Louisiana high school boys basketball Top 25 rankings (2/20/2024)

Liberty Magnet makes Top 5; Peabody Magnet enters Top 10 as playoffs get under way

Check out our latest edition of the SBLive Louisiana Top 25 boys prep basketball rankings for the 2023-24 season. 

Let us know your thoughts on X @SBLive_LA and on Facebook at SBLive Louisiana. Who is too high? Who is getting slept on? We want to know.

Note: Records and power ratings as reflected on Geaux Preps on Feb. 19.

1. St. Thomas More, 26-1 (previous rank: 1) - Playoff Standing Division I select No. 1

The Cougars defeated Teurlings Catholic, Lafayette Christian, Northside and Tioga.

The 78-61 win at LCA completed a perfect 6-0 run in District 4-4A. Saturday's 69-62 win over Teurlings Catholic was not a district game. Michael Mouton scored 27 points with nine rebounds, two assists and two steals in the win at LCA. Andrew Gardner and Chad Jones each scored 12 points, and Elijah Guidry had 10, according to Eric Narcisse of The Acadiana Advocate.

The Cougars received a first-round bye and will meet the winner of No. 16 Huntington (18-12)/No. 17 Bonnabel (22-10).

2. Madison Prep, 23-2 (previous rank: 2) - Playoff Standing Division II select No. 1

The Chargers defeated University Lab and Helix Mentorship Academy.

Josh Smith scored 13 points and Jayce Depron added 12 points in the 50-42 win over University, according to Robin Fambrough of the Baton Rouge Advocate.

Madison Prep received a first-round bye and will host the winner of No. 16 Lake Charles College Prep (13-8)/No. 17 Washington-Marion (18-12).

3. Isidore Newman, 16-3 (previous rank: 3) - Playoff Standing Division III select No. 1

The Greenies defeated Metairie Park Country Day and M.L. King Charter to extend their winning streak to 10 games versus in-state opponents.

The 71-52 win over Country Day decided the District 10-2A title. Todd Jones scored 19 points with four rebounds, two blocks and a steal. Randy Livingston Jr. totaled 18 points, six assists and two steals. Chris Birden added 10 points and five assists. Chris Cenac scored nine points with 11 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.

Newman received a first-round bye and will host the winner of No. 16 Thomas Jefferson (17-11)/No. 17 Houma Christian (15-10).

4. Ponchatoula, 26-4 (previous rank: 4) - Playoff Standing Division I non-select No. 2

The Green Wave defeated George Washington Carver and Hammond.

In a battle of defending state champions, Ponchatoula breezed past Carver, 88-59. Allen Graves scored 25 points with Taj Jackson and Jeremiah Lewis adding 23 apiece, according to Ken Trahan of Crescent City Sports.

Ponchatoula received a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 15 Live Oak (19-10)/No. 18 Hahnville (18-13).

5. Liberty Magnet, 22-3 (previous rank: 6) - Playoff Standing Division I select No. 2

The Patriots defeated Zachary and Central-Baton Rouge.

Liberty downed Zachary, 57-36, on the road to clinch the District 4-5A title. Marquise McPipe scored 18 points, Howard Gaskins Jr. added 11 and Jaylen Peters had 10, according to Jim Kleinpeter of the Baton Rouge Advocate.

The Patriots received a first-round bye and will meet the winner of No. 15 Catholic-BR (12-13)/No. 18 John Curtis Christian (18-9).

6. Zachary, 24-5 (previous rank: 5) - Playoff Standing Division I non-select No. 1

The Broncos defeated Central-Baton Rouge and Catholic-Baton Rouge and lost to Liberty Magnet.

Beejay Brooks and Xavier Ferguson each blocked a shot to preserve a three-point lead in the second half of the 48-37 win at Catholic-BR. Ferguson's 3-pointer gave the Broncos a 22-21 lead. The junior had a steal and slam dunk to close out the win in style.

The Broncos received a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 16 Airline (19-13)/No. 17 East St. John (20-12).

7. Iowa, 26-4 (previous rank: 10) - Playoff Standing Division II non-select No. 1

The Yellow Jackets defeated South Beauregard, 69-56. Josiah Bushnell's steal and breakaway dunk tied the score at 16-all. Desa'Monte Gradney's transition bucket resulted in a 30-29 lead. Da'Shawn Ceaser's steal and lay-up pushed the margin to six points, and Bushnell's 3 made it 48-37.

Iowa received a first round bye and will face the winner of No. 16 South Beauregard (15-15)/No. 17 Albany (21-12).

8. Wossman, 30-4 (previous rank: tied for 6) - Playoff Standing Division II non-select No. 2

The Wildcats defeated Union Parish and Carroll, but lost to Carroll in the finals of the district tournament.

The Wildcats beat Carroll in overtime, 71-68, at the University of Louisiana-Monroe. Jordan Comanche nailed the game-winning 3 with four seconds remaining, according to Jake Martin of The Ouachita Citizen. Krystian Lewis shot 10-of-16 and finished with 34 points as he was also named the latest SBLive Louisiana Athlete of the Week. Zion Weeks added 14 points and five assists.

