LHSAA Class 4A Tournament Preview
2016 Allstate Sugar Bowl/LHSAA Boys' Top 28 Basketball Tournament Class 4A Above you’ll see the link to get to the bracket for the respective class in this article. Class 4A is another class that has seen it’s state champion move…
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Continue Reading2016 Allstate Sugar Bowl/LHSAA Boys' Top 28 Basketball Tournament Class 4A
Above you’ll see the link to get to the bracket for the respective class in this article. Class 4A is another class that has seen it’s state champion move to another class after the shuffle that occurs each two seasons happened. That means the door is wide open for a new champion and quite frankly, it could be a number of teams who make a run to the Top 28 and a state championship. There may not be a frontrunner in 4A so that means we’re set for one exciting event where a hot team could make history. All roads lead to Lake Charles where the final four for each of the seven classes make up the Top 28. With future changes on the horizon, this may be the last season we see things play out this way in the state of Louisiana.
Class 4A
This has been one crazy season in 4A where the 1 seed and battle for #1 in the Power Rankings has been a wild one. Couple that with a team that had to forfeit wins missing the playoffs after being in the Top 10 at times and you’ve got yourself the making of a great tournament. Some traditional powers have struggled while others have made a rise back to the top. Meanwhile, two of the tougher match-ups have had up and down seasons and are looking to finish it off right.
The number 1 seed ended up being St. Thomas More and it took them winning a one game playoff in district to secure it. They are led by multiple seniors and a young prospect in the making. The two seniors to keep an eye on are 6’1 guard DeVante Benjamin and 6’6 big man William Vincent. Vincent’s improvement has been key for this squad. Add in young 2018 point guard at 6’1 Jonathan Cisse and you have the right mix of youth and veterans to make a run. STM is the last team to win a title in 4A that is currently in 4A and that was in 2013 over district rival Northside. Northside is led by 2 seniors as the 8th seed in a potential quarterfinal match-up for the 4th time this season. Those senior guards are both 6’0 in Brandon Ellis and Darius Randell. Ellis is the point guard and Randell often carries the load scoring.
The 2 seed Washington-Marion team has played a tough schedule as well. The 6’2 junior high jumper Christian Edwards is the leading scorer for WM at over 15 points per game. They have two seniors in double digits scoring and another junior as well.
One of the teams to watch is the 3 seed Edna Karr squad. They are as physical as any team in the state and have played on of the rougher schedules in all classes. At 20-12, the record shows but they are battle tested and led by multiple talented seniors. In the backcourt is 6’3 Northwestern State commit Tyree Thompson and 6’0 scorer Vincent Phillips. Nicholls State football signee at defense end mans the middle, 6’6 Devin Edinburgh.
Bossier is the 4 seed and took care of Neville in the first round last night. They are another team with size but are led by 6’0 senior guard Larry Robinson. Inside is 2017 6’7 Chris Davenport who will be tough for a lot of teams to handle. The 5 seeded A.J. Ellender team has some winning history and have a heck of a duo in 6’4 junior guard Tae Martin (UNO Commit) and 6’6 senior forward Quentin Scott.
Breaux Bridge as the 7 seed had a great turnaround season and has LSUA commit in senior 6’4 guard Ignatius Patt who has averaged over 18 points per game this season while the 7 seeded Tioga has 6’0 point guard Caleb Hebert and a host of other seniors who have been through the fire for this tough nosed team. They could face a very tough McDonogh 35 team in the 2nd round which means senior 6’5 UMass signee at point guard Dejon Jarreau. That’s one of the more dangerous 10 seeds around.
Other players to watch are St. Martinville’s 6’7 senior forward Javante Walker, LaGrange’s 6’6 junior forward J’Son Brooks, and Carencro’s 6’2 senior guard Araden Adams. Last season’s runner-up lost at the buzzer and have already been eliminated in a 45-44 loss last night. That’s Salmen who was led by 6’1 senior point guard John Norvel.