PREVIEW: Arvest Tournament
PREVIEW: Arvest Tournament
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Featuring three of the top basketball programs in the Springfield area, the Arvest Tournament is slated to begin on Thursday at Parkview High School in Springfield.
The tournament features several of the top basketball programs in the state and a host of high level teams and players.
Here, we take a look at each of the four first-round match-ups.
Event Line-up
Date: Thursday, Friday & Saturday,
Location: Parkview High School, Springfield, Mo.
Opening round
Lafayette (Wildwood) vs. Lafayette (St. Joe), 4 p.m.
There aren’t many better point guards in the state than Lafayette 6’0 2018 Diego Bernard who has signed to play at Northwest Missouri State. He is an elite athlete with terrific speed and quickness. He will team with 2019 forward Ike Book who is the team’s lone returning starter. The program will miss Caleb Bennett and Sterling Hicks to graduation.
Lafayette of Wildwood has a big front line in 6’7 2019 forward Trey Griffey and 6’8 2018 forward Chris Harstick. They will help offset the loss of Adam Flinn and Jake Messer, a pair of guard who combined to average 25 points last season. Lafayette is coming off a 16-13 season a year ago.
Nixa vs. Fayetteville (Ark.), 5:30 p.m.
The Nixa Eagles looked like a machine in their opening game of the season on Monday, defeating Lebanon 73-29 and dominating from tip to buzzer. Nixa had a tremendous amount of turnover in the offseason losing nearly its entire roster to graduation as well as losing 2019 PG Braeden Combs in the preseason. But they simply have reloaded, plugging in 2018 guard Nathan Elmer as well as 2021 SG Kaleb Wofford, who opened his varsity career with 22 points.
Fayetteville is off to an 0-2 start with losses to Conway (67-59) and Northside (74-69).
Parkview vs. DeSmet, 7 p.m.
The Vikings are among the state’s most improved team since last year with the addition of 6’6 2019 forward Tyem Freeman. An athletic wing player, Freeman currently hold an offer from his hometown Missouri State and is drawing interest from several other programs as well. He and 2020 guard Dantae Taylor form a tough 1-2 punch.
DeSmet is coming off a hard-fought 47-44 loss in its opener to Edwardsville. They will be led by 6’4 2020 forward Michael Skoff and6’2 2018 guard Brooks Ford, the son of St. Louis head coach Travis Ford. The team was 12-16 a year ago and losses Bradley recruit Ryan Stipanovich.
Kickapoo vs. Raytown, 8:30 p.m.
This will be a tough test for a young Kickapoo team which has replaced nearly its entire varsity line-up from last season. The Chiefs will likely be led by 2018 G/F Sam Wallin and 2019 G Tanner Oetting and will look to several newcomers for production, including incoming freshman PG Anton Brookshire.
Raytown features a massive front line that will give the Chiefs a tough opening night test. They feature Mason Fair, a 6’5 2018 PF and Devin Drew, also a 6’5 2018 PF. A big key for the Blue Jays will be the emergence of 2018 point guard Robert Proctor a talented ball handler and competitor.