Class 4A Quarterfinal Predictions and Preview

The state's two top point guards, Jalan West(left) of Bossier and Nick Syrie(right) of Northside

will lead their teams in the quarterfinals tonight

What more can you ask for than the 4A playoffs that have the top 8 seeds in the quarterfinals tonight. This means there will be four games that will include eight very good and talented teams. Let's start on the bottom sid of the bracket which features the two games that are less intriguing as the top bracket but still very good nonetheless. In the 3/6 game you have Northside traveling to always tough Washington Marion who is back in the playoffs after a year absence due to LHSAA penalty of an ineligible player in 2009. Washington Marion will look to 5'9" Keaven Fontenot to to lead the way as NHS will rely on the point guard play of junior Nick Syrie. Syrie, one of the top juniors in Louisiana seems to have found his shot in the playoffs and is providing Coach Devan Clark with an added outside shooting threat. Others to watch for Northside are 6'6" junior Chris Robertson and 5'10" guard Tony Montgomery. In the other game on the bottom side, you have 2 seed Bossier hosting 7 seed Ellender. Ellender, who has yet to see a true tough opponent this playoffs, will run into a buzzsaw this round as Bossier has it's entire team back from last years state runner-up team except one kid. Lead by Jalan West, Devonta Francis and JJ James, the Bearkats will look to push the tempo and win this game going away. Ellender will rely on the steady play of 6'5" Trevon Lewis who scored 37 on tuesday and Karderro Dixon who led Ellender with 20 in the first round.

Brian Williams(left) throwing down a dunk in Wednesday's win over Minden

will lead Glen Oaks, while Ronald McGhee(right) of Istrouma

will take on Markel Brown(bottom) of Peabody in quarterfinal action tonight

Now on to the top side of the bracket as two Baton Rouge teams, Glen Oaks and Istrouma look to take on Wossman and Peabody. Glen Oaks comes in as the 4 seed after a hard earned win at home on Wednesday and will travel to Monroe to take on Wossman, the 5 seed. Glen Oaks is going to rely on the senior leadership once again of Oklahoma State signee Brian Williams as they take on a tough Wossman team led by Johnathon Ross. Istrouma, the 8 seed will travel to Alexandria and play top seed Peabody and another Oklahoma State signee Markel Brown. Istrouma defeated defending champ Salmen tuesday who has beaten Peabody the previous two seasons in this very round. Peabody advanced by an easy win over McDonogh #35. Both games feature several Division 1 prospects. For Glen Oaks, you have Williams who has signed and potentially 3 more D1 prospects as juniors Erron Chesterfield(6'6") and Tre Drye(6'6") both are promising players that will get a lot of D1 attention this summer. Drye is one of the top juniors in Louisiana while Chesterfield is just now making his name. The third player with possible D1 talent down the line will be 5'5" freshman PG Jalen Variste. Variste is the x-factor of this Glen Oaks team that can come in and hit 3's in bunches. D1 prospects in the Istrouma/Peabody game besides Brown for Peabody are 6'5" Ronald McGhee whose list of schools interested are North Texas, UCLA, Alabama, St. Joe's, Arkansas, Tulane and others. Also for Istrouma is 6'2" PG Darius Johnson who is a sophomore. Peabody has 6'6" Troy Jones that is a sophomore as well.

Class 4A Quarterfinal Predictions

1 seed Peabody over Istrouma

4 seed Glen Oaks over 5 seed Wossman

6 seed Northside over 3 seed Washington Marion

2 seed Bossier over 7 seed Ellender