Belton/Williams Classic Stars of the Night
The 3rd annual Belton/Williams Classic, held at Wossman High, had a heavy northeast Louisiana feel with a little south Louisiana mixed in. Friday night (day 3) saw a winner’s bracket consolation game and two semifinals being played. There were some…
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Continue ReadingThe 3rd annual Belton/Williams Classic, held at Wossman High, had a heavy northeast Louisiana feel with a little south Louisiana mixed in. Friday night (day 3) saw a winner’s bracket consolation game and two semifinals being played. There were some star-like, individual performance intermingled with the team wins by Hamilton Christian, Rayville, and Wossman. We will highlight those performances right here as some of the “stars of the night.”
Reggie Jackson / 5’9″ / 2019 / Combo Guard / Hamilton Christian
Jackson is my first “star of the night” because of his game against West Monroe. Hamilton Christian faced adversity after point guard Michael Thomas fouled out in the third and Jackson stepped up. During the fourth quarter, Jackson attacked the rim with reckless abandon drawing the defense on several occasions. He also showed the ability to finish through contact at the rim. As a matter of fact, he scored the last five points of the game with two layups in that fashion (one was an and-1). His versatility to facilitate and finish shows the various components to Jackson’s game. His team high of sixteen (7 in the 4th) also displays his ability to be a clutch performer. A definite reason he is a star of the night.
Jadais Richard / 6’2″ / 2022 / Forward / West Monroe High School
West Monroe probably came into the game against Hamilton Christian slightly undermanned. The football team is playing in the state championship so they might be missing a player or two. Well, in their absence, freshman Jadais Richard manned the paint like an upperclassman. Hamilton Christian had trouble keeping Richard off the boards. He has the knack to carve out space for rebounding on either end. Richard also showed a toughness that the Rebel front court needed. Whether it was stopping penetration or contesting layups, Richard provided that. Even though he missed some layups, he finished through contact and running the wing. Richard led the Rebel front court with 15 points along with providing needed toughness. Definitely a star of the night performance.
Devonte Austin / 6’0″ / 2021 / Combo Guard / Wossman High School
During the first semifinal of the night, Devonte Austin put on a high quality performance against Richwood. It was not that he overwhelmed the Rams with just one thing. Austin did several things well in route to a 20-plus point night. He started the game finding shooter Rayson Robinson on the wing. Next, he hit a three from the wing. When Richwood defenders started to hedge out, Austin immediately took the ball to the rim and finished in traffic. Austin even got out on the break after steals coming from stellar on ball defense. Simply put, Austin did everything well. He performed so well that not only is he a star of the night, he is one of the better players I have seen this season.
JaMichael Wilson / 6’5″ / 2019 / Wing / Rayville High School
JaMichael sometimes get lost in the talk about Rayville’s success. On Friday night, he gave everyone a reminder that he is one of the better players in the state and not just on his team. His perimeter shooting was superb on this night with three three pointers. His defense was also on point as his ability to switch on small guards and wings caused problems for the Ouachita shooters most of the game. He also rebounded the ball well. His 22 point night was one of the main reasons Rayville dominated the game from beginning to end. Wilson’s performance during the second semifinal will probably remind coaches at the next level that he can be a value piece for a college program. He definitely showed why he was one of the stars of the night.
The Belton/Williams Classic will conclude on Saturday night with the Wossman-Rayville final at 6:15. A win in this game may propel the winner into a nice winning streak before district starts. Look for action like this to continue throughout the rest of the tournament season.