Louisiana high school boys basketball Top 25 rankings (2/9/2024)

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. 7.

1. St. Thomas More, 22-1 (previous rank: 2) - LHSAA Power Rating Division I select No. 1

The Cougars defeated David Thibodaux and Westgate. In the 71-26 win over Westgate, 6-foot-7 forward Chad Jones scored 13 points and 6-foot-4 guard Anthony Angelle added 13.

Also, 6-foot-5 senior guard Michael Mouton scored 21 in the 68-49 win over David Thibodaux. Angelle added 17 points. Jones had 12.

STM has upcoming games vs. Tioga, Northside, Lafayette Christian and Beau Chene.

2. Madison Prep, 21-2 (previous rank: 1) - LHSAA Power Rating Division II select No. 1

The Chargers defeated Doyle, Glen Oaks and Capitol and lost to Liberty Magnet. Jayce Depron scored 21 points with four rebounds and two assists in the 79-51 win over Doyle. Donnie Haney had 19 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists. Hezekiah Dantzler added 13 points with three rebounds and three assists.

Depron scored 34 points in the 70-63 win over Capitol. Haney had 18 points, Dantzler chipped in 14 and Josh Smith contributed 13 points in the 77-29 rout of Glen Oaks.

3. Isidore Newman, 14-3 (previous rank: 3) - LHSAA Power Rating Division III select No. 1

The Greenies defeated Terrebonne, Lutcher and Patterson. Sophomore Tayden Langdon scored 16 points, and Randy Livingston Jr. and Todd Jones had 13 points apiece in the 68-53 win over Terrebonne. Forward Chris Cenac added nine points with 12 rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Cenac (6-10, jr.) is averaging a team-high 14.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.

4. Ponchatoula, 24-4 (previous rank: 4) - LHSAA Power Rating Division I non-select No. 2

The Green Wave defeated St. Paul's, Archbishop Hannan and Fontainebleau. The defending Division I non-select state champions handled Hannan by 30 and St. Paul's by 20 points.

The Green Wave has been largely unstoppable with 6-foot-10 Santa Clara signee Allen Graves healthy and in the lineup. Graves was limited (sickness) in an overtime loss to Scotlandville. Ponchatoula lost to Newman in a game where the big man fouled out early in the fourth quarter after scoring 20 points.

5. Zachary, 22-4 (previous rank: 5) - LHSAA Power Rating Division I non-select No. 1

The Broncos are on a roll, having defeated Scotlandville, Southside and Woodlawn-Baton Rouge since the last rankings update. Those wins followed victories over St. Thomas Aquinas, Iowa, Archbishop Hannan, Eleanor McMain, Plaquemine, St. Michael, University Lab and Ponchatoula sandwiched around a 54-52 loss to Madison Prep on Jan. 25.

Xavier Ferguson scored 18 and Beejay Brooks had 17 points in the 58-46 win at Scotlandville, according to Robin Fambrough of the Baton Rouge Advocate. Brooks had the hot hand in the first half with 11 points. Ferguson scored 12 in the second half.

Louisiana high school girls basketball Top 25 rankings (2/6/2024)

6 (tie). Liberty Magnet, 20-3 (previous rank: 8) - LHSAA Power Rating Division I select No. 2

The Patriots avenged a previous loss by defeating Madison Prep, 53-44, in a Sunday evening game. Jaylen Peters scored 15, Marquise McPipe had 11 and Chivas Lee added 10 points as Liberty halted the Chargers' 18-game winning streak, according to William Weathers of the Baton Rouge Advocate.

Peters scored seven straight points to change a 41-39 deficit to a 46-41 lead in the fourth quarter. Madison Prep turned the ball over 15 times - four in the fourth quarter - and shot 3-for-11 in the final period.

Liberty also defeated Woodlawn-BR, Catholic-BR and Scotlandville. The 41-39 win over the defending Division I select state champion Bears was on the road in the district opener.

6 (tie). Wossman, 28-3 (previous rank: 6) - LHSAA Power Rating Division II non-select No. 2

The Wildcats defeated Peabody Magnet and Bastrop. In a Saturday afternoon win over Peabody, Wossman outscored the visitors 45-27 in the second half en route to a 67-62 victory, according to Jake Martin of The Ouachita Citizen.

Junior guard Trae Mason had double-digit assists in three of four recent games, with 11 assists in a win over Neville.

8. Lafayette High, 20-3 (previous rank: 7) - LHSAA Power Rating Division I select No. 5

The Lions defeated Acadiana and lost to Southside. The 49-47 loss to Southside snapped a nine-game winning streak. Junior guard Kevon'te Landry had 13 points, 14 rebounds, one steal and one block in the loss, according to Eric Narcisse of The Acadiana Advocate. Boston Sledge scored 13 and fouled out with 3:13 remaining. Kobe Jones had 11 points.

