Central Louisiana’s Class 1-A Standouts

Clifton Dixon

July 28, 2020 @ 05:49 PM

This installment of the continued look into Central Louisiana Hoops shifts its focus to Class 1-A, The 3rd biggest classification in Louisiana High School Sports. Class 1-A has produced a number of powerhouse programs over the years throughout the state from Southern Lab (Baton Rouge, LA and 15 State Championships), Metairie Park Country Day (Metairie, LA and 7 State Championships, And Riverside Academy, Formerly Reserve Christian (Reserve, LA and 7 State Championships). Class 1-A has also produced a number of high major college players such as Demond "Tweety" Carter (Riverside Academy, Formerly Reserve Christian), Ricardo Gathers (Riverside Academy, Formerly Reserve Christian), And Central Louisiana’s own, [player_tooltip player_id="530903" first="Thomas" last="Howell"] (St. Mary Tigers). Central Louisiana is filled with talent in every classification. Class 1A is no exception. Let’s dive in!!!   1. Omarion "Diddy" Layssard (Class Of '23) 6-2 Combo Guard - Northwood Gators (Lena, LA) *Shoots the ball well from the perimeter *Makes clutch plays on the offensive and defensive end *Very athletic *Excellent finisher at the rim *Very comfortable shooting off the dribble *Excellent on ball defender *Excellent shot creator *Versatile scorer *Solid ball handler   2. Cameron Telsee (Class Of '21) 6-2 Combo Guard - Northwood Gators (Lena, LA) *Terrific ball handler *Versatile defender (Very disciplined on the defensive end) *Solid off the ball player *Good spot up shooter *Excellent ball handler *Solid 3-point shooter *Good mid-range scorer *Terrific court vision   3. Dane Ellis (Class Of '21) 6-2 SG - St. Mary Tigers (Natchitoches, LA) *Excellent defender *Versatile all around player that can score, rebound, distribute, and defend *Always a threat from behind the 3-point line *A clutch player that has developed a knack for knocking down big shots in big moments *Great leadership skills *Great at handling the ball and running the offense *Can play both guard positions   4. Ty Jones (Class Of '22) 6-1 PG St. Mary Tigers (Natchitoches, LA) *A skilled guard with great court vision *Ability to hit the open 3-Ball *Scrappy (Does all the little things such as diving on the floor for loose balls and positioning himself to take a charge) *Excellent passer *Pesky defender (Has a nose for the ball) *Always gets others involved.   5. J.T. Turner (Class Of '22) PG - Montgomery Tigers (Montgomery, LA) *A true athlete *Athletic finisher *Solid passer *Versatile defender *Excellent mid-range scorer *Plays hard the entire time he is on the court. Never stops hustling.