Players who stood out during the Thanksgiving Week Classics

Preston Edwards

November 28, 2022 @ 10:41 PM

Thanksgiving week was a time of family, fellowship, and a lot of basketball around Louisiana. Two classics, the Thanksgiving Classic and the David Bryant Classic, saw a wealth of talent hit the hardwood and play basketball at a high level during the week. Some of the state's top players and some who are lesser known, played and made impressions on the crowds who saw them. In this Prep Hoops Louisiana exclusive, we will highlight some of the players who stood out during both classics Thanksgiving week.   Carnez Hillmon (Plain Dealing | 6'0")   Hillmon won player of the game honors for his team during the David Bryant Classic. The Lion guard is quicker than he looks and is very crafty when it comes to penetrating. Hillmon showed the ability to get into defenders bodies and use his low center of gravity to finish in the paint. The senior guard also displayed some three point shooting ability as well. Hillmon is a senior who should be the unquestioned leader of the Lions team this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1105532' first='Braylen' last='Clark'] (Evangel | 5'10")   Clark was the driving force in the Evangel win over Plain Dealing during the David Bryant Classic. He was able to cause havoc on the defensive end either in man-to-man situations or from trapping in press situations. On offense, Clark finished in transition numerous times and was very good with the mid-range jumper. He gets good elevation with that shot and shoots it with comfort. His scoring and defense was one of the reasons the Eagles won on Saturday.   Tomario Thomas Jr. (Evangel | 6'2")   Thomas was another player who impressed during the Evangel win. He showed that he has two way ability that he can rely on when he needs to. Thomas was good as a man-to-man defender and created turnovers or helped cause several turnovers during the game. He also showed he has some serious bounce with a breakaway dunk in transition. Thomas is an athletic guard who is a difference maker on both ends.   [player_tooltip player_id='1105546' first='Delarrious' last='Marshall'] (Green Oaks | 6'1")   Marshall was part of the triumvirate that helped Green Oaks complete an undefeated week through both classics. He might not have shot well but he did all the other things that helped in winning. Marshall was really good on the offensive boards creating extra possessions and he got those opportune steals that helped push the Giant lead. He was also good with big assists that got good shots for his teammates. His all-around game really was big in their winning week.   [player_tooltip player_id='1105551' first='Jyrin' last='Sowell'] (Captain Shreve | 6'3")   Sowell was big on both ends during the Captain Shreve win over Bossier in the David Bryant Classic. Sowell was a hound on the defensive end. His lateral movement helped cause the Bossier guards to have trouble getting into sets and making plays. On the offensive end, Sowell showed a consistent shooting stroke along with the ability to use his strength to score in the paint. The Captain Shreve success on the hardwood was directly related to the work Sowell put in on Saturday.   As week three begins for the big schools, look for them to play more non-district games and play in tournaments the upcoming weekend. The Class B and Class C schools will be participating in tournaments as well. We will look for stand out players during the various tournaments as the new week begins.

Thanksgiving week was a time of family, fellowship, and a lot of basketball around Louisiana. Two classics, the Thanksgiving Classic and the David Bryant Classic, saw a wealth of talent hit the hardwood and play basketball at a high level during the week. Some of the state's top players and some who are lesser known, played and made impressions on the crowds who saw them. In this Prep Hoops Louisiana exclusive, we will highlight some of the players who stood out during both classics Thanksgiving week.