If you like high flying dunks, athleticism, 3 point shooting, quick guards and all around great basketball then day 3 of the Top 28 is where you will see all that and then some. A day that features 5-time 4A state champion of the past decade in top seeded Peabody of 4A leads the list of teams playing today. Christian Life and Country Day represent the last four champions in 1A whil Glen Oaks of 4A was the 2005 champion. Also playing today will be a pair of runner-ups of from 2009 in 4A Bossier and 1A Arcadia. Other teams in action today include 2A Jonesboro-Hodge, Red River, 1A Plain Dealing and 4A Washington Marion. In what has to be the best day of games of the entire event, there will also be a list of some of the top players that include six of the states ten Division 1 signees including future Oklahoma State Cowboys who will also play each other tonight in Peabody's 6'4" guard Markel Brown and 6'5" Glen Oaks star Brian Williams. In the first game of the day, Christian Life vs. Plain Dealing will feature CLA's trio of signees led by Langston Galloway(St. Joseph's), Patrick Robinson(Northwestern State), and Kaleb Knight(Grambling State). The last of the signees will be Matt Derenbecker who will attend LSU and is at Country Day. Today is going to be very fun to watch. Minus being D1 signees, there are still players to watch as Bossier has a trio of guards that are among the state's best with jr. Jalan West, Devonta Francis and Joseph James. In the 2A and 1A ranks watch out for TJ Williams of J-Hodge, Plain Dealing's YonDarius Johnson, Arcadia's Anthony Roberson, and Red River's duo of the Cordarious' of Johnson and Smith. Johnson is a 6'4" F while Smith, a junior is 5'11". Now it is time for our predictions where below you will see the daily talk and preview from Brady and Kevin with the Daily Advertiser. For further Top 28 Action coverage check in at the Daily Advertiser.
Class 1A
Game 1: Christian Life over Plain Dealing
Game 2: Country Day over Arcadia
Class 2A
Game 3: Red River over Jonesboro-Hodge
Class 4A
Game 4: Glen Oaks over Peabody
Game 5: Bossier over Washington Marion
Class 1A:
Christian Life Academy
Coach: Carlo Maggio.
Record: 34-5.
Seed: No. 1.
Playoff road: Beat Oberlin 92-41, Gueydan 91-36, East Iberville 73-49.
Top scorers: Langston Galloway(right), 6-4, Sr, 26.0 ppg; Patrick Robinson(left), 6-6, Sr, 16.0 ppg; Tomeny McCall, 6-4, Sr, 14.0 ppg.Top 28 history: Eighth appearance with four titles (including three straight from 2006-08) and two runner-up finishes.
Notes: This is CLA's fifth straight appearance. Galloway is a St. Joseph's of Philadelphia signee, while Robinson signed with Northwestern State. Maggio was at Plainview last season. Todd Foster left CLA to begin his career as a college coach at Baton Rouge C.C.
Plain Dealing Lions
Record: 26-5.
Seed: No. 5.
Playoff road: Beat Jackson 82-64, Grambling 57-54, North Central 64-53.
Top scorers: YonDarius Johnson(right), 6-4, Sr, 20.8 ppg; LaCharlie Scott, 6-3, Sr, 10.5 ppg; Dordarrius Gill, 6-0, Sr, 6.6 ppg; LaJuan Johnson, 6-0, Sr, 6.3 ppg.
Top 28 history: Sixth appearance with two runner-up finishes.
Notes: Johnson has been honored as a McDonald's All-American candidate. The Lions haven't played as many Top 28 participants as some. Plain Dealing did split two games with Arcadia and lost a game to 4A powerhouse Bossier. The Lions lost to Arcadia, 57-55, and beat the Hornets, 71-61.
Country Day Cajuns
Record: 40-5.
Seed: No. 2.
Playoff road: Beat Catholic-PC 91-47, Varnado 86-51, White Castle 69-53.
Top scorers: Matt Derenbecker(right), 6-7, Sr, 25.5 ppg; Nick Hansel, 6-3, Jr, 12.5 ppg; Hunter Ham, 6-4, Sr, 10.5 ppg; Dylan Kavanagh, 5-11, Sr, 8.0 ppg.
Top 28 history: Ninth appearance with three titles and three runner-up finishes.
Notes: The Country Day-Arcadia semifinals pairing represents a rematch of last year's championship game won by the Cajuns, 61-47. Derenbecker was MVP of last year's championship game (31 points, nine rebounds). Country Day also defeated Arcadia, 80-58, in the 2008 semifinals.
Arcadia Hornets
Coach: Shane Lee.
Record: 20-9.
Seed: No. 11.
Playoff road: Beat Delcambre 61-35, Elton 61-48, Central Catholic-MC 57-49.
Top scorers: Anthony Roberson, 6-3, Soph, 18.0 ppg; Tradarius Banks, 6-1, Soph, 14.1 ppg; Tremaine Brown, 5-11, Sr, 10.0 ppg; Trevor Dillar, 6-0, Sr, 8.0 ppg.
