FAYETTEVILLE — No offense to the Rumble on the Ridge or the Springfield (Mo.) Kickapoo Tipoff Classic, but Fayetteville boys basketball coach Kyle Adams believes his team faces an even bigger challenge this weekend in Little Rock.
“This could be the toughest one,” Adams said. “There’s some really good teams in this tournament.”
The Jammin’ For Jackets, being held at Little Rock Hall, features seven teams from Central Arkansas and Fayetteville. The Bulldogs face Little Rock McClellan at 7 p.m. today in the first round, then could possibly face either North Little Rock or Little Rock Parkview — both considered state title contenders — on Friday.
“I heard Bill Ingram from down there say on the radio that North Little Rock might be the best team in the state,” Adams said. “And then you have Parkview, and on the other side there’s Little Rock Hall.
“There’s just a bunch of great teams, so it’s going to be a great challenge for us.”
Fayetteville (7-1) rolled through the Kickapoo Challenge and has now won six straight games since losing to nationally ranked Memphis Southwind at the Rumble on the Ridge.
“I thought we shared the ball really well last weekend,” Adams said. “Manny (Watkins) had nine assists in our last game, and Cameron (Paschke) played, I thought, his best game so far this year. And Caleb (Waitsman) also played really well.
“We’re still not playing as well as we’re capable, but we’re getting better.”
— VERNON TARVER
Har-Ber Teams Continue Tournament Play
The Springdale Har-Ber boys basketball team hopes to use its first victory as a springboard for tonight’s tournament action at Bixby, Okla.
Har-Ber will open play in the Bixby Invitational against Tulsa Edison at 2:30 p.m. today. The Wildcats and Springdale High will also play on Friday and Saturday in a tournament field that includes Oklahoma schools from Bixby, Stillwater, Putnam City, Claremore, and East Central of Tulsa. Springdale will open tonight against East Central at 5:30 p.m.
Har-Ber (1-4) takes the court after earning a 56-45 victory over Fort Scott, Kan., in the final round of the Quad-City Class at Willard, Mo., last weekend.
“I’m very pleased with how our guys are progressing,” Har-Ber coach Adam Simmons said. “I felt like we got better every game at the Willard Tournament.”
The Har-Ber girls team (3-2) will begin play tonight at a tournament in Joplin, Mo., after placing second at the Quad-City Classic at Willard, Mo. The Lady Wildcats will open at 8:30 p.m. tonight against Neosho, Mo.
“After last week’s tournament, I really feel better about our team,” Har-Ber coach Sandy Wright said. “We got beat by a very good Broken Arrow (Okla.) team then came back with a win over Willard and Fort Scott, Kan. I was real pleased with how we shot, how we defended, and how we played good team ball.”
— RICK FIRES
Lady Bulldogs Back To Full Strength
SPRINGDALE — Springdale High girls basketball coach Heather Hunsucker admitted she’s excited to finally see her starting lineup on the floor.
The Lady Bulldogs (1-3) haven’t been at full strength over the first few weeks of the season. But post player Ashley Dederich has been cleared to return after being sidelined with a dislocated shoulder.
Meanwhile, point guard Brittany Jurgens has recovered from a stomach flu. Junior Karen Perez is nearly 100 percent after tweaking her knee, and guard Baiyinnah Taylor will continue to play despite being sore following a recent car accident.
“We’re ready to have our full roster back, especially our starting lineup, so we’re excited to have everybody healthy,” Hunsucker said.
The Lady Bulldogs will get a chance to see how the players respond at 4:20 p.m. today when they face Mustang, Okla., in the first of their three games at the Durant Lion Classic in Durant, Okla.
Springdale is the only Arkansas school competing in the tournament’s 18-team field. Hunsucker said her team should benefit from playing new teams that rely on a different style of basketball than they’re accustomed to seeing.
“We have to get prepared for January and February, and you cannot do that if you’re not playing a high level of competition,” Hunsucker said. “We feel like this tournament will also provide that.”
— ALEX ABRAMS