About the Allstate Sugarbowl National Prep Classic

Each January, the Allstate Sugar Bowl sponsors the National Prep Basketball Classic featuring multiple brackets for both boys’ and girls’ high school basketball players. It has featured teams from Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas.

While the event started with eight teams in 2011, it is expected to grow to more than 64 teams in 2019. The tournament will feature at least eight out of state participants.

In addition, in 2018, the tournament organizers, Friends of Prep Sports LLC, awarded four $1,500 scholarships to deserving student athletes in the tournament.

Ten Louisiana state basketball champions and 13 out-of-state schools highlight the field in the 2019 Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic. Overall, 68 teams will compete from January 2nd-5th at the Alario Center in Westwego, La. Daily admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students (with student ID) and children.

There will be a total of five championships awarded in the event. Boys will compete in a 16-team National Bracket as well as an eight-team State Bracket. There will be three girls’ divisions – a 14-team Platinum Bracket, a 14-team Gold Bracket and a 16-team Silver Bracket.

The boys’ national bracket features top seed Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Carver (Montgomery, Ala.), Christ School (Arden, N.C.), Lee (Huntsville, Ala.), Lakewood Ranch (Bradenton, Fla.), Miami (Fla.) Palmetto, St. Rita of Cascia (Chicago, Ill.), Silsbee (Texas) and White Station (Memphis, Tenn.). Carver and Lee feature two of the top recruits in the class of 2019 in Jaykwon Walton and Kobe Brown, respectively.

Looking to hold off the out-of-state challengers in this year’s event will be tournament host Riverside Academy (Reserve, La.) which won the Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic for the fourth time in eight seasons with a 61-55 overtime victory over Edna Karr last January.

Louisiana champions in the boys’ brackets include Walker (5A), Madison Prep (3A), Scotlandville (Division I), and Lafayette Christian (Division IV).

The girls’ brackets will feature six Allstate Sugar Bowl/LHSAA state champions, including Warren Easton (4A), Loranger (3A), North Caddo (2A), Ursuline (Division II), St. Katharine Drexel (Division III) and John Curtis (Division I).

In 2018, John Curtis won the Girls’ Platinum championship by defeating Kenwood (Ill.) Academy in the finals.

cougars_rebels_2nd_half324 — photo credit: Peter Forest Photography

Highlights of the Allstate Sugarbowl National Prep Classic

2018

Riverside Boys and Curtis Girls Capture Top Titles at Allstate Sugar Bowl Tourney

Riverside Academy captured its fourth boys’ title in six years at the Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Basketball Classic on Saturday evening at the Alario Center. John Curtis Christian School earned the Girls’ Platinum title while Lafayette Christian won the Gold Bracket and Dominican took the Silver Bracket title. In the boys’ championship game, Riverside improved to 22-0 on the season with a 61-55 overtime victory against Karr. Jared Butler, an Alabama signee, scored a game-high 26 points, including four three-pointers, while adding six steals, five rebounds and five assists. The 6-3 guard was named the tournament MVP. In addition, in 2018, the tournament organizers, Friends of Prep Sports LLC, awarded four $1,500 scholarships to deserving student athletes in the tournament.

2017

Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic Crowns Three New Champions

The sensational Ja'Vonte Smart scored 40 points, including 25 in the second half, to lead Scotlandville, from Baton Rouge, to a 66-63 win over Christian Life Center Academy of Kingwood, Texas, for the boys' championship. Smart was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player as Scotlandville improved to 17-1 on the year. CLCA dropped to 11-6 overall. Two-time Louisiana Player of the Year Cara Ursin posted a dominant second-half, scoring 20 of her 27 points to lead Destrehan to a 68-61 victory over John Curtis in the Girls' Platinum Bracket title game. Ursin, who was named the Platinum MVP, had three 27 point-games and one 29-point effort in the tourney. Destrehan's Kiki Kenner added 18 points in the win after scoring 25 in the semifinals. The Wildcats improved to 20-0 on the year while the Patriots dropped to 18-2.

2016

Riverside Earns Third Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic Title

A furious comeback by Riverside Academy led the Rebels to a 60-57 victory over Edna Karr to win their third championship at the Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Basketball Classic. In addition to Riverside winning the boys' title, Mount Carmel captured the girls' championship (Platinum Bracket) with a 46-37 victory over defending Class 4A state champion Warren Easton. Jewell Sumner won the girl's Gold Bracket with a 54-40 victory over Covington.

2015

Montverde and Salmen Win Titles at Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic

The Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Basketball Classic had the dream match-up for both its boys' and girls' championship games on Saturday evening at the Alario Center. In the boys' title match, two-time defending national champion Montverde Academy from Florida defeated two-time defending tournament champion Riverside Academy, 92-75. Defending girls' champion Salmen High School from Slidell, La., earned its second title by delivering the first loss of the season to a strong Warren Easton High squad, 56-44.

2014

Riverside Defends Title At Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic

Riverside Academy of Reserve, La., successfully defended its Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic title as it defeated University High from Baton Rouge, 57-54, on Saturday night at the Alario Center in the fourth annual tournament. On the women's side, Salmen High, from Slidell, La., avenged its only loss from earlier this season by pulling away from John Curtis of River Ridge, La., 49-32.

2013

Riverside Academy Becomes First Louisiana School to Win National Prep Classic

Charvon Julien scored 22 points and handed out five assists as Riverside Academy, of Reserve, La., upset Sheldon High School from Sacramento, Calif., 72-65, to win the boys' title in the third annual Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic. Julien earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors. The three-day event was contested at the Alario Center in Westwego.

2012

Oklahoma City’s Douglass Wins Second National Prep Classic

Douglass High from Oklahoma City, led by tournament MVP Stephen Clark, defeated O.P. Walker High, 68-60, to win the Allstate Sugar Bowl's National Prep Classic basketball tournament on Saturday evening at the Alario Center. Riverside Academy defeated John Curtis Christian School, 69-51, to earn third-place in the event.

2011

Kimball Knights Claim Title at Inaugural National Prep Classic

The Kimball Knights of Dallas took down the hometown Riverside Rebels, 61-58, to win the inaugural Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner. Riverside's Ricardo Gathers was chosen as the tournament's MVP by unanimous vote by the media covering the 3-day event.