Five standout South La. post performances late in the season
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A matchup of two of Louisiana’s defending state champions and once again top contenders helped punctuate the regular season this weekend, including two of the state’s top frontcourt prospects. Ponchatoula senior Allen Graves Allen Graves 6'9" | PF Ponchatoula |…
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Continue ReadingA matchup of two of Louisiana’s defending state champions and once again top contenders helped punctuate the regular season this weekend, including two of the state’s top frontcourt prospects.
Ponchatoula senior Allen Graves Allen Graves 6'9" | PF Ponchatoula | 2024 State LA and his Green Wave got the best of G.W. Carver junior Daijon Leatherman Daijon Leatherman 6'9" | PF Carver | 2025 State LA and his Rams, but both talented young athletes showcased their well-rounded skillsets as two of the standout performances by forwards or centers down the stretch.
Allen Graves Allen Graves 6'9" | PF Ponchatoula | 2024 State LA — 6-9 F — Ponchatoula (2024)
The Santa Clara signee seems to look a little taller — and more dominant — every time we have the opportunity to see him. Even in a high-profile matchup against another of Louisiana’s top big men, Graves excelled with 25 points, 15 rebounds and at least four blocked shots, two assists and a steal. Graves set the tone with the bulk of that work, including 15 points and 11 boards, before halftime to help the Green Wave take control from the outset and rest its starters late. He was physical inside on both ends of the court, including several strong rebounds, while also showcasing his versatile skillset with 4-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc and multiple well-handled drives past defenders and into the lane.
Daijon Leatherman Daijon Leatherman 6'9" | PF Carver | 2025 State LA — 6-9 F/C — G.W. Carver (2025)
While Friday was largely a long night for the Rams, Leatherman showed why he’s one of Louisiana’s top prospects to watch in the 2025 class with his team-highs of 17 points and 12 rebounds, plus at least one blocked shot and steal of his own. In addition to his physical work down low, he consistently showed his comfort level working a bit further from the basket out to the around the elbow on both ends of the court, including with the ball in his hands and finding cutting teammates for well-seen, -timed and -delivered passes.
Kobe Butler Kobe Butler 6'7" | SF Archbishop Shaw | 2025 State LA — 6-7 F — Archbishop Shaw (2025)
The Eagles’ junior provided one of the more dominant defensive performances we saw in the final weeks of the regular season in a de facto district championship game against L.B. Landry in which he blocked at least seven shots — some scoring at least nine — and altered and intimidated countless more to hold the Chargin’ Buccaneers, another top program, to a season-low 32 points. Butler played with a high motor and great positioning for the bulk of the night to help tally that impressive number, along with double-digit rebounds.
Carleiyon Joseph — 6-3 F — Walker (2025)
The shortest player on this list had one of the top rebounding performances of the final two-plus weeks of the season with his tenacious motor and springy athleticism to snatch 19 boards even in a loss to University Lab. Joseph bounced and flew around the paint and baseline to almost-constantly be the first player of the two talented rosters to the ball on both ends of the court and quickly snatched and strongly held on to even tough rebounds through contact — with much of his game-high 23-point scoring that evening coming on second-chance opportunities.
Chris Lindo Chris Lindo 6'6" | PF Madison Prep | 2025 State LA — 6-6 F — Madison Prep (2025)
The Chargers’ always-loaded schedule provided multiple chances to see their athletic and well-rounded junior forward in big matchups and environments. And Lindo consistently lived up to every occasion in whichever way proved necessary to help lift Madison Prep to victory — whether overpowering opponents inside and on the boards or showing more of his skillset to pass out of the post, from out further toward the top of the key or even leading the occasional break as the tallest player on the court.