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Kirk Meche

In this edition of the Three Point Shot, Rodrick Anderson and Warren Arceneaux break out the crystal basketballs and predict the high school hoop stars of the upcoming decade.

Which area large school boys player is most likely to make the next all-decade team, which covers the 2020-21 through 2029-30 seasons?

WA: Iowa forward Curtis Deville, Jr. is my choice. He was a first team all district choice as a sophomore this year and is also a standout football player. He has the athleticism and bloodlines — Curtis Sr. was a big-time player for some good Lacassine teams back in the day.

RA: Westlake sophomore Jamaal Guillory has emerged one of the Westlake most consistent and versatile scorers with the ability to drive to the basketball, pull up for a jumper and set up from beyond the arc. He will be key as the Rams look to return to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2014.

Which area large school girls player is most likely to make the next all-decade team?

WA: Myca Trail of St. Louis has already made a big splash by helping the Saints reach consecutive Division II state championship games. She has two years left and another star by her side in freshman Paris Guillory, so the Saints should remain in the title mix over the next few seasons.

RA: If her first varsity season is any indication, Barbe freshman Mikaylah Manley could become one of the top players in Southwest Louisiana. Manley averaged 28 points and 12 rebounds a game while keeping the Bucs in contention for the District 3-5A championship before ultimately finishing second to Sulphur. Manley was named the district MVP in district usually dominated by upperclassmen and led the Bucs to their first playoff win since 2018 on the road at East Ascension.

Name a boys and girls coach most likely to appear on the next all-decade team.

WA: Jason Wilson of LaGrange for boys and Gloria Fontenot of Westlake for girls. Wilson has built winners at both DeQuincy and LaGrange, which has made back-to-back playoff appearances and won a district title in the past two seasons. Fontenot elevated Westlake to new heights over the past decade. The Rams didn’t play a single playoff game between 1989 and Fontenot’s arrival in 2006.

This decade the Rams won nine playoff games, reached the semifinals once and quarterfinals two other occasions.

RA: Over the next few years, keep an eye on LaGrange head girls basketball coach La’Keem Holmes. In five seasons, he has taken the Gators from a 9-17 to winning their first state championship. LaGrange has won 103 games over the last four seasons and Holmes has plenty of talented players returning to make more deep playoff runs. In just one season, Robert Acord is already making progress at Sam Houston is poised to keep lifting the program’s status. The Broncos made the playoffs for the first time in 21 years and finished the regular season with a winning record for the first time since the 2011-2012 season.

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A reporters’ roundtable about high school basketball topics, featuring staff writers Rodrick Anderson, and Warren Arceneaux.