RESERVE — The Riverside Academy Rebels have been virtually unstoppable over their past three Class 2A championship seasons, and a deep cast of star players has been the biggest reason why.

The Rebels boasted multiple players who could put up 30 points on a given night, making it a near impossibility to cover them all. And such is the reason that for the second straight season, the Rebels earn four positions on L’OBSERVATEUR’s All-St. John the Baptist Parish team, this year led by our selection as the parish’s Most Valuable Player, Herb McGee.

Following in the footsteps of teammates Von Julien and Malik Crowfield, each of whom earned Class 2A MVP and All-Parish honors in 2013 and 2014, respectively, McGee pulls off that sweep in 2015 after becoming the third different Rebels player in as many years to earn LSWA 2A MVP honors.

The junior averaged 18.9 points, 7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 3.6 steals and 1.1 blocks this season to go along with his usual lockdown defensive play.

Rebels coach Timmy Byrd is our selection as St. John Coach of the Year after leading the Rebels to their third straight state crown and earning the 12th state championship victory of his head coaching career.

Byrd led the Rebels to a 27-0 record within the state and a 30-6 overall record.

Seniors Von Julien (9.3 assists per game) and Jordan Andrews (15.9 points per game) and junior Malik Crowfield (17.5 points per game) round out the Rebels’ All-Parish contingent.

West St. John turned into a force in the second half of the season as it was led by senior Morell Bartholomew (21 points per game), who helped the Rams go 9-2 down the stretch of the regular season before earning a playoff win.

East St. John senior Tre’Von Jasmine (19 points per game) and junior Troy Green (17 points per game) each earn spots after leading a young Wildcats team to a 22-11 record this season.

Finally, St. Charles Catholic’s Jobe Kelly (14 points per game) was a season-long stabilizing force at the guard position for a rebuilding Comets team, and rounds out our All-Parish squad.

2014-15 All-Parish boys basketball team

Malik Crowfield

Junior, Riverside

One of the state’s most explosive scorers and purest jump shooters, the 6’4” guard is also one of its best rebounders. He followed up his MVP season as a sophomore with 17.5 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per game and remains one of the biggest reasons the Rebels can play small without much sacrifice on the boards.

Coach’s quote: “It’s easy to have a letdown after the kind of season Malik had, but if anything he was even more consistent. He was a double-double guy again and he usually dealt with the opposition’s best defender. He’s going to be a great player at the next level.” — RA coach Timmy Byrd.

 

Von Julien

Senior, Riverside

The floor general of the Rebels, Julien looked to distribute to a deep cast of offensive weapons, averaging 9.3 assists per game to go along with 11.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.7 steals per game. Julien earned four state championship rings in his Rebels career.

Coach’s quote: “He’s been the face of our program. We couldn’t have had a better guy leading us than Von Julien. He’s a coach on the floor who understands situations and who is playing around him. He sacrificed some individual success for the benefit of our team.” — RA coach Timmy Byrd.

 

Jordan Andrews

Senior, Riverside

The MVP of the Class 2A title game, the 6’5” Andrews was an incredibly valuable stretch four and five for Riverside, the rare player who shot from deep at a high clip while throwing down rim-rattling dunks to finish the fast break. Andrews averaged 15.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals a game.

Coach’s quote: “No doubt this was Jordan’s best year. I personally felt like we had four All-State players this year, and any of them could have been MVP. Jordan’s play was contagious. When he began here, he wanted to be Pistol Pete and do everything flashy. He turned into a true championship player.” — RA coach Timmy Byrd.

Jobe Kelly

Junior, St. Charles

Kelly emerged as a go-to guy in Kemper Todd’s first season as Comets coach. The 6’ guard averaged 13 points and 4 assists per game and provided leadership on and off the court for a Comets team rebuilding its program.

Coach’s quote: “From day one, Jobe’s done a great job. He was our hardest working player. Whether he was on the track or in the weight room, he made his time count and consistently brought big-time effort. We’re expecting good things from him going forward.” — SCC coach Kemper Todd.

Tre’Von Jasmine

Senior, East St. John

 

The son of ESJ coach Yussef Jasmine, Tre’Von posted 19 points per game while making a seamless transition to point guard for the Wildcats. While ESJ had a great deal of roster turnover, he helped lead his team to a 22-11 record this season and hit a number of big shots.

Coach’s quote: “Tre had a phenomenal year. I was concerned about moving him to the point, as far as where our scoring would come from, but he actually improved his production while getting everyone involved. His growth into the position was really exciting to watch.” — ESJ coach Yussef Jasmine.

Troy Green

Junior, East St. John

Green was an impossible matchup for most, a player equally adept on the perimeter and on the inside. He averaged 17 points per game for the Wildcats as one of their go-to players and will likely be a rare four-year starter — and his team’s leader — when the ball is tipped next season.

Coach’s quote: “He really showed his versatility this season. Troy has rare confidence. He thought he could start back when he was a freshman, and he did that. He showed a lot of strength this season and you have to think the sky’s the limit for a kid like him.” — ESJ coach Yussef Jasmine.

Morell Bartholomew

Senior, West St. John

The 6’4” forward played more in the paint than on the perimeter this season, and the results spurred the Rams on a late season run. Bartholomew posted 21 points and 11 rebounds per game as West St. John’s go-to guy.

Coach’s quote: “Morell isn’t a rah-rah type. He just goes out and produces and leads by example. Whatever we asked, he went out and got it done. He moved from the wing to the post because that’s what we needed. He’s unselfish.” — WSJ coach LaVanta Davis.