Strong King Cotton field stirs buzz

King Cotton Holiday Classic tournament director Samuel Glover on Tuesday announces the teams that will participate in this year's edition, scheduled for Dec. 27-29. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)
King Cotton Holiday Classic tournament director Samuel Glover on Tuesday announces the teams that will participate in this year's edition, scheduled for Dec. 27-29. (Pine Bluff Commercial/I.C. Murrell)

An Arkansas favorite in basketball circles, Scotty Thurman never played in the King Cotton Holiday Classic.

He got his first taste of the high school basketball tournament two years ago, though, as Little Rock Parkview's coach.

"I'm really excited about the field," said Thurman, best known for helping the University of Arkansas win the NCAA championship in 1994. "It's good to see teams come from all over the country. I'm excited to see not only where Parkview stands, but also where Arkansas high school basketball stands against some of these teams. I'm really looking forward to just the crowd, holiday time, families getting together and people coming out to support the players."

VIDEO: King Cotton Holiday Classic team announcement

Go Forward Pine Bluff unveiled the teams for this year's King Cotton, set for Dec. 27-29 at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. The 16 boys teams could comprise the strongest field in their division since King Cotton was relaunched after a 19-year hiatus in 2018.

This will be the third edition in this stint of the tournament, which was canceled last year amid covid-19 concerns. And it will also include a four-team girls division, with Watson Chapel and Sylvan Hills the lone Arkansas entries.

"We have to continue to build on what's already been put in place," said Pine Bluff Parks and Recreation Director Samuel Glover, who serves as the tournament director. "Some people wanted to start a new tradition and things like that, but, you know, we felt like King Cotton is Pine Bluff. So, we wanted to build on the tradition that was already there and stand on the shoulders of giants like Travis Creed, and these players will step in the footsteps of people who have actually played, you know, hall-of-famers."

Creed founded King Cotton in 1982, and the tournament was played through 1999. It showcased future college and NBA stars such as Christian Laettner, Jason Kidd, Corliss Williamson and Joe Johnson. Kidd is a Naismith Basketball Hall-of-Famer.

Tickets for this year's Classic will be available starting Nov. 15 at KingCottonClassic.org.

TOURNAMENT STRENGTH

Glover said tournament organizers feel strongly about this field.

"It is one of the most talented fields we've seen in King Cotton history," he said. "I've been saying all along -- and I spoke with Mr. Creed, and I said, 'Mr. Creed, we're going to have the best field since '93.'"

That was the year Kareem Reid led New York's St. Raymond High School to the King Cotton championship. Reid then played at the University of Arkansas from 1995-99.

Glover also hearkened back to the 1991 King Cotton that included a future Hall of Famer from California's St. Joseph Notre Dame High named Jason Kidd and Russellville senior Corliss Williamson, who two seasons later led Arkansas to its only NCAA championship.

But Glover has built a case for the stature of this field.

Not only have six of the teams this year played for a state championship this past season, but the player resumes are strong.

King Cotton has maintained a tradition of drawing UA recruits, like Magnolia senior shooting guard Derrian Ford, the state's third-ranked player and reigning Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year who was the Class 4A state tournament MVP in 2019 and 2020.

Nick Smith Jr., who led Sylvan Hills to a Class 5A quarterfinal win over Pine Bluff last March, is the top-ranked player in the state this year and also committed to the Razorbacks. The five-star senior prospect has transferred to North Little Rock, where his classmate Corey Washington is drawing looks from UA Pine Bluff, UA Little Rock and Ouachita Baptist University.

UAPB reportedly has eyes on Parkview senior guard/forward Cameron Wallace and Watson Chapel junior guard Khamani Cooper.

As for the out-of-state talent coming to town:

• Beaumont (Texas) United senior small forward Terrence Arceneaux has committed to the University of Houston

• Antioch (Tenn.) Cane Ridge small forward Brandon Miller, the state's top-ranked player, is considering the University of Alabama, University of Kansas, Tennessee State University and the NBA G League

• St. Louis Christian Brothers senior shooting guard Larry Hughes Jr. is the son of retired NBA star Larry Hughes, who played in the league from 1998-2012, and the No. 7-ranked player in Missouri

• Parkview small forward Dallas Thomas is the No. 1-ranked sophomore in Arkansas

• And White Hall sophomore Jai'chaunn Hayes is the top-ranked freshman in the state.

LOCAL FARE

Pine Bluff is returning a large number of varsity players from a 5A-South Conference championship team that made a state quarterfinal finish last March. The Zebras won 13 straight games coming off a 36-day pause through the Christmas break due to covid-19 issues.

Watson Chapel was runner-up in both the District 8-4A and 4A-South Region tournaments, and came from a 2-7 start to win 11 straight games. White Hall was 5-19 last season under first-season Coach Josh Hayes, but the Bulldogs now have his 6-6 son Jai'chaunn, the top-ranked freshman in the state.

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