Red Alert: Central guard Jace Conrad helps Wildcats back to semifinals
by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
Jace Conrad went to extraordinary measures to put on a Central High uniform four years ago. Now, faced with potentially two games left in his career, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound senior aspires to accomplish something that’s never been done in the school’s history.
“(Central) Coach (Scott) Osborne says all the time he wants Central to be an elite program, and I love seeing that,” Conrad said. “We know what Central came from and now being to where we are, it’s a real good accomplishment.
“I feel I’ve played a decent role in that,” Conrad said. “This is what me, Jalen (Thomas) and Keithon (Womack), have talked about since we were in middle school. We wanted to be in this situation. We wanted to help Central become what it is right now.”
For the first time in school history, Central has advanced to its second straight state tournament. A year after the Wildcats were state runner-up – the first time in 31 years – they’re back in the semifinals after losing a senior-laden team.
Sixth-seeded Central (23-6) meets second-seeded Ruston (17-2) at 8 p.m. Thursday at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles.
The winner of that game faces the Zachary-Denham Springs survivor at 8 p.m. Saturday for the state championship.
“The main difference was that in the past we’ve played eight to nine guys,” said Osborne, the team’s fourth-year coach. “We were playing that amount this year when we were healthy. We’ve basically played seven guys, which meant Jace doesn’t come out very much. He has the ability to play for as long as he does and stay poised throughout a game with the amount of attention he gets.”
A year after helping Central to the school’s third state championship appearance, Conrad is back and healthier than he was at this stage last season. His scoring average has jumped more than four points to 16.7 this season with a career-high rebound average of 7.7 and 3.0 assists.
Conrad, a first team pick on both the All-District 4-5A and All-Metro teams, coupled with a Class 5A All-State honorable mention selection last season, has made 62% of his field goals, 32% of his three-point attempts, and 80% of his free throws.
He’s also surpassed 1,000 points in his career with 1,375 points, but his value to Central’s success can’t always be found in a box score.
“He’s our leader in charges taken,” Osborne said. “He’ll defend anybody on the court we need to defend. He sees the game so well now on defense. He can make so many plays from the help (side), to either steal or discourage a pass. He’s almost getting eight rebounds a game, and we’re an undersized team. That’s being physical but also being in the right spot.
“Offensively, I can put him anywhere, I can do anything with him,” Osborne said. “He goes, and he does it. He’s one of our best screeners. For the first time in Central’s history, we’re going back to the Top 28, and Jace’s affected field goal percentage is 57%, which is really good for a guard. He goes things that help us win basketball games.”
Conrad was part of a heralded group of incoming freshmen who were joining Central’s program, where Osborne had taken over as head coach.
Always a forward thinker, Conrad wasn’t satisfied with just walking onto campus and into a playing role on the freshman or junior varsity teams.
“The only thing on my mind was to put on the varsity uniform,” Conrad said. “I knew how much it meant to be on the varsity team as a freshman, and I was willing to do anything to be on that team.”
Even waking up to be at school for 5 a.m. workouts to be a part of the renowned “Breakfast Club”.
That’s how much getting the opportunity to put on a white and maroon varsity jersey meant to Conrad, to push himself as a 14-year-old through the grueling workouts of assistant coach Jordan Williams, a member of the LSU-Alexandria Hall of Fame.
The training sessions were typically under two hours, averaging five to six teammates, including Jalen Thomas, before players showered and were in class by 7:10 a.m.
Conrad maintained that torrid pace for the first two years of his career before attending at reduced rate over the final two seasons of his career.
“I figured I had nothing to lose,” he said. “I might as well start somewhere. I started doing the ‘Breakfast Club’ with coach Jordan, and here I am.”
Osborne and his staff witnessed Conrad setting a standard that would typify his work ethic over the next four years. That baseline rarely changed, and in the process, helped to motivate teammates who wanted to bring the Wildcats program to a new level.
“Jordan’s a workaholic, a self-made guy, and he challenged Jace and a couple of guys,” Osborne said. “That told you everything you needed to know (about Conrad). He loved it. He ate it up. He was a gym rat. He was working at his skill all of the time. After that, it was a matter of maturing and growing, getting physically stronger to take on the physical challenges that come with this level of basketball.”
Conrad, whom Osborne had seen play in the town’s Biddy Basketball leagues, initially played on both the freshman and junior varsity teams. He dressed with the varsity team and appeared for 5 to 10 minutes in the first home game.
