Five select first-round LHSAA playoff matchups to watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The LHSAA boys basketball playoffs tip off Thursday and Friday with nearly 100 matchups around the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here were five games from the "select" school brackets that caught our attention, due in no small part to the notable talent on the rosters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/2024/02/five-non-select-first-round-lhsaa-playoff-matchups-to-watch/">Check out more information on top non-select matchups</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 17 Bonnabel at No. 16 Huntington —&nbsp; Division-I Select</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bruins will make one of this weekend's longest road trips, nearly five hours from Kenner up to Shreveport, but do so with a talented and well-coached team that has won seven of its past eight. Junior shooting guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1347265' first='Jeremiah' last='Lucas']</strong>, one of Louisiana's top 2025 prospects, was named the District 8-5A MVP this week, one of three Bonnabel first-teamers, along with point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1278991' first='Aumad' last='Hackett']</strong> and forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1105582' first='Chris' last='Hervey'] Jr.</strong> That trio leads a good rotation that includes senior wing <strong>Nicholas Allen</strong>, junior wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1607436' first='Omar' last='De La Rosa']</strong> and sophomores <strong>Thomas Molette</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1543674' first='Gavin' last='Lucas']</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The home-standing Raiders will host a first-round game for the sixth straight postseason with wins in each of the past five — including back-to-back semifinal runs the past two years — and are similarly led by a strong corps of athletic guards in senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1697930' first='Jacob' last='Stewart']</strong> and <strong>Antonio Brown</strong> and juniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1393938' first='Tyler' last='Welch']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2302344' first='Keonte' last='Kennedy']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1393937' first='Jeremiah' last='Willis']</strong>. Among Huntington's younger players to watch: sophomore wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1679406' first='Antonio' last='Dixon']</strong>, freshman guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1686289' first='Peyton' last='Parker']</strong> and freshman wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2132729' first='Austin' last='Turner']</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 17 Washington-Marion at No. 16 Lake Charles College Prep — Division-II Select</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the opposite end of the geographic spectrum, a pair of Lake Charles schools separated by just six miles of Highway 14 will battle for the opportunity to face top-seeded Madison Prep next week in the Division-II Select bracket. The lower-seeded Chargin' Indians won an early-season meeting between the two by a 52-50 margin, and both teams head into the postseason with some solid momentum. Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2132628' first='Elijah' last='Gims']</strong> and sophomores <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2307970' first='Monte' last='Farmer']</strong> and <strong>Landon Duhon</strong> lead a Washington-Marion squad that has won eight of its past nine, including some high-scoring routs. And long, athletic wings <strong>Elijah Garrick</strong>, a senior, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2302353' first='Izayha' last='Brown']</strong>, a junior, headline the players to watch for a Blazers bunch that has won 12 of its past 13.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 18 John Curtis at No. 15 Catholic (Baton Rouge) —&nbsp; Division-I Select</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A pair of schools with a wealth of postseason history in other sports — including a controversial football quarterfinal in November — will meet on the hardwood for the first time since Dec. 23, 2020. The Patriots, the Division-I runners-up in 2022, are headlined by a lone senior in <strong>Dagan Bruno</strong>, along with some of the state's top young talent in sophomores <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1543684' first='Autrail' last='Manning']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1620977' first='Cashmir' last='Connor']</strong> and freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1975865' first='Zaveon' last='Shepherd']</strong>, while the reigning champion Bears are led by senior <strong>Dylan Gifford</strong> and a heavy junior core of <strong>Nico Jones</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1347276' first='Tate' last='McCurry']</strong>, <strong>Matthew Trahan</strong>, <strong>C.J. Washington</strong>, <strong>Matthew Hotstream</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1560440' first='Amari' last='Clayton']</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 19 De La Salle at No. 14 Bunkie — Division-II Select</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cavaliers fell short of the second round last spring for the first time since 2014, but enter this postseason with three straight wins and five in their past six and most of their losses coming to high-quality, higher-classification competition. The roster includes standouts of all ages such as senior <strong>Armand Woods</strong>, junior <strong>Dylan Brisset</strong>, sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2132646' first='Levon' last='Gipson'] IV</strong> and freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2132742' first='Emanuel' last='Young IV']</strong>. Bunkie meanwhile hosts an opening round game for the second straight postseason after missing the previous two years, and the Panthers will try to convert this opportunity into their first playoff win since 2020 with junior multisport star <strong>Kyle Johnson</strong> and sophomore guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2414926' first='Ronterrian' last='Patterson']</strong> among the top players to know.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 24 Holy Cross at No. 9 Jesuit —&nbsp; Division-I Select</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The crosstown, longtime district rivals will play for the second straight game in less than a week — following the lower-seeded Tigers' upset of the Blue Jays on the same Benson Arena, or "Birdcage," court Friday — and the third time in less than a month. Freshman guard <strong>Abram Taylor</strong> joined junior stars <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1347261' first='Derrick' last='Johnson Jr'].</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1347268' first='Cashmere' last='Pinchon']</strong> as leaders in the upset to end the regular season and set up the rematch and should once again be among the top Holy Cross players to watch, while seniors <strong>Jude LaForge</strong> and <strong>Gus Laibe</strong> and junior <strong>Brewer Nitcher </strong>lead Jesuit in the search of its first postseason win since a 2021 quarterfinal run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->