Mar 21, 20225 min read

LGR's 2A All State

Before we get started please note this is NOT the LSWA (Louisiana Sportswriters Association) all state team but solely Louisiana Girls Rankings thoughts. Again with our platform we are only trying to help keep the conversation going about OUR girls so this is just another way of doing that.

The 2A and division II have some of the tremendous guard play and was a blast to watch all season long as this classification had no problems playing up and competing. This will be another fun group and has plenty of future college players throughout.

2A MVP

Jalencia Pierre - Sr. / Amite / Southeastern Signee

Jalencia Pierre led her team to a state championship this year and she finished her high school career on the same court she'll start her college career on as the Southeastern signee had 20 points and 10 assist in the state championship game. Pierre has always been known for her speed and quickness as she's one of the fastest people with a basketball in her hands that I've ever seen but the improvement of her jump shot over the past couple years has really taken her game to the next level.

Photo by: Michael Odendahl / CoachO GameDay Graphix

1st Team 2A All State (Alphabetical Order)

Izzy Besselman - Sr. / Episcopal

Hailey Brumfield - So. / Amite

Jada Richard - So. / Lafayette Christian Academy

Amari West - Sr. / Rayville (Unsigned)

Anaya Yunusah - So. / Newman

Izzy Besselman helped propel her Episcopal team to new program heights this year as they made a historic run to the state championship game. Despite coming up short Izzy has been a standout for this year all season long. The 5'10 LSU walk on will bring a versatile skill set to the Lady Tigers next year as she's long and athletic from the guard position.

Photo by: LSUWBB Twitter

Hailey Brumfield was the one-two punch with teammate Jen Pierre on the way to a state championship in 2A. It's been really impressive to see Brumfield's game continue to grow and develop over the past 365 days as she's had an outstanding summer and has carried that momentum into the high school season. Despite only being a sophomore I'm expecting Brumfield to make another big leap in her game this summer and college coaches you don't want to be late to the party! Amite moves up to 3A with a state championship trophy and a new one-two punch in Hailey Brumfield and Miracle Irving...don't count these young ladies out.

Photo by: Michael Odendahl / CoachO GameDay Graphix

Jada Richard despite only being a sophomore has positioned herself as one of the top players in the state regardless of classification. With back to back state championships and state title MVP's its hard to argue how talented she is after all this early success. But what is most impressive about this young lady is her drive and determination to continue to get better.... The special players are the ones that get better every time you see them and Jada Richard is special. I'm expecting a big summer out of her and look forward to seeing high major offers start to pour in soon!

Photo by: Jada Richard / Twitter

Amari West has been a big part of Rayville basketball for several years now as she has helped put this team back on the map getting back to a state championship game this season. She's one of the top unsigned seniors in the state and has a knack for putting the ball in the hoop scoring form a variety of ways. The 5'7 guard is a big combo guard that can play on and off the basketball. She's best with the ball in her hands as she scores for herself or her teammates.

Photo by: Michael Odendahl / CoachO GameDay Graphix

Anaya Yunusah after transferring from Dominican Anaya was asked to do even more at Newman and she was up for the challenge this season! The 5'10 sophomore forward was asked to play both inside and out and she helped lead her team to the state semifinals. She was a mismatch for most opponents as she could post up smaller defenders and take bigger defenders out to the perimeter. Keep an eye on this Newman basketball team over the next couple years and remember the name Anaya Yunusah.

2nd Team 2A All State (Alphabetical Order)

Eve Alexander - So. / Lafayette Christian Academy

Janiaya Fisher - Fr. / Lakeview

Payton Hines - Sr. / Avoyelles Charter

Mackenzie Joseph - Sr. / Kinder (Unsigned)

Vivian Sketoe - So. / Lake Arthur

Eve Alexander came on really strong down the stretch towards yet another state championship for Lafayatte Christian Academy this season. The 6'0 sophomore forward has extended her shooting range being more consistent from deep as well as turned it up a notch on the defensive end. Eve showcases a long frame and is a natural athlete when it comes to running the floor. With her teammate Jada running point this one-two combo of inside and out will be around for a long time to come.

Photo by: Hudl.com

Janiaya Fisher is a lighting quick guard as the freshmen sensation has been one of the major stories in 2A this season. Fisher helped lead the Lakeview Lady Gators to a number 2 overall seed in the 2A playoffs before falling early in the playoffs but it was the consistency of Fisher and this team throughout the season that earned a lot of respect from everyone around the state. Between Janiaya Fisher and her teammate Timberlyn Washington it's going to be tough to find a better one-two combo at the guard position despite these two young ladies only being freshmen....Lakeview is here to stay and those are two names you need to know!

Payton Hines has been a pleasure to watch how she plays the game throughout her high school career. She's always been a great player but her growth in leadership has been tremendous and is what sets her apart from the rest. Playing hard and leading are two of the overlooked skillsets when it comes to evaluating talent and Payton has made sure to always check those two boxes.

Photo by: LaMar Gafford / The Town Talk

Mackenzie Joseph helped lead Kinder to a number 6 overall seed in the playoffs before falling to Rayville in overtime in a game that could have gone either way. Mackenzie is an unsigned senior an the 5'11 forward is one of the top forwards left in the class. She brings a lot of versatility with her strength and quickness she can excel on the defensive side of the basketball defending multiple positions. As for the offensive side of the ball she has played both guard and forward so she's been a match up nightmare for her opponents this season since she can post up smaller defenders and take bigger defenders to the perimeter. College coaches that are in need of a physical presence in the post should be in contact with Mackenzie.

Photo by: Kinder Basketball Twitter

Vivian Sketoe has already scored 1,000 points in her high school career despite only being a sophomore. She lead her team back to the state final four this season after winning the state title last year. Vivian plays at a very high pace and does this well with a high assist to turnover ratio. Her 3pt shot continues to improve which will allow her to play on and off the ball at the next level. When it comes to toughness I'm not sure there is another young lady tougher.... and that wins ball games!

Photo by: Lake Arthur Twitter