Olive Branch High School girls basketball coach Blake Jones has a new holiday tradition.
“My favorite games of the season are the games we play in the Travis Outlaw tournament every year,” Jones said. “(Starkville High) coaches Kristie Williams and Greg Carter put on a great event. It is the best tournament in the state. I don’t know how more people haven’t found a way to get here and play. It’s just an overall incredible experience.”
Twenty years ago, holiday tournaments in prep basketball were few and far between. Most school would take a two-week break from classes and basketball practice would follow suit.
Now the calendar is littered with holiday tournaments throughout the state. Essentially, Dec. 24 and 25 are the only days that remain sacred. Basketball games any other day, even Jan. 1, are possible.
“This is the separation point,” said Williams, the girls coach at Starkville High. “If you aren’t playing during the break, you are taking a step backward. All of the state championship contenders play right through the break. You just can’t afford to take two or three weeks away from the game or you lose what you are building.”
This season, Columbus High played host to the Joe Horne Columbus Christmas Classic. West Point High played host to the West Point Christmas Classic. Starkville High played host to the Travis Outlaw Slam Dunk at the Hump at Mississippi State’s Humphrey Coliseum. New Hope High played host to the New Hope New Year’s Trojan Classic.
In the space of the standard 16 consecutive days most school districts take off the holiday, those events were played on dates and covered seven of those 16 days. The Starkville boys also played in a tournament in Tupelo and the New Hope boys played in a tournament at Northwest Rankin. Columbus Christian Academy and West Lowndes also had area tournaments during the break.
New Hope boys coach Drew McBrayer said his team annually has some of its best practices during the break. The kids are away from the normal grind of school. Instead, they are focusing on family, the holidays and the sport they love.
“You have to keep going,” McBrayer said. “When you come back to school, there are usually five or six weeks left in the season. You want to be playing your best. When the calendar rolls over, you are starting region play. You really can’t afford to behind when those games count so much.
“Playing during the holidays gives you an opportunity to play some great competition. It also allows you to grow as a team.”
It is one thing to play a holiday tournament, it’s another thing to load the tournament with a heavyweight lineup.
In the space of three days last week, Jones and Williams battled with teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in 6A by The Clarion-Ledger. At the New Hope tournament, the Neshoba Central boys played New Hope in a matchup of Nos. 1 and 2 in Class 5A.
“You want to play the best opponents possible during the break,” Neshoba Central boys coach Jerry Byrd said. “This is how you learn so much about your team. The kids gain confidence. They also gain exposure. They know that they are either playing at an elite level or the things that they need to do to reach an elite level.”
The Olive Branch girls are 17-0 after two hard-fought wins against Harrison Central and Starkville at the Hump. Jones said his team grew up against Harrison Central. The lessons learned were applied less than 24 hours later in a come-from-behind victory against Starkville.
“I think our game with Starkville was one of those events where both teams had to leave the court real positive,” Jones said. “We felt fortunate. We know Starkville was disappointed, but they leave knowing what needs to happen for them to potentially win the next time we play.”
Columbus boys coach Luther Riley said his team will benefit from its game in the Travis Outlaw event. Riley was already accustomed to playing holiday basketball when he coached Provine each year in the Jackson Public Schools Christmas Classic.
“It’s just a big-time environment,” Riley said. “At the state tournament, you are going to play in a big open-air arena. Playing in Starkville gives the kids a little taste of that.”
When the Starkville girls advanced to Jackson last season, Williams said her squad benefited greatly from having practiced and played at MSU in December. She also feels like her squad will benefit from two games and multiple practices at MSU.
“Being able to play Olive Branch was a great experience,” William said. “You learn from that and you grow from it. We got down early but came all the way back and took a lead. The girls saw first hand what it will take to win a big-time game. When you play in the state tournament, it is not uncommon to face some first-time opponents.
“It makes you feel better when you have seen the other team before. You know deep down inside that you have what it takes. It’s all about execution and whichever team does better what it does on a regular basis.”
The holiday tournament have also turned into money-makers. While some out of state teams are usually brought in to complete tournament fields, the cash register rings loudly when county rivals New Hope and Columbus play. Matchups between ranked teams also score big.
The events also are popular with college coaches. The junior colleges usually take an extended break from playing. Senior college coaches are also on a different schedule with school not in session. The recruiting opportunities are numerous and the talent level high.
The New Hope boys started the season 9-0. However, New Hope lost to Class 6A Columbus and to Neshoba Central. Even though the team’s record took a hit, the squad’s confidence remains high.
“Coach told us to go out and learn,” New Hope junior Terryonte Thomas said. “We had some tough losses, but we were right there if we just made another play or two. You learn from these games. The next time you are in this type of situation, hopefully you can make those plays.”
Scott Walters is a sports writer for The Dispatch. You can email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @dispatchscott.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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