When Little Rock Parkview's Cameron Wallace checked in to Friday night's game at Little Rock Southwest High School, those behind the scorers table did a brief double-take.
No. 12? Was he even on the roster?
Nope.
"I just pulled up," Wallace said, having just come back from a spring-break trip to Texas with family. "I was going to be late, so I was just going to support. As soon as I walked, they just gave me a jersey."
Evidently, the University of Central Arkansas signee didn't need a warmup, knocking down his first three shots en route to 15 points, helping Team Arkansas to a 93-73 win against Team Tennessee in the Mike Conley Jr. All-Star Classic.
The exhibition contest was the kickoff to a night of showcase games in the annual Real Deal in the Rock tournament.
Wallace's soon-to-be teammate with the Bears, Carl Daughtery (Maumelle), made four first-half three-pointers as he finished with a team-best 21 points.
"I'm still trying to play hard, even though it's an all-star game," Daughtery said. "I've still got to prove myself every time I step on the floor."
Things were disjointed early, but as is often the case with all-star games, it turned into somewhat of a defense-optional contest.
Team Arkansas took advantage. After Tennessee, trailing 21-16, took a timeout midway through the 15-minute first half, the hosts began to find a groove.
Playing through University of Arkansas signee Derrian Ford, who had three early assists and ended with 13 points, Team Arkansas closed the half on an extended 24-14 run, pushing its advantage to 15 and leading 45-30 at intermission.
Although Team Tennessee had the depth, cycling through nine different players, the home side displayed a clear talent advantage. In addition to the three in-state Division I signees, George Washington signee Jabari West (Hot Springs), 247 three-star forward Corey Washington (North Little Rock) and multi-sport standout Cam Harris (Benton) donned the Arkansas red Friday night.
The hosts got show-boaty after halftime, with Tennessee pulling to within 55-45 in the first five minutes out of the break.
Arkansas went on an 11-1 run in the ensuing two minutes, going up 66-46 -- the largest lead it would have at any point.
"There's so much great talent in Arkansas that people don't get to see," said Ford, who became the first Real Deal in the Rock Hall of Fame inductee during a postgame ceremony. "To just get to play with each other and just being able to have chemistry [after not having played together in a while], it's just an amazing thing."
That talent didn't even include Arkansas signee Joseph Pinion and 247 three-star wing Javion King (Mills) -- both of whom were listed on the roster released earlier in the day but did not attend due to injury.
A deep Arkansas 2022 class that also included a pair of McDonald's All-Americans, Nick Smith and Ke'lel Ware (North Little Rock), got to put itself on full display against its neighbors to the east.
And both Daughtery and Wallace are eager to represent the Natural State more when they head to UCA in the fall.
"The coaching staff and Coach [Anthony] Boone, they believe in me and Cam," Daughtery said. "I feel like we can go up there and compete toe-to-toe [with other programs in the state]."