The sixth annual West Kentucky Hoops Classic tips off at 11 a.m. Friday at Caldwell County High School.
The Community Activities Building gym in Princeton will host 14 games over two days featuring 14 teams from six states.
North Little Rock, ranked No. 1 in Arkansas, and Pinson Valley, defending state champion in Alabama, highlight a stellar field.
Here is the full schedule of games:
Friday, Dec. 27
11:00 a.m. — Mayfield, Ky. vs. Webster County, Ky. GIRLS
12:30 p.m. — Paducah Tilghman, Ky. vs. Clarksville Northeast, Tenn. BOYS
2:00 p.m. — Louisville Central, Ky. vs. Caldwell County, Ky. GIRLS
3:30 p.m. — Caldwell County, Ky. vs. Southwind, Tenn. BOYS
5:00 p.m. — South-Doyle, Tenn. vs. Memphis Ridgeway, Tenn. BOYS
6:30 p.m. — Evansville Bosse, Ind. vs. Holly Springs, Miss. BOYS
8:00 p.m. — Pinson Valley, Ala. vs. North Little Rock, Ark. BOYS
Saturday, Dec. 28
11:00 a.m. — Webster County, Ky. vs. Louisville Central, Ky. GIRLS
12:30 p.m. — Memphis Ridgeway, Tenn. vs. Evansville Bosse, Ind. BOYS
2:00 p.m. — Caldwell County, Ky. vs. Mayfield, Ky. GIRLS
3:30 p.m. — Southwind, Tenn. vs. Paducah Tilghman, Ky. BOYS
5:00 p.m. — North Little Rock, Ark. vs. South-Doyle, Tenn. BOYS
6:30 p.m. — Holly Springs, Miss. vs. Pinson Valley, Ala. BOYS
8:00 p.m. — Clarksville Northeast, Tenn. vs. Caldwell County, Ky. BOYS
Besides around 22 hours of basketball action, the West Kentucky Hoops Classic includes a Team Breakfast Saturday morning that will feature former University of Kentucky star Cameron Mills as the guest speaker. The Team Breakfast features a Christian message and is for players, coaches, parents and organizers.
Here is a brief look at each of the 14 teams in the 2019 West Kentucky Hoops Classic:
North Little Rock Charging Wildcats
North Little Rock, Ark., will bring a 7-2 record to Princeton.
The Charging Wildcats are the top-ranked team in the state of Arkansas and rated No. 47 nationally by MaxPreps.
The Charging Wildcats were upset by Hot Springs, Ark., 61-58 on Saturday when Caleb Campbell of the Trojans banked in a 3-pointer with 5.1 seconds to play.
North Little Rock, which played without a pair of key players in the John Stanton Classic contest in Conway, Ark., features 6-foot-10 sophomore Kelel Ware along with freshman guard Bryson Warren, who is already drawing college interest from Arkansas and Oklahoma State. Warren has an offer from Oral Roberts.
The Charging Wildcats’ only other loss this season is a 90-89 setback to Tri-Cities of East Point, Ga., in the championship of the Rumble on the Ridge Nov. 30 in Forrest City, Ark.
Pinson Valley Indians
Pinson Valley, from just outside Birmingham, is the defending Class 6A state champion in Alabama.
The Indians are 12-3 after defeating Ramsey (Ala.) 80-73 on Monday.
Kam Woods, a 6-2 point guard, has been a scoring machine this season for Pinson Valley. He is averaging — averaging! — 35.7 points a game. Woods, who has hit for 51 points twice this season and scored at least 40 points four other times, also gets 5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.9 steals a contest.
Woods has offers from Troy, Jacksonville State and Montana State.
Woods was named the 6A Player of the Year in Alabama after averaging 25.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game as a junior.
Bosse Bulldogs
The Bosse Bulldogs, out of Evansville, are led by one of the top big men in Indiana in 6-10 Kiyron Powell, who has already signed to play his college basketball at the University of Houston.
The Bosse center averaged a double-double last season, netting 10.6 points and 10.9 rebounds a game. Powell also blocked nearly seven shots a contest.
Powell is a threat to make a run at a triple-double just about every night. He pulled off that feat in Bosse’s season-opening win over Terre Haute, getting 14 points, 11 boards and 10 blocks.
The Bulldogs, ranked No. 7 in Indiana Class 3A, are 4-2 this season after beating Gary (Ind.) West Side 57-56 on Saturday in the Bosse Winter Classic Shootout in Evansville.
Julian Norris, a 6-3 junior guard, had 27 points in the win over Gary West.
South-Doyle Cherokees
South-Doyle, out of Knoxville, Tenn., is led by 5-10 senior point guard Kendrick Holland and 6-6 junior forward Tony Sapp.
Holland almost recorded a triple-double earlier this season, totaling 29 points, 13 rebounds and 9 assists in a win over Alcoa (Tenn.).
The Cherokees are off to an 8-3 start to the season after beating Knox Central 70-64 on Dec. 18.
