Players of the Week : Nov. 12 – 19
The high school basketball season got off to a hot start during this past week with regular season and tournament player in classes 1A through 5A. Classes B and C entered their third week of action as well. From Shreveport to Monroe, and parts in between, I saw some awesome individual performances. I am highlighting those performances right here as my players of the week.
Jacoby Decker / 5’8″ / Guard / 2019 / Bossier High School
In his lone game of the week, Jacoby Decker had a 20-plus point scoring outing against the Southwood Cowboys. The reason he is one of my players of the week is because how he went about it. He did not just jack up a bunch of threes. Decker shot floaters, had a couple of steals for buckets, and hit deep jumpers. Jacoby also played the point with precision. He handled pressure when Southwood brought it. Often times he found his teammates for layups after penetration. The floor game he played was stellar to say the least. For that performance, he begins my group of players of the week.
Marvin Young / 6’3″ / Guard / 2019 / Captain Shreve High School
During the Saline tournament game against Atlanta, Young played an all around game. His man-to-man defense was impressive. Marvin got steals playing on the ball and playing havoc in the passing lanes. Because of his length, he was able to rebound well against the smaller guards of Atlanta. Young scored on layups or put backs against the Bulldogs. He could have done more damage than he did offensively. However, because he scored when needed, played good defense, and assisted on other shooters baskets, Young is my another one of my players of the week.
Chanse Robinson / 6’0″ / Guard / 2020 / Lincoln Preparatory School (pictured above)
I retweeted the stat line earlier in the week of a player who had a triple-double in his first outing of the season. So, the next time this player had a game, I figured I would check it out. So I made the trek from Shreveport to Monroe to watch this player. Well, he did not have a triple-double. However, he had a spectacular game. Chanse Robinson only scored 30 points and gathered 16 rebounds in Lincoln Prep’s Hall of Fame game against Richwood. This guy was everywhere. He was on the offensive and defensive boards. Robinson contested layups from guards who thought they were on breakaways. Most of all he did not just score. Robinson made the extra pass for the open shooters. All of this at 6’0″. Two performances of that caliber definitely earn player of the week honors from me.
E’mareyon McDonald / 6’1″ / Guard / 2021 / Red River High School
At the Don Stahl Memorial tournament in Sibley, Red River faced Doyline in the semifinals. Point guard E’maryeon McDonald had a game that was noteworthy because he showed the improvement in his game from one half to the next. In the first half, his team needed scoring. They trailed most of the half but his 4 triples (which was half of Bulldogs point total) kept them in the game. Then, in the second half, he scored only four points. However, he assisted on most of buckets made by Jessie Davis and their cast of others. McDonald showed that he is a guard that can do either. Because of his display of versatility, it is only right that he was one of my players of the week.
Jessie Davis / 6’7″ / Post / 2019 / Red River High School
While E’maryeon McDonald was keeping them in the game offensively, Jessie Davis was holding it down defensively. Davis had his own block party against Doyline with 6 first half blocks. Doyline made it hard for him to score on the interior but he made sure he patrolled the lane to keep them from scoring either. In the second half, Davis displayed why he is one of the top big men in the state. He and McDonald used the high pick-and-roll for several possessions for Davis to score or get fouled. If he did not score off of that action, he followed offensive misses with put back dunks or layups around the rim. Davis finished with 9 blocks and 19 points (15 in the 2nd half). Nineteen ended up being the margin of victory as well. His second half performance deserved player of the week honors.
Honorable Mention Players of the Week
Kehonesty Williams / 5’0″ / Guard / 2022 / Gibsland-Coleman High School & Jamaya Jackson / 5’1″ / Guard / 2021 / Gibsland-Coleman High School
I usually report on boys hoops. However, when I saw these two young ladies, I had to write something about them. Gibsland-Coleman played North Webster in a consolation bracket game that started slowly. Then, Kehonesty Williams hit a three. She followed it with three more triples and all of the sudden it was 12-2. Williams got a couple of steals and scored in transition. Afterwards, her back court mate Jackson picked up the pace. She had a couple of transition steals and made a couple of foul line jumpers. Before I knew it, it was 24-4 Gibsland-Coleman. These two young ladies were clearly the most polished players on the court. When I learned that they were a freshman-sophomore duo, I could not believe it. Their games are mature like those of an upperclassmen. I look for them to become two of the most highly touted players in northwest Louisiana. They are that good. Because they played that well, they had to be included in my players of the week.
With week two action starting today, there will be more basketball action to see on the hardwood. Even in this short week, gyms will be full with prep hoops. One thing is for certain, Prep Hoops Louisiana will be in the gym as well.