“I made the best of my opportunity,” he said.
Central won 11 games and didn’t make the playoffs during the 2022-23 season, lighting a fuse within Conrad and a talented group of players that had come up through the middle school ranks.
“If we wanted to make the playoffs, we had to work harder than what we ever had done,” Conrad said.
The Wildcats improved their record to 22-10 in Conrad’s sophomore season, won a playoff game before losing to Slidell in the regional round.
‘Breakfast Club’ workouts were still common, but the work continued once school finished.
Central’s product had taken on a different look. Experienced, mature players had gone through the program for a couple of years under Osborne, and the Wildcats were starting to look comparable to some of the state’s top programs.
They featured size and strength on the interior, and with the continual growth of Conrad, they had their best team in decades, and the results proved that.
Central won 22 of its first 24 games last season and suffered narrow defeats to state powers Liberty Magnet and Zachary.
“If you’re in our locker room before a game and Jace is in there, you’re not going to be nervous,” Osborne said. “You’re going to see him and listen to him and say, ‘That’s the guy you’re going to follow. We’re going to go win’. It’s the greatest thing for a coach to know that your team’s going to be ready and believing in themselves because you have this guy they can all follow.”
The Wildcats earned a No. 2 seed in the playoffs, outlasted Parkway (68-62) in the regionals, and took a 61-49 quarterfinal win over East Ascension in a physical contest to advance to the state tournament.
Conrad’s knee was swollen the following day, possibly the result of landing awkwardly after a slam dunk. The next day, the team went to shoot at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center to give players the experience of shooting in an open arena, and Conrad’s knee looked the same.
A trip to the doctor revealed Conrad, on the heels of his biggest moment, had suffered a torn meniscus and sprained ACL. Because he was told of the minimal chance of further exacerbating the injury by doctors, Conrad wasn’t hesitant about being with his teammates in the state semifinal against arch-rival Denham Springs.
“It’s a mindset thing,” Conrad said. “It’s either go out with the boys and finish strong, or don’t play and watch them compete without me. I know the team would like to see me on the court. I might as well give it the best shot I’ve got.
“You’ve got to battle,” Conrad said. “If I expect myself to play, then I should be able to go 100%. I’m not going there to be 50 or 75%. I’m going to give it my all regardless of whether I’m hurt or not.”
Osborne said, “They talked about the options with his parents, and he said he wanted to play. It’s a pain tolerance issue. Each person responds differently.”
Conrad had experienced a torn meniscus before following his AAU season the summer after his sophomore year, resulting in a ‘clean up’ procedure that sidelined him for two months.
There was little hint of Conrad being slowed. He was on top of his game in a 62-56 semifinal victory over Denham Springs, scoring 14 of his game-high 22 points in the first quarter. When the Yellow Jackets stormed back in the fourth quarter, Conrad knocked down a pair of key 3-pointers to send the Wildcats to their first state title game since 1994.
The reprisal of a District 4-5A encounter, Central and Zachary, was competitive throughout. Conrad was his team’s lone double-figure scorer with 23 points to go along with five rebounds, but the Broncos emerged with a 44-37 triumph.
Conrad attended his school’s prom and a week later had surgery to repair his meniscus.
“He played exceptionally well in the semifinal and final,” Osborne said. “He has great belief in himself, which he should because he’s put in the work. He has belief in his teammates, where he makes the right pass when that’s what is called for.”
Conrad averaged 13.5 points, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals and earned his share of postseason accolades from the Baton Rouge Advocate’s All-Metro team, first team All-District 4- 5A, and honorable mention Class 5A All-State.
To get back to that level would test Conrad like never before. Following the surgery, he faced a seven-month ordeal that included missing the AAU season and summer workouts, to focus on physical therapy two to three times a week for 90 to 120 minutes a session.
“It was a lot of work to get back to where I needed to be,” he said. “It was extremely difficult and went through a lot.”
Facing the uncertainty of not having one of his top players for last year’s state tournament, Osborne learned something about Conrad’s grit and determination. When they talked about planning for the 2025-26 season and possible non-district opponents, Conrad’s familiar refrain became, ‘I got you.’”
Conrad wanted to assure Osborne that whatever he needed, regardless of the situation or circumstance, he could always count on the guy known as the “redhead – a tribute to his distinct hair color.
Osborne recalled an instance when he took his team to the University of New Orleans’ team camp the summer before Conrad’s sophomore year. Apparently struck by Conrad’s play, one of the school’s assistants asked Osborne about his guard.