Holly Springs Hawks
At 11-3 this year, Holly Springs is ranked No. 7 in the Mississippi Hoop Report Small School Super 7.
Meanwhile, the Hawks have two players ranked among the Top 40 seniors in the state — Derek Fountain, a 6-8 forward who is No. 4 and Cori Bell, a 6-foot guard who is No. 23 on the list.
Fountain averaged 16 points and 8.7 rebounds a game last year as a junior and is averaging a double-double this season.
He has a long list of college offers, including Oklahoma, Tulane, Troy, Southern Miss, Oral Roberts, Fresno State, Cal State Bakersfield and Grand Canyon.
Clarksville Northeast Eagles
Clarksville Northeast is 7-3 after dropping a 62-54 setback to Dyer County (Tenn.) on Saturday.
The Eagles went 2-1 in the Tennessee Quick Cash Hardwood Classic at Oakland HIgh School in their final action before heading to Princeton.
Senior guard Ty Jackson had 21 points, six rebounds and six assists in a 75-53 win over Greeneville (Tenn.) on Friday.
Northeast is playing in the West Kentucky Hoops Classic for the second straight year.
Southwind Jaguars
The Southwind Jaguars, out of Memphis, are 9-5 after beating Hillcrest (Tenn.) 78-62 Monday night in their own Clorine Edward Classic.
Southwind was a Tennessee Class 3A state champion in 2013 and state runner-up in 2017.
The 2019 Jaguars include 6-6 freshman center Davonte Tucker.
Ridgeway Roadrunners
Ridgeway, another Memphis school, is 3-4 after falling to Center Hill of Olive Branch, Miss., 79-71 on Friday.
The Roadrunners are playing in the West Kentucky Hoops Classic for the second time after traveling to Princeton two years ago.
Paducah Tilghman Blue Tornado
The Blue Tornado carries a seven-game winning streak into the West Kentucky Hoops Classic after sweeping three games in the Paducah Tilghman Christmas Tournament over the weekend.
Tilghman (7-2) is led by 6-foot senior forward Michael Laster, who is averaging 17 points and 5.5 rebounds a contest. In addition, 6-2 junior guard Eli Brown gets 15.1 points a game while 6-2 senior guard Jahiem Concentine is averaging 13.7 points.
Tilghman is ranked second in the 1st Region in the KHSAA’s RPI rating, behind only Murray.
Caldwell County Tigers
The host Tigers dropped their first five games of the season, but have turned things around and won four straight heading into the West Kentucky Hoops Classic.
Junior guard Tripp Branch leads a balanced scoring effort for Caldwell with 13.2 points a game. Senior guard Adarius Riley also scores in double figures at 11 points a game while senior guard Jamarius Blaine just misses double digits at 9.9 points a contest.
In addition, 6-4 senior forward Cole Smiley scores at a 9.1 clip and senior swingman Cayden Fraliex nets 8.6 points a contest.
Sophomore guard Jabrion Spikes gets 6.4 points a night off the bench.
Webster County Lady Trojans
Webster County’s girls are 4-4 against a stiff early-season schedule. That includes a 2-1 showing in the prestigious Traditional Bank Holiday Classic in Lexington last week.
Senior guard Marissa Austin is pouring in 22.6 points a game for the Lady Trojans while shooting nearly 42 percent from 3-point range. Austin has signed to play college basketball at Oakland City University.
Meanwhile, sophomore forward Raigan Price is averaging a double-double with 11.5 points and 10.5 rebounds a game.
Mayfield Lady Cardinals
The Mayfield Lady Cardinals are 3-3 despite averaging just 31.7 points a contest.
The Lady Cardinals are allowing just 40 points a game defensively.
Mayfield climbed back to the .500 mark by edging Carlisle County 39-38 on Friday.
Senior Kyler Henson leads Mayfield by averaging 8.3 points a contest.
Senior Desiree Thomas scores an even 8 points an outing.
The Lady Cardinals went 18-11 last season, but graduated three starters from that squad.
Louisville Central Yellow Jackets
Louisville Central’s girls opened the season with four straight wins before dropping three games last week in the Queen of the Commonwealth event at Bullitt East.
The Yellow Jackets returned four starters from last year’s 19-12 team, which lost in the first round of the 7th Region tournament.
Central is led by sophomore guard Amaya Asher, who averaged 9.3 points, 3.1 assists and 3 rebounds a game as a freshman.
Junior forward Taylor Price is averaging around 12 points a game this season.
Caldwell County Lady Tigers
The host Lady Tigers are 4-3 but have won their last two games and three of their last four contests.
Junior guard Jacey Jaggers paces a balanced Caldwell scoring attack with 13.1 points a game and also leads the team on the boards with 7 rebounds a contest.
Senior forward Bella McConnell averages 10.3 points and 6.3 rebounds while junior guard/forward Majah Hollowell nets 9.9 points a game and senior point guard Jada Boyd scored 9.5.