Top 28 history: Seventh appearance with 3 runner-up finishes.
Notes: Roberson averages 12 rebounds a game. The Hornets own wins over 2010 Top 28 participants Plain Dealing, Spearsville and Saline this season. Arcadia has also lost to such Top 28 teams as Carroll, Athens, Jonesboro-Hodge and Plain Dealing.
Class 2A
Red River Bulldogs
Record: 38-5.
Seed: No. 3.
Playoff road: Beat Calvary Baptist 72-53, Newman 57-54, Mamou 55-31.
Top scorers: Cordarius Johnson(right), 6-4, Sr, 18.6 ppg; Cordarius Smith, 5-11, Soph, 12.3 ppg; Jakaris Lewis, 5-9, Jr, 9.4 ppg; Jacob Caldwell, 5-11, Sr, 8.0 ppg.
Top 28 history: Third appearance, with two runner-up finishes.
Notes: The Bulldogs certainly appear to be tested heading into the Top 28 this week. Red River has wins over Evangel, two over Jonesboro-Hodge, Many, Green Oaks, Athens and Saline. The Bulldogs also have the lessons learned from quality losses to Ouachita, Bossier, Jonesboro-Hodge and Many.
Jonesboro-Hodge Tigers
Record: 25-9.
Seed: No. 15.
Playoff road: Beat Capitol 73-63, ST Aquinas 65-62 (OT), Donaldsonville 86-58.
Top scorers: Thomas Williams, 6-7, Sr, 23.1 ppg; Kevin Cottonham, 5-8, Soph, 11.7 ppg; LaQuinten Calahan, 6-1, Sr, 7.5 ppg.
Top 28 history: Eighth appearance with three titles and 1 runner-up finish.
Notes: Lost in the state semifinals in 2002, 2005, 2007. Took third place in District 3-2A behind Many and Red River, who tied for first. Defeated Red River once in three games this season, giving the Bulldogs their only home loss. Williams has received scholarship offers from 10 teams, including UL Monroe, Grambling, Southeastern and UT-San Antonio.
Peabody War Horses
Record: 39-0
Seed: No. 1.
Playoff road: Beat Woodlawn 80-26, McDonogh-35 57-28, Istrouma 53-40.
Top players: Markel Brown, 6-5, Sr, 32.5 ppg; Troy Jones, 6-7, Soph, 15.5 ppg; Joshua Ivory, 6-2, Soph, 10.5 ppg; Kalvin Balque, 6-5, Sr, 12.5 ppg.
Top 28 history: 19th trip with 5 championships and 4 runner-up finishes.
Notes: Peabody is making its first trip to the Top 28 since 2007. The last time Peabody was here stars such as Raphelle Turner and Marcus Simmons led the Warhorses to the 4A state championship.
Glen Oaks Panthers
Coach: Harvey Adger
Seed: No. 4.
Playoff road: Beat Haughton 71-42, Minden 72-63, Wossman 45-44.
Top players: Brian Williams(right), 6-5, Sr, 18.0 ppg; Trevante Drye(left), 6-6, Jr, 18.0 ppg; Andre Scott, 6-0, Sr, 14.0 ppg; Brandon Johnson, 5-9, Sr, 10.2 ppg.Top 28 history: 10th appearance with five state titles. Panthers last won a championship in 2005.
Notes: Lost to Bossier in the semifinals last year. Williams, a Oklahoma State signee, missed most of the District 7-4A schedule with a leg injury. Williams and Drye both average 10 rebounds a game.
Bossier BearkatsRecord: 37-1.
Seed: No. 2.
Playoff road: Beat Franklinton 108-70, Neville 83-74, Ellender 76-62.
Top players: Jalan West(right), 5-10, Jr, 15.5 ppg; Joseph James, 5-8, Jr, 13.3 ppg; Devonte Francis(left), 5-11, Soph, 13.6 ppg; Lyndale James, 6-5, Jr, 7.9 ppg.Top 28 history: Sixth appearance with a pair of runner-up finishes.
Notes: This is Bossier's second straight season in the Top 28. The Bearkats are led by their speedy, pressure-packed backcourt with West leading the way 4.5 assists and 1.4 steals a game.
Washington-Marion Indians
Coach: Albert Hartwell.
Record: 25-4.
Seed: No. 3.
Playoff road: Beat Woodlawn 48-40, Karr 61-49, Northside 61-53 (OT).
Top players: Desharick Guidry, 6-3, Jr, 11.0 ppg; Josh Gray, 6-0, Soph, 15.0 ppg; Keavin Fontenot, 5-8, Sr, 14.0 ppg.
Top 28 history: Sixth trip with one state title and three runner-up finishes.
Notes: The Indians were the 1987 Class 3A champs, plus the runner-up in Class 3A in 1998 and Class 4A in 2004 and 2007. Team was ruled ineligible for the playoffs last season for attempted cover-up of the use of an ineligible player.
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