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The first basketball blog of the season: New Madrid event and Pepsi Showcase
Posted Monday, November 17, 2008, at 5:14 PM<< Previous | Read comments | Respond | Email link | Next >>
The high school basketball season is just a week away with the Current River Challenge and New Madrid's RiverBend Classic beginning on Friday, Nov. 28. Those events continue Saturday, Nov. 29, which is also the new date for the Pepsi Showcase at the Show Me Center.
The New Madrid lineup features Scott County Central, the Class 1 third-place team a year ago and one of the top teams in this corner of the state. Host New Madrid County was a Class 3 district winner and state quarterfinalist a year ago, and will be trying to get into basketball mode after a run to the Class 3 quarterfinals in football. Newcomer Poplar Bluff will play Friday before playing at the Pepsi event on Saturday. Pacific, another newcomer, will play Saturday. Teams facing West Memphis will have to contend with Anthony Borden, a 7-foot center who signed last week with Arkansas in the early signing period. Here's the schedule at New Madrid: Friday, Nov. 28 2 p.m. -- New Madrid County Central vs. Pine Bluff, Ark. 3:30 p.m. -- Poplar Bluff vs. Memphis Central 5 p.m. -- Scott County Central vs. Byhalia, Miss. 6:30 p.m. -- Charleston vs. West Memphis, Ark. Saturday, Nov. 29 2 p.m. -- Charleston vs. Pine Buff, Ark. 3:30 p.m. -- Pacific vs. Byhalia, Miss. 5 p.m. -- New Madrid County Central vs. West Memphis, Ark. 6:30 -- Scott County Central vs. Memphis Central
Pepsi Showcase The second Pepsi Showcase moved up the schedule to the opening weekend for Missouri schools. This year's five-game schedule includes just one team in the immediate area -- Cape Central facing Hazelwood Central -- and a marquee game of Sikeston (and Michael Porter) vs. Lafayette (and Tyler Griffey) at 6:15 p.m. No Jackson, which will open its season at the SEMO tourney after bowing out of Farmington's field, and also no Notre Dame this time around. The schedule also includes a clash between Maplewood and Chaminade at 8 p.m., but Maplewood may be lacking some star power, including Division I recruit Bryant Allen, if the top-ranked Blue Devils win their Class 2 state semifinal football game this week. (New Madrid's event was in danger of being canceled if the Eagles football team made the state finals.) Here's the schedule for the Pepsi Showcase: Saturday, Nov. 29 1 p.m. -- Cape Central vs. Hazelwood Central 2:45 p.m. -- Pinckneyville (Ill.) vs. St. Louis Miller Career Academy 4:30 p.m. -- Poplar Bluff vs. McCluer 6:15 p.m. -- Sikeston vs. Wildwood Lafayette 8 p.m. -- Maplewood-Richmond Heights vs. Chaminade College Prep Comments Showing comments in chronological order [Show most recent comments first] |
Hot topics Sikeston, Scott County Central should play this season(12 ~ 6:56 PM, Jan 5)
Comparing ND scores not a fair barometer for SCC, Sikeston
Wrapping up four days of basketball at the Show Me Center
Live from Show Me Center: Charleston beats Jackson; who is all-tourney worthy?
Live from Show Me Center: Scott County wins 80-62
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Just because the Pepsi Showcase is held in Cape at the Show Me Center, why does Jackson and Notre Dame have to be involved? Maybe they were asked and tunred down the invite....who knows!!
With Class 1 final four team Scott County staying in New Madrid, that kept one potentially good drawing card out of the Pepsi field. Matchups like Scott County-Jackson don't happen everyday because of the size of the schools.
Still, there's a potential for some of the good small schools in the area to get a shot at the larger programs.
I did hear that one of the programs was not invited, went ahead and filled out its schedule, then was contacted later.
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316, I've heard that if Maplewood wins its football game Saturday, it's not playing the basketball game (because three starters and several others play both). Have you heard a contingency plan?
Scott Central will have a chance against some bigger local schools in the Christmas Tournament this year. I think they'd have to get a top 2 seed this year for sure. They're gonna be tough this year, regardless of the size of school they're playing against. I'm interested to see how they fair in the Riverbend against Byhalia and Memphis Central. Last year Scott Central had no problem with the bigger schools @ the Riverbend.
I haven't heard that about Maplewood. I'm not a big fan of the event taking place over Thanksgiving weekend, but I believe that's all they had to choose from at the SMC.
I don't see a HUGE crowd this either. I don't think there would be a bigger crowd regardless of WHO they bring in. What you have in the Southeast Missouri area is a bunch of so-called "basketball fans" that really don't have a clue what GOOD basketball really is. Most of the team in the area are NOT that good.
Even in Perryville at the Heartland Hoopfest, Jackson, Cape Central, and Notre Dame didn't bring a ton of fans. Now there was a full house a couple of years ago when Bell City squared off against Scott County Central when Will Bogan was a senior, but that was a 1-time deal.
Pinckneyville (IL.) is the BEST example of a school that always travels well, no matter where go and no matter who good or bad their team is.
It will be interesting to see what Sikeston brings to the SMC this year. When was the last time they play there? I really do like the Porter vs. Griffey match-up. If the "basketball" fans in area don't care to see that, then they need to have their head examined.
Honestly the talent at last year's Pepsi Showcase was the BEST at any local high school event. Joe Jackson was a thrill to watch, but too bad the rest of the area fans didn't come out to see him. We may never see that much talent in the SMC again.....ever.
I agree with you semo316. Thanksgiving weekend may not be the best time to have great fan support. Sikeston has never played in the Show Me Center that I'm aware of. I know they've tried for decades to get in the Christmas Tournament there but it just hasn't happened. Sikeston's fans have traditionally traveled well but who knows what kind of crowd they will bring against Lafayette on the holiday weekend?
Unfortunately I understand thru SMC management that Thanksgiving weekend is the ONLY date available to do this shootout. It's a very good high school event in which they'd like to really grow into a major happening with some eventual nationally-ranked teams.
But the question is - do the local basketball fans care to see top-notch talent that isn't local??
The answer could be NO. The locals apparently didn't care to see Joe Jackson from Memphis White Station last year take on the Missouri Class 5 State Champions in McCluer North (St. Louis). Jackson is no doubt one the BEST guards in the nations and is being heavily recruited by big-time programs. Either people didn't care to see him play......OR they just didn't know about the event last year.