LHSAA Second Round Predictions: 5A
1) Natchitoches Central vs. 16) Denham Springs
This is going to be the second matchup between these two 5A teams. Natchitoches Central came away with the 69-39 decisive victory the first time around, and I don’t see any reason why the results should change this time.
PHLA Pick: Natchitoches Central
9) Comeaux vs. 8) New Iberia
This is the 2nd time that these two district rivals square off. The last time they played, just three weeks ago, Comeaux was able to come away with the win on New Iberia’s home floor. However, last time Comeaux was able to hold New Iberia to their lowest point total of the whole season. While I don’t think that Comeaux is going to be able to hold them under 35 again this game, I think that Comeaux has too much size and experience for New Iberia to handle.
PHLA Pick: Comeaux
5) East Ascension vs. 21) Southwood
Southwood was able to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the first round when they got the win over 12th seeded Central Lafourche. However, I don’t think that their cinderella story lasts beyond the first round. Southwood was a very poor matchup for Central Lafourche which is why I picked them for the upset. However, East Ascension is a much bigger beast. The Spartans might have the two best players in this matchup, and that is usually a bad thing for the other team.
PHLA Pick: East Ascension
13) St. Amant vs. 4) Walker
This is another 2nd matchup of the year, and another example of the results being right the first time around, Walker got a nearly 30 point win the first time around 81-55. While I think this game is going to be quite a bit closer this time, I still see Walker getting a win in the 8-12 point range.
PHLA Pick: Walker
3) Landry Walker vs. 19) Dutchtown
Dutchtown was one of my biggest upset picks of the first round, and that came down mostly to matchups. I didn’t think that Lafayette High would have anyone on their team to matchup with 2019 6’6 F Nick Caldwell, and I was right, with him going for 19 point in the 2nd half on the way to a win. However, Landry-Walker has multiple 6’6+ guys to throw at Caldwell, including the state’s best defender in my opinion Semaj Matthews. I think that Caldwell will struggle in this game, and Dutchtown will struggle as a result.
PHLA Pick: Landry-Walker
11) Slidell vs. 6) HL Bourgeois
HL Bourgeois was just barely able to avoid disaster in the first round, getting only a 3 point victory over LaGrange. Not a very impressive showing for the 6th seed, but I think that they were seeded a bit too high and deserve to be closer to the 10-15 seed. I think this is really a coin toss game, so I will give it to the Braves at home. However there are only 1-2 teams left in 5A that I wouldn’t pick over HL the rest of this year. I don’t see them getting past the next round even if they win in this one.
PHLA Pick: HL Bourgeois
7) Bonnabel vs. 10) Thibodaux
This is going to be a pretty tough matchup for Bonnabel, as Thibodaux relies on a lot of senior experience and physically mature players. Jaquan Wagner is one of the few players in the state that I think will be able to bully Freshman phenom Will Allen for Bonnabel. Bonnabel has also lost 3 players to eligibility issues from playing in an AAU tournament in January (be careful who you trust outside of school ball), However, Bonnabel still has the two best guards, so I will take them in a close one, but I wouldn’t be very surprised if Thibodaux came away with the upset.
PHLA Pick: Bonnabel
18) West Monroe vs. 2) Ouachita Parish
In a very similar situation last year, Ouachita Parish was the 2nd seed and played West Monroe in the playoffs to keep their season alive. West Monroe was able to get the win last season, going onto the Final 4. However, I don’t think that Ouachita Parish is going to let that upset happen two years in a row. This will be the third matchup between these two district foes this year, with Ouachita Parish winning by 8 both of the first two times.
PHLA Pick: Ouachita Parish