Neosho Holiday Classic: Saturday’s Top Forwards
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.
Here is a look at our top forwards from championship day at Neosho:
6’7 Sr Chris Moore | West Memphis
The Auburn signee was named tournament MVP and is a fan favorite at Neosho. He was far and away the best player on the floor every time he stepped on it. Strong, athletic, and high-motor. He moves people out of his way and skies over the rest on the boards. Blocks everything within reach. As big as he is, he is sneaky enough to continuously slip behind the defense for nasty all-oop finishes. Very nice touch around the rim and getting more and more comfortable putting it on the floor and creating his own offense from the perimeter.
6’2 Sr Isaiah Davis | Joplin
The Gatordade Player of the Year as a physical running back, Isaiah brings a unique blend of brute force and impressive athleticism to the hardwood as well. We have already highlighted his impressive ball skills and shooting touch from the perimeter, but this write up is about the big guys. Isaiah was an absolute monster in the paint. He sets bone crunching screens and can clear the entire lane with a box out. He is a menace on the glass and can power through most defenders to finish off the glass around the bucket.
6’4 Sr Sam Cook | Neosho
Chiseled framed defensive minded forward that was a lot of fun to watch. He can and will defend all five positions. Uses his strength well to wall up and control the paint. Athletic and powerful on the boards. Does a really nice job of sitting down and keeping guards in front on the perimeter when he is asked to. Offensively, he plays to his strengths well by attacking the offensive glass and positioning for dump off baskets.
6’3 Jr Kyson Lahman | East Newton
Nice thick body forward that gobbled up rebounds all week for East Newton in their run to a 3rd place title in the Black Bracket. Often times on the offensive end that led to strong put back opportunities. He is a hard-nosed player that has some versatility. He holds down the paint but can also step out and knock down jumpers which is a nice boost for his team.
6’5 Sr Xavier Warren | West Memphis
Sometimes overshadowed by fellow frontcourt mate Chris Moore, Xavier Warren should not be slept on. He is strong and athletic, and he is a very capable presence in the paint. Early on in the championship game against Bentonville West, it was Warren who several times sealed off his defender and converted high low dimes from Moore.
6’5 Sr Jonas Higson | Bentonville West
Another gridiron standout, Jonas is a very important piece inside on a guard-heavy Bentonville West team. He plays with physicality and plays the critical role of setting big-boy screens, defending the paint, and taking care of business on the boards.