Five select first-round LHSAA playoff matchups to watch
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The LHSAA boys basketball playoffs tip off Thursday and Friday with nearly 100 matchups around the state. Here were five games from the “select” school brackets that caught our attention, due in no small part to the notable talent on…
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Continue ReadingThe LHSAA boys basketball playoffs tip off Thursday and Friday with nearly 100 matchups around the state.
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.
No. 17 Bonnabel at No. 16 Huntington — Division-I Select
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 Jeremiah Lucas Jeremiah Lucas 6'4" | SG Bonnabel | 2025 State #311 Nation LA , 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 Aumad Hackett Aumad Hackett 6'0" | PG Bonnabel | 2024 State LA and forward Chris Hervey Chris Hervey 6'6" | PF Bonnabel | 2024 State LA Jr. That trio leads a good rotation that includes senior wing Nicholas Allen, junior wing Omar De La Rosa Omar De La Rosa 6'2" | SG Bonnabel | 2025 State LA and sophomores Thomas Molette and Gavin Lucas Gavin Lucas 6'1" | PG Bonnabel Magnet Academy | 2026 State LA .
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 Jacob Stewart Jacob Stewart 5'10" | PG Huntington | 2024 State LA and Antonio Brown and juniors Tyler Welch Tyler Welch 6'1" | PG Huntington | 2025 State LA , Keonte Kennedy Keonte Kennedy 6'1" | PG Huntington | 2025 State LA and Jeremiah Willis Jeremiah Willis 6'1" | CG Huntington | 2025 State LA . Among Huntington’s younger players to watch: sophomore wing Antonio Dixon Antonio Dixon 6'4" | SF Huntington | 2026 State LA , freshman guard Peyton Parker Peyton Parker 5'11" | CG Huntington | 2027 State LA and freshman wing Austin Turner Austin Turner 6'3" | PG Huntington | 2027 State LA .
No. 17 Washington-Marion at No. 16 Lake Charles College Prep — Division-II Select
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 Elijah Gims Elijah Gims 6'0" | PG Washington Marion | 2024 State LA and sophomores Monte Farmer Monte Farmer 6'5" | SF Washington-Marion | 2026 State LA and Landon Duhon lead a Washington-Marion squad that has won eight of its past nine, including some high-scoring routs. And long, athletic wings Elijah Garrick, a senior, and Izayha Brown Izayha Brown 6'3" | SG LCCP | 2025 State LA , a junior, headline the players to watch for a Blazers bunch that has won 12 of its past 13.
No. 18 John Curtis at No. 15 Catholic (Baton Rouge) — Division-I Select
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 Dagan Bruno, along with some of the state’s top young talent in sophomores Autrail Manning Autrail Manning 6'1" | PG John Curtis | 2026 State LA and Cashmir Connor Cashmir Connor 6'4" | SF John Curtis | 2026 State LA and freshman Zaveon Shepherd Zaveon Shepherd 6'1" | SG John Curtis | 2027 State LA , while the reigning champion Bears are led by senior Dylan Gifford and a heavy junior core of Nico Jones, Tate McCurry Tate McCurry 6'3" | CG Catholic | 2025 State LA , Matthew Trahan, C.J. Washington, Matthew Hotstream and Amari Clayton Amari Clayton 6'1" | SG Catholic | 2025 State LA .
No. 19 De La Salle at No. 14 Bunkie — Division-II Select
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 Armand Woods, junior Dylan Brisset, sophomore Levon Gipson Levon Gipson 6'4" | PG De La Salle | 2026 State LA IV and freshman Emanuel Young IV Emanuel Young IV 5'10" | CG De La Salle | 2027 State LA . 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 Kyle Johnson and sophomore guard Ronterrian Patterson Ronterrian Patterson 5'7" | PG Bunkie | 2026 State LA among the top players to know.
No. 24 Holy Cross at No. 9 Jesuit — Division-I Select
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 Abram Taylor joined junior stars Derrick Johnson Jr Derrick Johnson Jr 6'5" | CG Holy Cross | 2025 State LA . and Cashmere Pinchon Cashmere Pinchon 6'1" | CG Holy Cross | 2025 State LA 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 Jude LaForge and Gus Laibe and junior Brewer Nitcher lead Jesuit in the search of its first postseason win since a 2021 quarterfinal run.