9. New Iberia, 24-4 (previous rank: 9) - LHSAA Power Rating Division I non-select No. 3

The Yellow Jackets defeated Sam Houston, Westgate and Sulphur ahead of a Feb. 9 home game against District 3-5A leader Southside.

NISH coach Chad Pourciau has a goal of holding every opponent to a single-digit quarter, and the Yellow Jackets held Sam Houston to 3, 7 and 8 points in each of the first three quarters of the 46-32 win. Senior Wayne Randall-Bashay scored 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Junior Otis Anderson had 13 points.

10. Iowa, 25-4 (previous rank: 10) - LHSAA Power Rating Division II non-select No. 1

The Yellow Jackets defeated St. Louis Catholic, Lake Charles College Prep and Sam Houston. Desa'Monte Gradney scored 33 points and drilled five 3-pointers in the second half of the 67-45 win over LCCP.

Iowa is senior-laden with Da'Shawn Ceaser, Luke Guillory, Josiah Bushnell, Cameron Washington, Collin Goodly and Gradney. 6-foot-5 sophomore Victor Fisher had a huge dunk in a recent game. He and fellow sophomore Jeremiah Bushnell provide quality depth.

11. George Washington Carver, 21-5 (previous rank: 12) - LHSAA Power Rating Division II select No. 3

The Rams defeated Ben Franklin, 69-37. Daijon Leatherman and Laurence Nathan each had a slam dunk in the early going. Leatherman grabbed an offensive rebound and stuffed it in the face of two defenders. Nathan's came on a steal and breakaway. Stanley Waterhouse and Wayne Nevels followed with 3-pointers.

The Rams face Ponchatoula on Feb. 15.

12. Peabody Magnet, 23-5 (previous rank: 11) - LHSAA Power Rating Division II select No. 2

The Warhorses beat Grant and Neville and lost to Wossman. Peabody hasn't had the services of more than one key player in recent games, according to an insider on the Louisiana Sportsline message board. No additional information regarding their absence was provided.

Jordan Matthews' 19 points led the team in the 67-62 loss at Wossman. Robert Garland added 15 points, and Rashad Mitchell and Isaiah Jones scored 14 apiece.

Matthews (6-5, Sr.) averages a team-high 16.8 ppg and 11 rebounds. Justin Burns (6-5, Sr.) averages 15.1 ppg, 14.2 rpg and 2.9 blocks.

13. Archbishop Shaw, 21-2 (previous rank: 23) - LHSAA Power Rating Division II select No. 6

The Eagles defeated L.B. Landry, Walker and New Orleans Marine and Maritime.

L.B. Landry (20-9, 2-1 District 10-4A) had won nine of its last 10 before losing 45-32 at Shaw, which remained undefeated in league play. Senior captain Christian Creppel sank 13-of-14 free throws and finished with 18 points, according to Chris Dabe of nola.com.

Creppel and senior Xavier Meyers each canned a 3-pointer during a 12-0 run by the Eagles. Aidan LaSalle added 13 points. Forward Kobe Butler grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked 10 shots.

14. Scotlandville, 19-10 (previous rank: 14) - LHSAA Power Rating Division I select No. 8

The Hornets defeated Capitol and Central-BR and lost to Zachary and Liberty Magnet.

Central-BR debuted in the rankings last week at No, 15 after a road win at Denham Springs. Scotlandville beat the Wildcats, 63-56, behind Jamal Drewery's 21 points. Aaron Marshall added 19 points. Ja'Mariyon Brown had 12.

Drewery, a junior point guard, had seven rebounds and six assists. Brown had eight rebounds, three steals and two assists. LaMarkus Williams had four points, nine rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block.

15. Captain Shreve, 23-5 (previous rank: 16) - LHSAA Power Rating Division I select No. 4

The Gators defeated Haughton and Benton. In the 60-47 District 1-5A win over Benton, Aaron Guinn scored 16 points with 11 rebounds and a steal. Jyrin Sowell also had a double-double with 13 points and 10 boards. Marcus Lofton had 13 points, four assists, two rebounds and a steal. Kamren Clark added nine points.

Shreve is 9-2 in district with a game at leader Southwood (21-7, 10-1) on Feb. 13.

16. Southside, 17-11 (previous rank: NR) - LHSAA Power Rating Division I non-select No. 7

The Sharks debut in the rankings after their win over Lafayette High. Noah Brookter scored 20 points and Jaydon Norbert had 13 points in the 49-47 win over Lafayette. Brookter had five rebounds, three assists and one steal, according to Eric Narcisse of The Acadiana Advocate. Jayce Tolivar is a dangerous outside shooter for coach Todd Russ.

