Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic opens Tuesday with 52 hoops teams

Tournament Brackets

It has become one of the top tournaments in the deep south, if not in the country.

The eighth annual Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic Basketball Tournament opens Tuesday afternoon at the Alario Center in Westwego with 52 teams.

Scotlandville (boys), Destrehan (girls platinum bracket) and Houma Christian (girls gold bracket) are the defending champions. The Hornets and Wildcats are competing again in this season’s tournament in an event that has become a must-see and much desired event among teams around Louisiana and the country, according to tournament director Ed Daniels.

“We get calls from everywhere,” Daniels said. “It is always tough managing the boys’ schedules to fit them into the event but the teams that really want to be here and compete with the best find a way to make it happen. On the girls side, the demand is so high that we added a third bracket this year and have 36 teams competing overall.”

The invaders include Lincoln High of Brooklyn, New York and Osceola High of Kissimmee, Florida (11-2). The Railsplitters (8-1) opens against Archbishop Hannan (4-9) Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. while the Kowboys face West Jefferson (6-10) Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

The top team from Louisiana is unbeaten Riverside (18-0). The Rebels have won all three tournaments they have played in this season. The Rebels open against Covington (10-4) Tuesday at 2 p.m.

Defending 2A state champion Madison Prep (11-2) is another extremely talented team. The Chargers open with Helen Cox (12-5) Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Another contender for the tournament title is defending Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic and Division I state champion Scotlandville. The Hornets (14-3) open play against Karr (9-7) Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.

Another pair of defending state champions will square off in the opening round as Defending Class 5A state champion Landry-Walker (14-5) battles defending Division III state champion Country Day (8-6) Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

In a battle of teams that were state runner-ups a year ago, traditional power University Lab (9-6) takes on Dunham (10-4) at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.

There are three girls brackets.

The top level is the platinum bracket. Defending Division I state champion John Curtis Christian (12-1) is one of the favorites. The Patriots open Wednesday at 7 p.m. against New Iberia (7-10).

A real threat is Kenwood Academy of Chicago. The Broncos (13-2) open against always tough Salmen (13-3) in an outstanding matchup Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Spartans were state runners-up in 4A a year ago.

Ellender (10-4) is solid and the Patriots will face the Salmen-Kentwood winner Thursday.

McKinley (15-2) has won nine straight games and the Panthers face Madison Prep (10-7) Wednesday at 4 p.m.

In the gold bracket, always tough Natchitoches Central (10-4) looks formidable. The Chiefs will open Thursday against the winner of the Thibodaux-Zachary game, set for Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

Lafayette Christian (17-2) could be the team to beat. The Knights open Thursday at 5:30 p.m. against the winner of Wednesday’s matchup pitting St. Thomas Aquinas against South Terrebonne.

South Lafourche (13-6) has won seven straight games and will face defending platinum bracket champion and defending 5A state champion Destrehan Wednesday at 7 p.m.

The silver bracket features 16 teams. Teams to watch include Dominican (16-1), Mount Carmel (9-3), Riverside (10-3), Higgins (9-3) and Walker (14-4). The action begins Wednesday at 4 p.m.

“We fully expect an excellent turnout of support from the respective schools,” Daniels said. “It is great that the Saints drew a Sunday afternoon playoff game with our tournament concluding Saturday afternoon.”

Boys

New Orleans Area

Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic at Alario Center

Sophie B. Wright vs. Jehovah-Jireh, 12:30 p.m.
Covington vs. Riverside, 2 p.m.
Dunham vs. University High, 3:30 p.m.
Helen Cox vs. Madison Prep, 5 p.m.
Country Day vs. Landry-Walker, 6:30 p.m.

Others

Archbishop Rummel at Archbishop Shaw, 7 p.m.
Chalmette at Comeaux, 7 p.m.
Brother Martin at Holy Cross, 7 p.m. *note site change
Northshore at St. Paul’s, 7:15 p.m.
St. Augustine at John Curtis Christian, 7:15 p.m.

Baton Rouge Area

Denham Springs vs. Tara, 5 p.m.
False River at The Church Academy, 7 p.m.
Pine at Amite, 7 p.m.
West Feliciana at Parkview Baptist, 6 p.m.

Bayou Area

Patterson at Berwick, 5:15 p.m.
St. Martinville at Morgan City, 6 p.m.

Girls

New Orleans Area

Central Lafourche at East St. John, 5 p.m.
Hammond at Slidell, 6 p.m.
St. Scholastica at Springfield, 5 p.m.
Walker at Lake Area New Tech, 2 p.m.

Baton Rouge Area

False River at The Church Academy, 6 p.m.
Natchez (Miss.) at Amite, 5 p.m.
St. Joseph’s Academy at Denham Springs, 5:30 p.m.

Bayou Area

Franklin at Morgan City, 5 p.m.
Thibodaux at H.L. Bourgeois, 6 p.m.