By Dave Krider
MaxPreps.com
Two members of the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 boys basketball rankings were upset over the weekend during state tournament action.
No. 8 LeFlore (Mobile, Ala.) was shocked by Birmingham Parker, 52-39, in the Class 5A state semifinals. Parker held 6-foot-10 LeFlore star DeMarcus Cousins to seven points on 2-of-12 shooting.
As a team the Rattlers shot just 23 percent, including a scoreless second quarter, against Parker’s zone defense. Senior guard Eric Bledsoe led Parker with 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four steals. However, Parker then lost the state title game, 55-45, to Huntsville Butler, which finished 34-3.
No. 16 Fairfax also was stunned, 67-45, by Woodland Hills Taft in the semifinals of the Los Angeles City Section Division I playoffs. Taft concentrated its defense on senior stars Renardo Sidney (13 points) and Solomon Hill (six points), while getting 23 points from Michael Williams and 20 from Justin Hawkins.
