Despite several flight delays and cancellations across the country, King Cotton Holiday Classic officials and volunteers worked diligently all day yesterday to secure 14 teams for this year’s tournament. Sponsored by Simmons Bank, the prestigious high school basketball tournament will take place at the Pine Bluff Convention Center starting today at 11:30 a.m. through Thursday, Dec. 29.
“Following a long and strenuous day adjusting to air travel challenges the King Cotton Holiday Classic will move forward,” said Go Forward Pine Bluff CEO Ryan Watley. “I want to express my sincerest gratitude to Zeedralyn Butler, Sam Glover and Joseph McCorvey who began working at 3 a.m. to keep this year’s tournament on track. Volunteers Marcus Toney, Greg Walker, Tamika Adams, Vincent Tate and Kalesha Adkins also stepped up and drove vans to Memphis International Airport to shuttle teams that had been rerouted.”
“We are also grateful to all the teams for their perseverance and patience in making this year’s tournament possible,” continued Watley. “The King Cotton Holiday Classic’s success has always been rooted in the hospitality of our Pine Bluff residents going the extra mile to make things happen. I cannot thank them enough, and it is my hope that fans will show their support in appreciation of their valiant efforts.”
St. John Bosco (California) and Brooklyn South Shore (New York) were unable to make the tournament. As a result, the Creed bracket will now be played in a round-robin format. The champion of the Creed bracket will be determined by the number of wins. In addition, Elkins (Texas) has been moved to the King bracket. This year’s field will include elite teams from Washington, D.C., Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Texas, Virginia and Florida.
For tournament updates, game times and ticket information, visit KingCottonClassic.org. Today’s updated lineup is listed below. Updates for Dec. 28 and 29 are forthcoming.
Dec. 27 Schedule
- 11:30 a.m.: Windermere High School (Florida) vs. Greenforest-McCalep Christian Academic Center (Georgia)
- 1 p.m.: White Hall High School vs. Grissom High School (Alabama)
- 2:30 p.m.: Mills University Studies High School vs. Silsbee High School (Texas)
- 4 p.m.: Beaumont United High School (Texas) vs. Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.)
- 5:30 p.m.: Newton High School (Georgia) vs. Jonesboro High School
- 7 p.m.: Pine Bluff High School vs. Elkins High School (Texas)
- 8:30 p.m.: McEachern High School (Georgia) vs. Bishop O’Connell High School (Virginia)
Deltaplex Radio will host all games live on 101.3 FM.
