THE COLONY, Texas — DaKari Spear has a legacy to uphold at The Colony High School.

The junior guard has two older siblings who made their marks with the Cougars. 

His sister Jewel scored over 2,500 points during her prep career. She’s now a standout at the University of Tennessee. His brother Kahliel also played Division I basketball at Robert Morris University.

Their examples helped turn DaKari’s love of basketball into a passion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Not being able to leave the house and go anywhere just drove me to just work out a lot in my backyard with my brother and sister,” Spear said.

Five years later, Spear has become one of the top players in Texas in the class of 2026. 

“Just trying to make it for them,” said Spear about his family’s influence. “All the sacrifices day in, day out. Early mornings, late nights, and just all the money they spent throughout my career so far with AAU and school ball.”

Spear already has nearly 20 scholarship offers from power conference schools. 

“I feel like I can play in any conference. The SEC, ACC, Big 10, Big 12,” Spear said. 

He said bringing energy and defense to the next level is a priority, along with expanding his game as a combo guard.

“Anybody at that level can score the ball,” Spear said. “It’s really going to be what can you do to make yourself stand out.”