Bottom 50 and Unranked Standouts

Some of the best players during the holiday tournaments were not the players who are nationally ranked or have the big name. They were the glue guys or the players who happened to have breakout games. These six players did just that. They are not big time names but they have big time ability and they showed it on the basketball court. Keshaun Lazard / 6'2" / 2021 / Northwest Lazard was one of the better players on the floor during the Northwest Holiday Classic championship game. While he got off to a slow start with just two first half points, Lazard made a big impression in the second half. As far as athletic wings go, Lazard fits that bill. During the game, he thrived off getting into the lane. Once he was successful with his penetration, his jumper started to fall. Lazard also has a very quick second jump. He springs off the floor in rebounding situations. To be honest, there is not much that he can not do offensively. Lazard plays his role well for Northwest. Any success that they have going forward, he will be a big part of it. Michael Moton / 5'11" / 2020 / Huntington Moton has been one of the main reasons the Huntington Raiders are sitting atop the 4A standings. During the holiday tournaments the Raiders participated in, Moton has been a fill in starter, a top defender, and a big shot taker. Earlier in the season he hit the winning three to help Huntington beat Isadore Newman. Since then, Moton has had a knack for making timely plays. During the both holiday tournaments (Airline & Bossier), Moton either made big defensive steals or key layups. While football is probably his best sport, Moton has served as key cog in the Raiders success. Heading into district, look for Moton to again be a significant piece of Huntington's push to the playoffs. Will Bagley / 5'10" / 2021 / Calvary Baptist Shooters shoot! The 2019-2020 version of the Calvary Cavaliers have a starting 5 who let it fly from deep. Starting two guard, Will Bagley, is one who can definitely fill it up. During the holiday tournaments in Lafayette and Bossier, Bagley displayed how well he can shoot it from deep. His ability to get his feet set quickly and his equally quick release give him an offensive advantage many times on the floor. Bagley had double digit scoring games in both tournaments just running the floor and getting to his shooting spots. With Bagley and (Martin) McDowell in the backcourt, Calvary may have the best pair of shooters in the state. For them to win a Division IV title, Calvary will need them to perform as such. Kallin Fonseca / 6'2" / 2020 / Southside Fonseca is another shooter in the same vain as the one listed above him. Fonseca is the Sharks top sharpshooter. Against Teurlings Catholic, Fonseca displayed why I stated so. His preparation before the shot is very good. Whether he is using screens or fading to spots in a zone, Fonseca aligns his feet properly before shooting. His four three pointers, during the Southside win, were all in this textbook manner. He has nice lift on his jumper and his follow through was the same every time. Considering who his coach is (Brad Boyd), Fonseca has probably worked on his shot preparation tirelessly. For Southside to make a run at a playoff spot, they will need Fonseca to continue shooting as he has. Bailey Despanie / 6'2" / 2021 / Carencro One of the better defenders in the holiday tournaments that I attended was Bailey Despanie. The wing/guard harassed everyone he guarded on the perimeter. When it comes to lateraly quickness, Despanie is by far one of the better players I have seen this season. Because he moves his feet so well, he is able to disrupt the ballhandling of any guard he faced. In the game versus Madison Ridgeland out of Mississippi, Despanie took advantage of man-to-man situations in open space gathering steals or causing turnovers. On offense, he can get downhill very quickly and is adept to going to the free throw line. While he does not shoot it like his older brother Lou, Bailey can still fill the stat sheet. His contribution is much needed for the Bears to have success. Kamryn Guidry / 6'7" / 2020 / Northwest Guidry is the 6'7" wiry post for the Northwest Raiders. While he might be somewhat raw offensively, Guidry has a ton of talent. During the championship game against Lafayette Christian, there was a ton to like about him. The first noticable thing is how fast he gets up and down the floor. Guidry changes ends like a smaller wing. He has long strides that make it appear that he has changed ends in three or four steps. His long arms and bounce from the floor allow him to rebound in space or in traffic. Guidry is a big shot blocking presence. The LCA guards knew they had to be a certain distance from Guidry not to get their shot blocked. His defense alone makes him intriguing for a school on the next level. The Raiders hope his attributes will help them to a district title. With district play about to start for most teams, role players will be vital to team success. Some of these players have enough talent to carry their team on any given night to a victory. That also speaks to the talented preps around Louisiana. If players that are unranked or ranked in the bottom third (of the rankings) can spark a team, then that state is talent-rich.