Louisiana Div. I All-State Selections
First Team:
Caleb Daniels 6’3 G 2017 St. Augustine
Daniels’ spent most of last summer and pre-season out with a foot injury, but if you watched him down the stretch of the season you would have never known. He is just as athletic and explosive as ever. It is rare that you see that combination of athleticism and polish still available this late in the recruiting cycle.
Latrell Jones 6’4 G 2017 Shaw
Latrell might not have had a lot of team success this year, but he balled out. He can get a bucket virtually any time he wanted. He is very athletic and at 6’4 can get a shot up at any time. Even though the talent around him wasn’t great, he still tried his best to get others involved, and I think he will have a lot of success at the next level being able to both score and distribute.
Ryghe Lyons 6’9 F 2017 John Curtis
Lyons was one of the top big men in the state this season, and it is easy to see why. He has a very unique skill set for his size, and he is capable of stretching the floor very effectively. He has filled out his thin frame from last season, and that has helped, as he was moved off his spot easily in the past.
Tyrece Radford 6’3 G 2018 McKinley
For both McKinley and Louisiana basketball fans, it is really a shame that Radford was out so long this season. Radford showed at his peak just what he is capable of in the Top 28, attacking Scotlandville possession after possession, and even a great defensive team didn’t have anything to throw at Radford to knock him off his game. At the next level, his lack of jumpshot might hurt him, but for now he is nearly unstoppable getting to the rim.
Javonte Smart 6’4 G 2018 Scotlandville
If you don’t know about Javonte Smart by now, then you just don’t like Louisiana basketball. Smart is only the fifth player in Louisiana state history to win multiple Gatorade Player of the Year Awards, and still has a chance to be the state’s first time 3x winner. This season he averaged 25 ppg, 8.6 rpg, and 6.4 apg. Those are historic numbers, and he has a chance to go down as the best guard in state history.
Second Team:
Timothy Bedford 6’4 G 2017 St. Paul (Texas St. football commit)
Bedford has had a great career for St. Paul’s, and he has the potential to go down as one of the best players in school history. The slashing guard eclipsed the 1,000 point mark earlier this season.
Jaylen Hawkins 5’6 G 2017 Scotlandville
Jaylen Hawkins did as well a job of molding his game around what the team needed as anyone can. With Javonte Smart on his team, the ball wasn’t in his hands a ton, so he did a good job of making himself into a 40%+ 3 point shooter and a lockdown defender. When the ball was in his hands, he did a good job making decisions, and he showed an ability to get to the rim with ease.
Parker Edwards 6’2 G 2018 St. Paul
Edwards was the leading scorer for St. Paul this season, and it is easy to see why. He has as sweet a stroke as you will find in Louisiana, but shooting isn’t all he can do. This season he split point guard duties with Tim Bedford, but next season will transition to main ball handler.
Kai Morgan 6’2 G 2017 John Curtis
Morgan is another player that can really knock it down from outside. He is a thick guard with a very smooth game. It is very hard to force Morgan to turn the ball over, and it is rare for him not to play at his own pace.