Louisiana
Top 25 Louisiana Boys High School Basketball State Rankings (12/26/2024)
The last few days have been action packed with star-studded tourneys taking place across Louisiana, including the St. Thomas More Sunkist Shootout, which featured several ranked teams and was won by the host Cougars over Calvary Baptist.
Here is a look at this week’s top 25 boys basketball teams in Louisiana as sizzling holiday matchups unfold again this week ahead of the start of district play.
Previous rank: 1
Power rating: No. 1 (Division I nonselect)
The Broncos played three games against Texas schools, defeating Grand Prairie and Dallas Kimball and losing to Lancaster (games against out of state schools aren’t reflected on the Geaux Preps power ratings). Sophomore Ian Edmond scored 23 points with six assists, two steals (and no turnovers) in the win over Kimball. Xavier Ferguson scored 30 points.
Previous rank: 2
Power rating: No. 1 (Division I select)
The Patriots defeated Southern Lab and Broadmoor. Leading scorers are Malek Robinson (14.9 ppg), Chivas Lee (10.7) and Kingston Jarrell (10.6). Robinson is averaging 6.7 steals, 6.2 assists and six rebounds. Jarrell is grabbing 7.8 boards.
Previous rank: 3
Power rating: No. 2 (Division I select)
The Bears picked up wins over Texas schools Ridge Point and Wheatley. Catholic showed crisp ball movement against Ridge Point (15-5), which is considered a top 25 team in Texas, with a kickout to Tate McCurry for an early 3-pointer from the top of the key. Later in the quarter, McCurry added a 3 from the wing for an 18-9 lead.
The Bears are scheduled to face undefeated East Ascension at the University Lab Tournament on Jan. 2.
Previous rank: 4
Power rating: No. 1 (Division II select)
The Eagles defeated Mount Vernon Christian (Georgia) and Westlake (Georgia). Kobe Butler scored 30 points in the win over Mount Vernon. Triston Naquin added 19. Butler (6-7, Sr.) had 20 in the win over Westlake. Khalil Awogboro had 17, and Naquin (6-5, Soph.) chipped in 16 points.
Previous rank: 5
Power rating: No. 6 (Division II select)
The Warhorses were busy, winning games over Lafayette High, St. Martinville, Acadiana, Ouachita Parish and Bunkie. Peabody overcame a double-digit halftime deficit to beat St. Martinville, 57-53, at the Tigers’ Darrel Mitchell Sr, Holiday Classic. Rashad Mitchell was named tourney MVP. He had 21 points and five steals in the St. Martinville game. Telek Love recorded a double-double (12 pts, 13 rebs).
Previous rank: 6
Power rating: No. 3 (Division I nonselect)
The Yellow Jackets defeated Glen Oaks, East Iberville, Franklin Parish and Washington-Marion. DaSean Golmond finished with 19 points, six rebounds and four assists in the 63-56 win over Washington-Marion. Jermaine O’Conner totaled 20 points, seven assists and four rebounds in the 79-62 win over Franklin Parish.
Point guard Trae Dorsey is averaging 10 points, three assists, three rebounds and 2.8 steals per game and is shooting 40% from beyond the arc.
Previous rank: 7
Power rating: No. 4 (Division I select)
The Trojans defeated Montgomery and Red River. Trey Dorty made a breakaway lay-up for an early 7-1 lead in the 77-38 rout of Montgomery, then scored again on the next possession on a double-pump shot off the glass. Jordyn Johnson and Tyshawn Duncan made the Hudl highlights with smooth plays in transition.
Previous rank: 9
Power rating: No. 4 (Division II select)
The Trailblazers were idle. Five of the top six scorers are underclassmen, led by juniors Jaiven (12 ppg) and Juriah Matthews (9.5 ppg). LCCP will take on an always-tough Beau Chene team on Jan. 4 at Mal Mundy’s Lake Charles Classic.
Previous rank: 10
Power rating: No. 2 (Division II select)
The Chargers defeated Donaldsonville, East St. John and St. Charles. Elijah Garner scored 13 points with seven rebounds in the 48-40 win over St. Charles. William Nelson also scored 13 points (eight rebs). Madison Prep blew out East St. John, 76-28, and will face David Thibodaux (13-1) on Jan. 1.
Previous rank: 12
Power rating: No. 3 (Division I select)
The Cougars won their Sunkist Shootout, defeating Patterson, Westgate, Sulphur and Calvary Baptist. Elijah Guidry, who was named Mr. Basketball, scored 19 points in the 49-44 semifinal win over Sulphur. He and Matthew Cook each scored a team-high six points in the 33-31 championship win over Calvary Baptist. Grayson
Roy was named to the All-Tourney Team.