Wossman received a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 15 North Vermilion (13-11)/No. 18 Iota (21-7).

9. New Iberia, 26-5 (previous rank: 9) - Playoff Standing Division I non-select No. 3

The Yellow Jackets defeated Acadiana and Carencro and lost to Southside. Four of New Iberia's losses have been by a total of eight points (46-44 vs. Liberty, 45-43 vs. Northwest, 35-34 vs. Lafayette High and 32-29 to Southside).

The Yellow Jackets received a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 14 Neville (16-12)/No. 19 Sam Houston (18-13).

10. Peabody Magnet, 24-5 (previous rank: 12) - Playoff Standing Division II select No. 2

The Warhorses defeated Franklin Parish, 63-53. Rashad Mitchell scored 21 points with five rebounds. DeMichael Chew added 14 points and four boards. Zaydrien Sewell (11 points, eight rebounds) and Jordan Matthews (10 points, 12 rebounds) scored in double figures.

Peabody also defeated Avoyelles Public Charter, 80-49, in a Hall of Fame game where the program's nine state championship teams were celebrated along with legendary coach Charles Smith.

The Warhorses received a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 15 David Thibodaux (21-11)/No. 18 John F. Kennedy (18-11).

11. Archbishop Shaw, 23-2 (previous rank: 13) - Playoff Standing Division II select No. 4

The Eagles defeated Belle Chasse and L.W. Higgins.

Christian Creppel scored 25 points in the 71-52 win over Belle Chasse. Allen Shaw, Kobe Butler and Triston Naquin added 10 points each.

The Eagles received a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 13 St. Louis Catholic (16-9)/No. 20 Booker T. Washington-Shreveport (16-11).

12. Captain Shreve, 27-5 (previous rank: 15) - Playoff Standing Division I select No. 3

The Gators defeated Parkway, Southwood, Red River and Byrd and have won 14 of their last 16 games, with two losses by a total of four points.

Shreve and Southwood both finished with 12-2 records in District 1-5A. The Gators swept the series with the Cowboys. E'Joshua McDonald scored 14 points with nine rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks in a 42-38 win at Southwood on Feb. 13. Jyrin Sowell scored 17 points with eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

The Gators received a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 14 McKinley (20-10)/No. 19 Archbishop Rummel (17-15).

13. George Washington Carver, 21-6 (previous rank: 11) - Playoff Standing Division II select No. 3

The Rams lost at Ponchatoula, 88-59. Carver was outscored 22-13 in the third quarter after trailing at the half, 46-36, according to Ken Trahan of Crescent City Sports. Daijon Leatherman and Laurence Nathan scored 17 points each.

The Rams received a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 14 Bunkie (13-11)/No. 19 De La Salle (14-15).

14. Edna Karr, 23-10 (previous rank: 20) - Playoff Standing Division I select No. 5

The Cougars jumped four spots in the power ratings after wins over St. Augustine, L.B. Landry, Brother Martin and Archbishop Rummel.

The Catholic League champion Cougars won a road game at St. Augustine, 40-36. Keith Jones, who led Karr with 14 points, sank two free throws for a 36-33 lead with 39.5 seconds remaining, according to Darrell Williams of nola.com. Tyrone Wilson made two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and finished with nine points. Jones grabbed seven rebounds.

NOTE: A loss to John Curtis Christian last week was not listed on the LHSAA site or Geaux Preps. According to Chris Dabe of nola.com, the Patriots defeated Karr, 46-33.

The Cougars received a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 12 St. Augustine (20-10)/No. 21 Tioga (19-15).

15. Carroll, 25-8 (previous rank: NR) - Playoff Standing Division II non-select No. 3

The Bulldogs reached the state finals last year as a No. 3 seed. They won the district title for a second consecutive time by downing Wossman, 76-67. Carroll has won 16 of its last 19 games, with all three losses coming to Wossman. Levion Owens scored 16 of his 34 points in the first quarter in the win against Wossman, according to Jake Martin of The Ouachita Citizen.

Carroll received a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 14 Minden (13-8)/No. 19 Leesville (13-15).

16. Calvary Baptist, 22-6 (previous rank: 23) - Playoff Standing Division IV select No. 4

The Cavaliers picked up a pair of impressive wins over Division II powers Bossier (No. 6) and Northwest (No. 5). Calvary Baptist also defeated Loyola Prep and moved up from No. 6 in the power ratings.

Senior guard Rondae Hill scored 20 points with seven assists and three rebounds in the 60-44 win over Bossier. Freshman Tyrone Jamison had 14 points, six rebounds and four assists. Justin Houston added 11 points, seven rebounds and four blocks. Bubba Strong scored 10 points with four assists.

Konnor Cotton's 19 points, 12 rebounds and two assists led the way in the 67-54 win over Northwest (23-5). Hill had 17 points, 13 assists, five rebounds and three steals. Jamison scored 13 points with five assists and four rebounds. Sam Ponder totaled seven points with eight rebounds.

The Cavaliers received a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 13 Episcopal (19-15)/No. 20 Northlake Christian (10-18).

