Hurley Rebels to make first appearance in prestigious tourney
Action from last year's Arby's Classic.
The Hurley Rebels excelled last March in Virginia High’s Bearcat Den, winning a dramatic state quarterfinal game to book their trip to Richmond.
This December they’ll try their luck on the other side of Bristol.
After a run to the VHSL Group A, Division 1 state semifinals last season, the small Southwest Virginia school will make its first appearance in the storied Arby’s Classic prep basketball tournament hosted by Tennessee High at Viking Hall next month.
“We feel like we’ve got several good athletes and we’re just looking forward to being able to showcase our kids and our team and let Southwest Virginia know that we’re here to represent them,” said Hurley coach Mark Cooper.
The Rebels and the other 17 teams in the field for the 29 th annual tournament, which will feature 30 games from Dec. 27-31, found out their opening opponents Sunday afternoon during a draw held at the Arby’s eatery on Volunteer Parkway.
Hurley won’t have an easy task in its inaugural Arby’s game as they’ll begin the tournament on Dec. 27 at 5:30 p.m. against the Mentor Cardinals out of Ohio.
Mentor finished third in the 2010 tournament, setting an Arby’s record with 42 3-pointers and claiming the unofficial title of fan favorite as the undersized team surprised bigger opponents with an up-tempo style of play.
“It was a very, very entertaining bunch to watch last year,” said Tennessee High coach Roby Witcher, who led Sunday’s draw. “They’re up and down the floor.”
Last year’s tournament MVP, Cole Krizancic, has graduated, but the Cardinals return Justin Fritts, who made the 2010 all-tournament team and averaged 21.8 point per game on the season.
“We want to play the best,” Cooper said. “We’ve not varied from that the last couple years. We’ve went out and we’ve asked to play the best and this year we got what we asked for right off the bat.”
Gate City is the other Southwest Virginia team in the 2011 field, while Tennessee High, Sullivan East, Dobyns-Bennett, Cherokee, Greeneville and Sevier County represent the Northeast Tennessee contingent. The remaining 10 teams hail from other areas of Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Germany and the Bahamas.
If Hurley and Gate City, which will take on Greater Atlanta in the first round, either both win or both lose their opening games, the Rebels and Blue Devils will meet in the tournament quarterfinals or the losers’ bracket, respectively.
“It would be fun for the teams and everyone would want to come out to watch a good Southwest Virginia ball game,” Cooper said about the prospect of facing Gate City.
Three-time Arby’s champion and regular participant Science Hill out of Johnson City, Tenn., will not be taking part in this year’s event, instead heading to Honolulu the week after Christmas to compete in the Merv Lopes Hoops Classic.
But two former Hilltoppers are slated to appear at Viking Hall as Jaylen Allen and Shannon Hale, who both transferred from Science Hill after last season, will return to the area with their new team, Christ School out of Arden, N.C. The Greenies will play the final game of the first round at 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 28 against either Greeneville or Tabernacle Baptist from the Bahamas.
Host Tennessee High will open the tournament at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 28 against Nashville, Tenn.’s, Christ Presbyterian Academy.
The CPA Lions are led by coach Drew Maddux, a high-intensity guard during his playing days at Vanderbilt who scored 1,689 points for the Commodores.
“I bet his teams are probably going to take on his personality as well,” Witcher said.
CPA features Jalen Lindsey, a 6-foot-6 sophomore drawing recruiting attention from major NCAA Division I programs such as North Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Memphis. The Vikings, however, are off to a 3-0 start this year and earned sixth place at the 2010 Arby’s, their best finish at the tournament since also finishing sixth in 1998.
Sullivan East is also off to a 3-0 start on the young season and the Patriots will face Charlotte Christian at 7 p.m. on Dec. 27 in their Arby’s opener.
“I think it’s one of those schools who has a reputation of all the kids in that particular area who are basketball-minded, basketball-inclined, college in their future, hopefully NBA in their future, they kind of migrate to this individual school,” Witcher said about theKnights, who are led by junior Patrick Rooks, a Clemson recruit.
Other first-round matchups include Cherokee against Craigmont (Tenn.), Dobyns-Bennett versus Irmo (S.C.) and Fort Myers (Fla.) taking on the winner of Sevier County and Urspring, Germany. The Sevier County/Urspring matchup, one of two opening-round games, will kick off the 2011 classic on Dec. 27 at 1 p.m.
Urspring became the first international team to reach an Arby’s final last year only to fall 52-36 to Columbia (Ga.). The Germans, however, once again appear to be a threat to make a deep Arby’s run this December.
“Urspring, Germany, is always going to be big and strong,” Witcher said. “They’ve got everybody back except for one player from last year’s team.”
Witcher said a number of teams in this year’s field could be legitimate contenders for the 2011 crown.
“There’s never an easy draw,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a preferable draw even this year for anyone. I think all the teams are pretty tough. They’re going to be strong, they’re going to be athletic, they’re going to be big, they’re going to be able to run, they’re going to be able to shoot – or they wouldn’t be trying to get in this tournament.”
Even against the daunting lineup of opponents, Cooper said his Hurley squad will relish the opportunity to be a part of the prestigious event.
“I think the Arby’s is fun for the kids – and that’s what we’re looking to get out of it,” he said. “We’re looking for exposure. Being from rural Southwest Virginia, we don’t always get that exposure. To play against the big boys – we’re excited. We’re coming into it, we feel like if we play up to our best we can be competitive and hope to put on a good show.”
nhubbard@bristolnews.com | Twitter: @Hubbard_BHCSprt | (276) 645-2543
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