Festgiving Classic All-Classic Team (Part I)

The Festgiving Classic gave the New Orleans area some good prep hoops over the two days at Loyola-New Orleans. With so many players and such good hoops, it is only fair that an all-classic team be named. In this three part series, I will review the players I felt were the best of the best from the two days of play during Thanksgiving weekend.

Will Allen Will Allen 6'7" | PF Bonnabel | 2021 State LA (Bonnabel / 6’8" / 2021) - Allen saw double and sometimes triple teams when he caught the ball in the post.  If he caught the ball with a foot in the paint, he was scoring.  His double-double was a key factor in the Bruin win against St. Paul.  

Bennie Amos Bennie Amos 6'0" | CG Landry-Walker | 2021 State LA (LB Landry / 6’1" / 2021) - Known as a long range bomber, Amos let a couple go from the parking lot.  However, he also showed he has some defensive chops as well.  A couple of steal and scores mixed in with his shooting which resulted in a 20-plus point performance in the Landry victory.  

Jalen Bolden Jalen Bolden 6'5" | SG Zachary | 2022 State LA (Zachary / 6’4" / 2022) - Bolden displayed his various talents in multiple ways during the Friday evening loss to St. Augustine.  He hit the trey, drove the lane, rebounded on both ends, and created steals.  His 23 point effort filled that stat sheet and showed what this junior can do.  

Michael Coleman (St. Augustine / 6’4" / 2021) - The lefty post was cleaning the glass and punishing players in Friday’s win versus Zachary.  His ability to rebound on the offensive glass showed a knack for tracking the ball and finishing with purpose.  Coleman also drained a three.  Supreme confidence shown on Friday. 

Jordan DeCuir Jordan DeCuir 6'3" | CG Zachary | 2022 State LA (Zachary / 6’2" / 2022) -  Decuir was another Zachary player that displayed the ability to do multiple things.  He made three triples and had a two-handed flush filling the wing on a Bronco break.  Going forward, Decuir will be an important part of the Broncos title hopes if he continues to be the multi-faceted offensive threat he showed this weekend.  

Nasir De Gruy (St. Augustine / 6’2" / 2021) - De Gruy proved to be a cerebral point guard with a firm grip on the game.  In the Purple Knights win against Zachary and even during the loss to Opelousas, De Gruy knows when the Knights need a bucket from him.  He is good at getting to the elbow and elevating to make the jumper.  De Gruy is a very good guard and showed it at the Classic.  

Jamal Drewery (Southern Lab / 6’0" / 2025) - Drewery is a guard who plays beyond his years while he is on the floor.  He does one thing that many guards do not do these days and that is push the ball with the pass.  Drewery gets to ball up the floor and then gets it back if need be.  He can also shoot the ball from deep and was a major factor in the Kittens win over Crescent City.  

De’Marcus Eaglin (Beau Chene / 5’5" / 2021) - Want to talk about a point guard that uses the dribble to get where he needs to go.  Eaglin used his small stature and a tight crossover to get into the paint and draw fouls.  When players began to respect his handle, he hit them with a couple from distance.  Even in their loss, Eaglin gained respect for his handle and his grit during play.  

Zach Fenn (St. Paul / 6’2" / 2022) - Even in their loss to Bonnabel, Fenn was a stat sheet stuffer throughout the game.  He had a couple of blocks in the paint, a couple of steals at the head of the press, and multiple assists in the half court.  Fenn is a just like a Swiss Army knife with his skills.  He can fill any need his team has on the court.  

Lakevion Fortenberry (Helen Cox / 5’8" / 2021) - Fortenberry was and offensive star and a defensive menace in their win versus Jehovah-Jireh.  He made five triples during the contest and gave guard John Paul Ricks fits in the 2nd half with his fullcourt man-to-man.  Fortenberry is quick, hard-nosed, and tough.  His play made stablized his team and allowed them to "walk down" their opponents.  

Taj Gilyot Taj Gilyot 6'3" | SG McMain | 2021 State LA (McMain / 6’5" / 2021) - Gilyot helped to right the McMain ship early on in their game with North Central when he hit a three.  In the 2nd quarter he hit another to spark the run that helped the Mustangs take control for good.  His shot has weird rotation but it goes in.  He is one of the better shooters in the state and proved it on Saturday.  

Claudell Harris Claudell Harris 6'3" | CG Hahnville | 2021 State LA (Hahnville / 6’3" / 2021) - Harris put his stamp on his team’s win over Slidell in the Festgiving Classic.  Whether he was pulling a three or driving to the hoop, his full three level scoring ability was on display.  Harris also had a couple of Fastbreak Entertainment moments with the handle that created oohs and ahs in the crowd.  He was definitely one of the best players of the weekend in New Orleans.  

Part I is only scratching the surface of the players that performed well at the Festgiving Classic.  While this edition was more senior-laden, there were some players from other classes that made their mark.  We will look at another set of players in the next the edition of the All-Classic team.