17. Southside, 19-12 (previous rank: 16) - Playoff Standing Division I non-select No. 6

The Sharks defeated New Iberia and Barbe and lost at Sam Houston. Southside won the District 3-5A title and moved up from No. 7 in the power ratings. Senior guard Noah Brookter totaled 19 points with five rebounds, five assists and three steals in the 60-50 win over Barbe.

The Sharks host District 3-5A rival No. 27 Sulphur (15-13) in the first round.

18. Brusly, 26-1 (previous rank: 18) - Playoff Standing Division II non-select No. 4

The Panthers defeated Istrouma and Tara. Micah Bryant's corner 3 at the buzzer gave Brusly a 21-8 lead at the end of the first quarter in the 59-26 win over Tara.

The Panthers received a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 13 Jennings (15-15)/No. 20 Franklinton (11-12).

19. Southwood, 23-8 (previous rank: 17) - Playoff Standing Division I select No. 6

The Cowboys beat Airline and Natchitoches Central and lost to Captain Shreve. Southwood went 14-0 in District 1-5A last year and 12-2 this season. The Southwood Cowboys Basketball Facebook page mentioned Bryson Williams, Tre Lars and Andrew Bowman as having stellar efforts in the 57-51 overtime win at Natchitoches Central (25-7, 9-5).

Southwood received a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 11 Brother Martin (20-12)/No. 22 Woodlawn-Baton Rouge (17-16).

20. Ruston, 17-9 (previous rank: NR) - Playoff Standing Division I non-select No. 8

The Bearcats re-enter the rankings on the heels of wins over Division III select No. 2 Dunham (25-7) and Division IV non-select No. 1 Lakeview (24-6). Ruston has won four straight following consecutive district losses to Alexandria and Ouachita Parish. The Bearcats put together a 10-game winning streak before that and have won 14 of their last 16 games.

Ruston will host No. 25 Barbe (15-9) in the first round.

21. Vandebilt Catholic, 25-4 (previous rank: 19) - Playoff Standing Division II select No. 5

The Terriers defeated Assumption, South Lafourche and Ellender and lost by 11 points at Division IV No. 2 St. Martin's Episcopal (22-6). Jordan Matthews initiated consecutive fast break buckets for an early 12-0 lead in the 74-33 win at South Lafourche.

The Terriers received a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 12 St. Michael (19-12)/No. 21 Frederick Douglass (16-13).

22. Pineville, 22-4 (previous rank: 21) - Playoff Standing Division I select No. 4

The Rebels defeated LaGrange, Archbishop Rummel and West Ouachita, but lost to Alexandria.

In the 69-53 win over Rummel in the regular-season finale, Kylan Edwards scored 17 points. Kayden Clark scored 16, while Evyn Goree and Javonte Thomas added 12 apiece. Thomas was selected to the LHSCA West All-Star team.

Pineville received a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 13 St. Paul's (21-10)/No. 20 Carencro (14-13).

23. French Settlement, 29-3 (previous rank: 24) - Playoff Standing Division III non-select No. 1

The Lions defeated Ascension Christian, and a playoff tune-up vs. St. Martin's was canceled. Cooper Childers' lay-up staked the Lions to a 6-0 lead in the 86-62 win over Ascension Christian.

French Settlement has wins over J.S. Clark, East St. John, Parkview Baptist, St. Charles, St. Thomas Aquinas and Episcopal School of Acadiana.

The Lions received a first-round bye and will host the winner of No. 16 Ville Platte (14-15)/No. 17 Sterlington (17-13).

24. Zwolle, 28-3 (previous rank: 25) - Playoff Standing Division V non-select No. 1

The Hawks were idle.

Zwolle received a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 16 Georgetown (26-15)/No. 17 Saline (20-14).

25 (tie). Catholic-New Iberia, 25-7 (previous rank: NR) - Playoff Standing Division III select No. 6

The Panthers enter the rankings on the strength of a 10-game winning streak. Coach Casey McGrew's team lost to Calvary Baptist in the 2023 semifinals.

Catholic-NI's roster is heavy on underclassmen. Junior guards Jaiden Mitchell and Tristian Lewis are the leading scorers. 6-foot-9 sophomore Joab Trosclair has had a breakout season. Players to watch on a deep team include Chris Green, Tyler Templeton, Jake Lissard, Layton Mitchell, Karon Eugene and Jacob Minvielle.

Three of Catholic's losses were to New Iberia (42-40), St. Thomas More (47-45) and Isidore Newman (65-60 in OT).

The Panthers received a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 11 Capitol (18-11)/No. 22 Glenmora (14-16).

25 (tie). Dunham, 25-7 (previous rank: 22) - Playoff Standing Division III select No. 2

The Tigers beat area opponents Northeast and Episcopal, and then made a tour through north Louisiana at Lincoln Prep (Grambling) and Ruston High. Dunham won the first three games and lost to Ruston.

Dunham received a first-round bye and will face the winner of No. 15 Pope John Paul II (22-9)/No. 18 M.L. King Charter (13-14).

DROPPED OUT

Lafayette High, Scotlandville 

Photo of Peabody Magnet's Rashad Mitchell from his X page 

-- Mike Coppage | @SBLiveLA