Immediate Takeaways from The Expo: Louisiana

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Expo: Louisiana, held last weekend at Fidelity Bank Sportsplex in Baton Rouge, featured top junior and senior basketball talent from across the state. These star upperclassmen made their mark on the event and many of them headline our Immediate Takeaways. Stay tuned for detailed coverage and player highlights from The Expo: Louisiana in the coming days.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>New Jersey infusion</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At Prep Hoops events in Louisiana, we usually have players from neighboring states like Texas and Mississippi to attend. This year, we had a player from New Jersey. Senior <strong>Ethan Hayes</strong> <strong>(West Nottingham Academy) </strong>attended this year's event and was one of the better guards playing on the day. He can handle the ball and fearlessly attacked the rim. Hayes was always on balance. His jumper was fluid and was a perfect example of the balance he displayed. He has a calm demeanor and never got flustered during 3x3 or 5-on-5. I am sure Louisiana would love to have him as a player if they could.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Multi-talented Forwards</strong> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Expo has some highly skilled forwards. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1601451' first='Kobe' last='Butler'] (Archbishop Shaw)</strong> displayed his shot-making and ball-handling skills during 3x3. During 5-on-5, his shot-blocking and ability to run the floor was on full display. <strong> [player_tooltip player_id='2130462' first='Rashad' last='Stevenson'] (Thomas Jefferson)</strong> proved to be a solid driver of the ball who took contact very well. When he goes left, he is very hard to stop. <strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1545999' first='Kelinee' last='Stone'] (Woodlawn-Baton Rouge)</strong> displayed more versatility in his game from the last time I saw him. His interior defense was excellent while his offense on the block has grown. Kelinee's perimeter game from the mid-range was working as well. <strong> [player_tooltip player_id='2532472' first='James' last='Alexander'] </strong>was a pleasant surprise. The Haughton junior blocks shots, rebounds, and runs the floor. He should help a Haughton team who has struggled in recent seasons. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Two Guards Galore</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Louisiana has some of the most talented two guards I have seen. That was highlighted at The Expo. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1347266' first='Preston' last='Sanders'] (Zwolle)</strong> had highlight plays on offense and defense. His three point shot was more consistent and his man-to-man defense was very good. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2132646' first='Levon' last='Gipson']</strong> <strong>(De La Salle)</strong> displayed high level driving and rebounding ability. His ability to rebound in traffic was a difference maker also. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1639715' first='Michael' last='Ducre'] (Northshore)</strong> excelled in the mid-range. His jumper complimented guards passing abilities in the half court. He also made plays in transition. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1560406' first='Donovan' last='Perkins Jr'] (St. Amant)</strong> has some major hops. He wiped away some layup attempts in transition and finish above the rim offensively in transition. He is a live wire act who displayed he could be an asset on offense and defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Stud PGs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1560448' first='Jalen' last='Brown'] (Avoyelles Charter) </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1275303' first='Jordan' last='Matthews'] (Vandebilt Catholic)</strong> were a serious problem at The Expo. Throw in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1560371' first='Jaden' last='Braden'] (Natchitoches Central)</strong> and their team was almost unfair. Those three players played well off one another and made plays that put each other in scoring position. They were very good together and played defense well. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2472435' first='Maddox' last='McCorkle'] (Holden)</strong> was a surprise to see. The point guard made good passes and made open jumpers which is what good lead guards should do. Then there was <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1543647' first='Cooper' last='Nelson'] (Sterlington)</strong>. The way he sees plays before they happen and makes pinpoint passes is otherworldy at times. He made his teammates better just by running the floor and finding them. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All of these players and countless others can be seen on BallerTv if the event was missed. Players like <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1492960' first='Kane' last='Broussard'] (Lacassine)</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2129905' first='Kyren' last='Talbert'] (Sam Houston)</strong>, and others had good days as well. Look for them and the players mentioned above to be very good when they play this fall or in the various team camps approaching. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->