Neosho Holiday Classic: Saturday’s Super-Subs
The 65th annual Neosho Holiday Classic is one of the most historic tournaments in the area that brings a nice blend of local teams and talented squads from around the region into one town for a three day holiday hoops…
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Continue ReadingThe 65th annual Neosho Holiday Classic is one of the most historic tournaments in the area that brings a nice blend of local teams and talented squads from around the region into one town for a three day holiday hoops frenzy. The entire town packs the gym to support the event even when their team isn’t playing and that is something that makes this event truly special.
The tournament was broken down into two divisions: Black and Gold. In Gold Bracket play, it was dominated by the Natural State. Three of the top four teams in this division were from Arkansas. The 3rd place game saw a very strong Joplin squad take-down Morrilton (AR). The championship game was an exciting one, with the size and athleticism of West Memphis eventually wearing down sharpshooting Bentonville West to claim the title 58-49.
The Black Bracket brought a great deal of buzz thanks to an impressive run by the host school, Neosho. It was Huntsville squeaking out a thriller over East Newtwon in the 3rd place game, and Bentonville (AR) played the role of spoiler by making a big second half run and taking down Neosho in the championship game.
There were several prospects who came off the bench and provided a spark on Saturday, here’s a look at our 6th-man squad from the Neosho Holiday Classic:
5’11 So Always Wright | Joplin
Always Wright is always the right decision to bring off the bench when Joplin needs a spark. He entered mid-way through the first quarter against Morrilton and essentially played the rest of the game. He immediately took a key charge and followed that up with back to back corner threes. Later in the game he knocked down a big wing three and had a nice driving finger-roll finish. Lanky and smooth, Always is a key contributor for the Eagles.
6’2 Sr Andreis Gaines | Joplin
Andreis was yet another shot in the arm for Joplin off the bench. He is aggressive to the rim and had a couple important baskets inside, played tough defense, and knocked down a big three pointer to beat the buzzer before the end of the third quarter that resulted in my personal favorite, an air-guitar celebration.
6’6 So Harrison Hicks | Bentonville
Harrison is going to be a nice player for Bentonville over the course of is career. For now, he serves as a very valuable piece off the bench. He brings welcomed length to the lineup defensively and has a quick and smooth stroke that ranges out beyond the arc.
6’3 Sr Grant Baslee | Neosho
Grant came up with some big buckets for Neosho in the championship game. He showed nice touch on a jump hook, uses the glass well around the basket, and hit a big short corner jumper for the Wildcats. Grant’s team was searching for scoring at times, and more often than not he delivered.
6’3 Sr Akyrahn Hazley | West Memphis
Hazley came into the game with an aggressive mindset and was a key contributor in the Blue Devils championship victory. He had seven points and three rebounds off the bench that included a big three-pointer as West Memphis was starting to build momentum and pull away with the lead.