching staff coming from BYU and also Vanderbilt, I feel like the style of play would fit perfectly,” Winters said. “In the future, we’ll play a fast pace of basketball and that’s exactly what we do here at Richmond Heights. With the amazing coaching staff including Coach Anthony Wilkins at my side and also my work ethic on and off the court, it will be a dangerous thing to see in the future. I know they will be able to push me to be the best player I can be and I’m ready for the challenge. I’ll do my best to lead as much as I can and also already have a good relationship with some of my future teammates.”