“He had played really well, and a coach wanted me to tell him about the redhead,” Osborne said of Conrad. “I’ve talked to other coaches who will say, ‘I’ve heard y’all got a redhead. It’s in the coaching world. He’s heard that plenty and wears it. You walk in the gym, and the redhead’s going to stand out.”
Conrad understands the novelty the color of his hair brings.
“There aren’t many basketball players with red hair,” he said. “They see a red-headed dude on the court, and they want to attack him. I’m not going to let it happen. I’m not going to back down from anything.”
That included his rehabilitation process.
Conrad was cleared to play the first week of October and immediately found his way to the gym. When it wasn’t open, he called Osborne to let him and teammates in to work out where this year’s team was going to have to replace eight seniors and another junior who played on last year’s 23-6 state runner-up team.
“When we practiced, I was getting bumped around,” he said. “I had to get used to it. Once I got used to it, I got back to my real self. I had been off the court for a while. But I showed back.”
Central was 11-0 to begin the season, and Conrad was back in his element. The big guard found his shooting from the perimeter and rediscovered his ability to get inside defenses with either straight-line drives or a determined effort to get to the basket.
The Wildcats’ fastbreak continued to flourish with either Conrad or Thomas pushing in transition, and if it was Conrad filling the lanes, there was a good chance a hammer one-handed dunk was coming.
“He’s at the top of everybody’s scouting report,” Osborne said. “Someone’s breathing down his neck all the time.”
Central famed Kinsley Tournament – this year was the 47th annual event – marked a milestone in Conrad’s career with him reaching the 1,000-point plateau. He became the fourth player in the last 25 years at the school to attain that status.
“I put in the work to be able to be in this situation,” said Conrad, a career 12.1 scorer with 4.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, with shooting percentages of 54% from the field, 33% from 3-point range, and 74% from the free throw line. “I’m beyond grateful for every opportunity in my journey.”
The Wildcats were 17-3 with losses to Denham Springs, Madison Prep, and Dunham – three teams that are still alive in state tournament play – when Conrad had to step aside for two games for what was termed “minor frost bite” after a reaction to cryotherapy.
It was a procedure to help treat tissue inflammation, alleviate pain and speed up muscle recovery Conrad used it several times last season at Ochsner’s, but felt a tingling sensation in his feet.
Central lost twice without Conrad against Woodlawn and Archbishop Hannan. He returned to help the Wildcats win two of their last three district games against Catholic High, Liberty, and Scotlandville.
“I had no clue what was going on,” Conrad said. “It was a freak accident.”
Conrad made 11 of 18 shots and knocked down four 3-pointers in an opening-round 73-39 playoff win over West Ouachita. The Wildcats remained at home for the regional round, where Conrad scored 23 and had nine rebounds in a 70-60 win over South Lafourche.
For their efforts, Central faced a road trip to No. 3 Natchitoches Central, which sported a gaudy 27-4 record in the quarterfinal round.
Conrad had to deal with foul difficulty for the first time this season and had to go to the team’s bench with his fourth foul in the third quarter.
“The third and fourth fouls were so quick together I couldn’t get him out,” Osborne said.
Conrad, who scored six points and took two charges, returned to the game midway through the fourth quarter before fouling out with 2:20 remaining.
“I don’t even know,” said Conrad, trying to recap what happened. “It was rough. I don’t think I fouled out my entire high school career.”
Players such as Thomas helped galvanize the team’s effort down the stretch. Womack had a team-high 17 points, and Shaun Washington added 10 in a 56-48 upset win – the team’s seventh win in their last eight games.
“Because he missed a couple of games earlier in the year, Jalen has been in that situation,” Osborne said. “We went on a 6-0 run after Jace came out. The guys just continued, but Jace’s leadership was really impressive.”
Conrad, who remains uncommitted, found a rainbow in his two-game absence earlier in February.
“That helped us in the quarterfinals,” he said. “They had to do it without me and against Natchitoches Central, and they got the job done. I was just being a leader even when I wasn’t on the court. I have faith in my guys, my teammates, and coaches. I knew we were going to get the job done.
“Coach Osborne says to play every game like it’s a championship,” Conrad said. “It’s been high intensity, high execution. I try to be the best person I can possibly be on and off the court. I’m willing to do anything to get this championship. This year, everybody was doubting us. No one thought we would be where we are today. It was a mindset thing, and to be able to be in this spot again is amazing.”