Previous rank: 13
Power rating: No. 1 (Division II nonselect)
The Wildcats defeated Carroll and Bastrop. 6-foot-1 senior guard Zion Weeks scored 28 points with seven assists, four rebounds and three steals in the 72-59 win over Bastrop, which had former Wossman guard Antron Mason on its team. The Wildcats host Liberty and Zachary on Jan. 3 and 4.
Previous rank: 14
Power rating: No. 5 (Division I select)
The Blue Jays defeated H.L. Bourgeois and The Willow School. Seniors Ben Cimini and Ethan Lapeze scored 15 and 13 points in the 66-47 win over H.L. Bourgeois. Juniors Zachary LaGraize and Tanner Hughes added 10 and nine points, respectively.
Previous rank: 15
Power rating: No. 1 (Division III select)
The Cavaliers defeated Lafayette Christian, Vandebilt Catholic and Isidore Newman and lost to host St. Thomas More at the Sunkist Shootout. Tyrone Jamison and Jaiden Hall were named to the All-Tourney team after the Cavs finished as runner-up. Hall scored 17 points in the 33-31 loss to STM. Calvary Baptist beat Vandebilt, 61-60, and routed Newman, 49-28.
Previous rank: 18
Power rating: No. 6 (Division I select)
The Purple Knights defeated Lutcher, Ponchatoula and Hammond. Aaron Miles scored 19 points in the 61-50 win over Lutcher, according to Ken Trahan of Crescent City Sports. Ja’Vardes Brazile (6-6, 200) added 16 and Khalil Jones contributed 11 points.
Previous rank: 19
Power rating: No. 3 (Division II select)
The Hawks defeated Chalmette, Mandeville and Sophie B. Wright, winning the last game by a 75-44 margin. Brenton Gordon and Zachary Lauro hit 3-pointers early in the 79-22 win over Chalmette. Cornelius Woodard converted a reverse lay-up off a turnover in full-court pressure. Gabe Timmons had a two-handed monster jam.
Previous rank: 22
Power rating: No. 11 (Division I nonselect)
The Bearcats defeated Minden, Bossier, Huntington and Benton. It was Minden’s first loss. 6-foot-7 sophomore Ahmad Hudson was named MVP of the Doc Edwards Tournament at Airline. He scored 30 points with 20 rebounds in the championship win over Huntington, according to Brian Trahan of The Ruston Daily Leader.
Previous rank: Not ranked
Power rating: No. 2 (Division I nonselect)
The Lions bounced back from losing three of four games by defeating Central-BR and Booker T. Washington-Shreveport. Freshman guard Darren Ford has been playing at a high level.
Previous rank: 11
Power rating: No. 6 (Division I nonselect)
The Wildcats lost to Ouachita Parish and defeated West Monroe. Markell Sampson threw down a vicious slam, and Jace Conrad knocked down a corner 3 in the early going against West Monroe. Kedrick Franklin (6-5, 205) showed off his range from the wing, and Conrad had another 3 from way beyond the arc.
Previous rank: 16
Power rating: No. 8 (Division I select)
The Green Wave lost to St. Augustine (51-48) and defeated Destrehan. Ponchatoula has upcoming games of interest in early January vs. Dunham (5-0), which should be a force with its football players, and Catholic-BR. Jarvis Labee had a left-handed slam dunk in the first quarter of the 51-48 win over Destrehan. Cory Jackson picked the opposing point guard’s pocket near midcourt and outmaneuvered him for a finger roll.
Previous rank: 8
Power rating: No. 7 (Division I nonselect)
The Chiefs lost to Red River and Northside. Ja’Dell Demery had 16 points and 11 rebounds in the 55-49 loss to Red River. Jaden Braden added 11 points and five boards. Harold Remo chipped in eight points and five assists.
Previous rank: Not ranked
Power rating: No. 1 (Class B & C)
The Cardinals’ only loss was by three points in the season opener to Negreet. Lacassine has wins over Sulphur, Pleasant Hill, Westlake, Crowley and Eunice.
Previous rank: Not ranked
Power rating: No. 4 (Division I nonselect)
The Tors have wins over Newman, Marksville, Westgate and David Thibodaux with losses to Washington-Marion, St. Thomas More and Lacassine. Ian Malone was named to the Sunkist Shootout All-Tournament team. The Tors defeated Newman, 46-38, for third place.