The Sharks (4-0 in District 3-5A) are in sole possession of first place in their league with a game at New Iberia (4-1) on Friday, Feb. 9. Southside has won five of its last seven games with losses at Northwest and Zachary. The Sharks defeated George Washington Carver in mid-January despite not having their full roster of players available.

17. Southwood, 21-7 (previous rank: 19) - LHSAA Power Rating Division I select No. 6

The Cowboys defeated Byrd and Haughton ahead of a final stretch against Airline, Captain Shreve and Natchitoches Central. Southwood downed Airline and Natchitoches Central in the first round of district at home. They'll get the chance to avenge a 20-point loss at Captain Shreve on Feb. 13 at Walker Road.

18. Brusly, 24-1 (previous rank: 21) - LHSAA Power Rating Division II non-select No. 3

The Panthers defeated West Feliciana, Plaquemine and McKinley.
The 52-50 win at Plaquemine was a district rivalry game. Edrick Snearl's 3-pointer from the top of the key provided his team's first points. Snearl nailed another 3 from the wing for a 10-5 lead. Brandon Hymes and Tyran Young each had a block to stifle the Green Devils on ensuing possessions.

Snearl scored 15 points in the 57-51 win over McKinley, according to Robin Fambrough of the Baton Rouge Advocate. Micah Bryant had 12 and Brandon Hymes 10.

19. Vandebilt Catholic, 22-3 (previous rank: 22) - LHSAA Power Rating Division II select No. 5

The Terriers defeated South Terrebonne and Morgan City. Jahyri Coleman, Jayden Coleman and Jordan Matthews converted on transition buckets in the early going of the 67-26 win over Morgan City.

VC has won 13 straight games since a loss to Brother Martin at the STM Sunkist Shootout.

20. Edna Karr, 21-10 (previous rank: 20) - LHSAA Power Rating Division I select No. 9

The Cougars defeated Country Day, Brother Martin and Archbishop Rummel and lost to Warren Easton.

Karr clinched a share of the Catholic League championship by downing Rummel, 59-37, according to Chris Dabe of nola.com. Keith Jones scored 13 points and eight Cougars combined to make 11 3-pointers. Coach Taurus Howard's jersey was retired at halftime as the 1994 state championship team was honored.

21. Pineville, 19-3 (previous rank: 25) - LHSAA Power Rating Division I select No. 3

The Rebels defeated Avoyelles Public Charter and West Monroe. Evyn Goree and Javonte Thomas each scored 17 points in the 78-46 win over Avoyelles Public Charter. The Rebels (2-2 in District 2-5A) are at rival Alexandria (17-9, 3-1) on Feb. 13.

22. Dunham, 22-6 (previous rank: NR) - LHSAA Power Rating Division III select No. 3

The Tigers have won 13 of their last 16 games with single-digit losses to Scotlandville, Madison Prep and Southwood. Senior Mason Lavergne and freshman Elijah Haven are players to watch.

23. Calvary Baptist, 19-6 (previous rank: 25) - LHSAA Power Rating Division III select No. 6

The Cavaliers defeated North Caddo and Loyola Prep. Bubba Strong scored 22 points with two rebounds and two assists in the 80-44 win over North Caddo. Tyrone Jamison had 14 points, six assists and four rebounds. Rondae Hill added 14 points with five rebounds and five assists.

24. French Settlement, 28-3 (previous rank: NR) - LHSAA Power Rating Division III non-select No. 1

The Lions defeated district rival St. Thomas Aquinas, 75-67, on Feb. 2. Maxwell Allison scored 22 points. Trevor McMorris (17), Brady Andrews (13) and Mason Hill (11) scored in double figures.

Allison and Andrew posted double-doubles. Allison had 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals. Andrews had 10 rebounds and seven assists.

25. Zwolle, 28-3 (previous rank: NR) - LHSAA Power Rating Division V non-select No. 1

The Hawks got payback for a previous loss with an 80-64 district win at Negreet, which also has a 28-3 record. Preston Sanders had 39 points and 20 rebounds in the win over Negreet, according to Shawn White of Under the Radar NWLA. Howard Etheridge added 27 points with seven 3-pointers.

DROPPED OUT

Natchitoches Central, Central-Baton Rouge, Denham Springs, Ruston, Jesuit

Photo of St. Thomas More's Chad Jones (14) by Brad Bowie, The Acadiana Advocate

-- Mike Coppage | @SBLiveLA