Previous rank: Not ranked
Power rating: No. 3 (Division III select)
The Tigers will be a force with Elijah Haven and Jarvis Washington transitioning from the football field to the hardwood. Upcoming games include Ponchatoula, East Ascension (12-0) and St. Thomas More.
Previous rank: 23
Power rating: No. 9 (Division II select)
The Vikings rebounded from a one-point loss to Carencro with a win over Natchitoches-Central. Tashawn Coleman made an early 3-pointer in the 58-52 win over Natchitoches-Central at the Alexandria Tournament.
Previous rank: Not ranked
Power rating: No. 2 (Division III select)
The Cajuns’ last two wins are over Sophie B. Wright and Archbishop Hannan.
Dropped out: No. 17 Isidore Newman (8-3), No. 20 Vandebilt Catholic (8-4), No. 21 Carroll (9-7), No. 24 Lafayette High (9-2), No. 25 Iowa (2-3)
A state lawmaker whose district includes Iberville and nine other parishes will lead the way on the drawing of a new congressional map when the committee convenes Friday.
Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, R-Port Allen, will chair the hearings to draw a new congressional district map. He currently serves as chairman of the U.S. Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee.
On Wednesday, Kleinpeter said he has not worked on any maps. He is letting the committee members and the members of the Senate work on this with staff.
The move will come nine days after the U.S. Supreme Court on a 6-3 vote ruled one of Louisiana’s two majority-Black U.S. House districts unconstitutional.
“We can’t base it on race anymore, so the minority party is the Democrats,” he said. “The Democrats have migrated away from the New Orléans area, so we’re looking at Democrats versus Republicans, so the minority party — the Democrats — which means it’s more favored toward Baton Rouge.”
The move would work in favor of incumbent 6th District Congressman Cleo Fields, who was a candidate for the race which Gov. Jeff Lndry suspended in the wake of the Supreme Court decision.
The ruling stemmed from Louisiana vs. Callais – a consolidation of Robinson vs. Callais – that centered on racial gerrymandering and redistricting in the state of Louisiana following the 2020 United States census. The lead plaintiff, Phillip “Bert” Callais, is a resident of Brusly.
The Supreme Court vote came despite the African American population comprising nearly one-third of the state’s population.
According to the 2020 Census, the Black or African American population in Louisiana was approximately 1,464,023,representing 31.4%of the state’s total population. Louisiana has one of the highest percentages of Black residents in the United States, ranking second behind Mississippi.
The Baton Rouge district would likely be the area to undergo the remap, he said.
It amounts to an intricate balancing act.
“What far-right Republicans don’t understand is that with Congress maps, you have to be within 776, 280 votes – within 50 votes of the other districts,” Kleinpeter said. “It’s not like our legislative maps where you can be off by thousands … when you start changing a precinct, it can run down a rabbit hole chasing this precinct over here and over there.
“We can easily draw a really strong nine Republican and one strong Democrat, so if you start watering districts down you could wind up with a 4-2 map.”
Republicans currently have a two-vote super majority vote.
“But some Republican districts are strong and others are weak,” Kleinpeter said. “If you take 58 percent Democrats and put them in Republican districts, you could end up losing Republicans.
“Drawing congress maps is very difficult – you have the leader of the party, and you have the Speaker of the House you have to protect,” he said. “You don’t want to jeopardize their maps at hole.”
One other issue is looming for the state, Kleinpeter said.
“What people don’t understand is that we will have to do this all over again in five years, after the next census comes out,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll people by that time.”
The 2030 Census will play a key role in the process, but it still requires participation.
“I had plenty of next-door neighbors who didn’t want to fill out their census” he said. “I’m going to push to fill out their census. We miss out on federal money and potentially risk losing a seat. “
Neuty, the iconic Bucktown nutria visits the state capitol, with Myra Lacoste, Denny Lacoste, Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, Dennis Lacoste Sr., and Louisiana state Senator J. Cameron Henry Jr. Neuty was an orphan, rescued by the Lacostes. In March 2023, LDWF agents attempted to confiscate the illegal pet.
VIDALIA, La. — Louisiana State Police arrested 18-year-old Gregory Steele early Sunday morning on two counts of vehicular homicide, one count of underage operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, one count vehicular negligent injuring and one count careless operation, according to Concordia Parish Jail records.
Steele, 18, a white male, was arrested in connection with an accident that occurred at approximately 1:54 a.m. on Sunday morning on Minorca Road in Vidalia. Two passengers in the vehicle were killed. Steele and another passenger were able to escape the vehicle.
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