MentorFan

For those who have watched Mentor and Kell so far, what are your thoughts on this semifinal? My hunch is that if Mentor had so much trouble with GW, they will have a very tough time beating Kell unless they really turn it around defensively along with maintaining a high efficiency of offense. I know Kell has a guard committed to South Florida. Any other big time players on their team?

Anybody know if an out of town we can stream the radio broadcast of these games? I tried on the ESPN Tricities page and no audio is coming though. I tried WKPT on the tune in app and that gives me nothing.

Mentor appears to have caught a big break with George Wythe pulling off the big upset. I know Mentor could fall into the same trap as Dorman if they underestimate GW, but I don’t think Mentor will do that. If Mentor isn’t hitting from the outside, they should be able to have success with their top 2/3 guys attacking the paint. All three have a sizeable advantage over GW based on how small they look from pictures. I don’t know if Mentor will aim to shoot up 40+ threes again.

Arby’s starts today. Predictions on the winners for day one?

It's been a bit, but Mentor (OH) is back at the Arby's Classic. They finished 2nd (twice) and 3rd over a three year stretch from 2010 to 2012. I believe they have had three appearances (2013, 2014, 2019) in between that run and this season. All three of those other appearances resulted in multiple losses, which is something that never happened during that great 2010-2012 run. The team they have this year is pretty solid. Definitely not as good as those earlier teams that played extremely well, but this is still a good team. They are ranked #8 in the very competitive Cleveland-area pre-season poll. They return four starters (including their top two leading scorers) from last season. Their top two players are committed to DII colleges. Mentor is playing Sullivan East first. I don't know anything about them. But if Mentor wins, they are going to play the winner of some very strong out of state teams. One won state in SC and the other was runner up in VA. My guess is they beat Sullivan East, lose in the second round, and then it will be 50/50 games after that.

Wow, that is quite an expense. I heard that the tournament takes care of some expenses for an out of state team like Mentor to come down. I was impressed. Usually these events can cost a lot for parents/schools to travel, stay, and play. Arby's Classic is very unique. I wish it was a little closer and I would love to see Mentor play in person there.

For the team from the Bahamas, what do they do the rest of the weekend now that they are out? I notice they always seem to penciled into play in that "opening round" play-in game of sorts. I wonder what is the purpose of putting them in that spot every year. They have to obviously wait it out for four days as their flight most certainly wasn't going to leave until January 1.

That is a significant blow to one of the favorites as well as to the overall cache of the tournament. I really have no idea how to compare this field to previous ones since I am an Ohio guy. Mentor is on the side of the bracket with North Mecklenburg. That potential semifinal is what appears to be the biggest obstacle for Mentor finally winning this tournament.

The tournament starts in a week. Only four teams (Tennessee High, Dobyns-Bennett, Greeneville and Tabernacle Baptist Christian Academy of the Bahamas) return from 2018. There are seven teams playing for the first time. Some of the most familiar names (Gate City and Sullivan East) are not playing in Bristol's holiday classic for the first time in 15 years. The defending champions (Knoxville Bearden) are not returning. As an outsider, it seems to me that the two teams to beat are North Mecklenburg (NC) and Webb School (TN). North Mecklenburg (Arby's Classic winners in 2014 and 2017) has Tristan Maxwell, MVP of the 2017 Arby's Tournament, back as a senior. Webb School has a top 25 national player in 6'5 guard Keon Johnson, who chose Tennessee over Ohio State, Auburn, Virginia, etc. I am a Mentor (OH) guy. I follow them pretty closely. I have never been to the Classic, but it sounds like it would be a great event. Mentor had a 20-2 regular season as they set a program record for regular season wins and regular season winning percentage. They lost in the regional semifinal round (final 16 in Ohio's big school division) last March. Mentor returns their three leading scorers from a season ago. The team isn't quite as eye popping as the first few teams that came to the Arby's at the beginning of the decade where they finished 3rd, 2nd, and 2nd in three straight seasons (2010-2012). But they are still one of Ohio's top teams and will be a tough out at the tournament. Their starting back court is very good. Small guards, but tough and talented. The forwards are skilled and have enough size to bang with most of the bigs. Mentor is not a very deep team, but their starting core is really good. This team is not as likely to jump out in scoring in the 80's or 90's on a regular basis as they were in 2010-2012, but they should be an entertaining team to watch with a pace and style of play that few teams at the Classic are used to. I look forward to listening to their games as much as possible and following along at what appears to be one of the most coveted tournaments in the region.

Potter transferring was a blow. A 6'10 monster that is on his way to Ohio State. With him, I think Mentor would be a serious contender at the Arby's as well as competing for a state championship. Without him, they are much more dependent on team basketball and strong guard play. So far, Mentor has looked better than expected without Potter. Encouraging guard play. They have 3-4 assassins from three. If they can get hot, this team could make a run later in Bristol.

After a one-year hiatus, it is exciting to see my alma mater (Mentor, OH) return to the Arby's Classic. The team did very well in 2010 (3rd), 2011 (2nd), and 2012 (2nd). 2013 was the first time Mentor lost two games at the Classic. In the past (especially 2010-2012), Mentor was a top ten team in Ohio. The 2012-13 team won the Ohio state championship. Mentor will play David Crockett first and then the winner/loser of an all-TN matchup between Dobyns-Bennett and Oak Ridge. Mentor is not at the same level as their 2010-12 teams. Closer to the 2013 group that went 1-2 and was eliminated early. But depending on the draw and how Mentor's shots fall (they are still pretty dependent on the three-ball), Mentor might be able to make some noise.

Game is tomorrow morning at 10:30

Mentor (OH), the defending big school state champs, got their butts handed to them tonight. Wow. In the previous three seasons of the Arby's Classic, Mentor's average margin of victory in the first few rounds in the last three Arby's was probably 20+. I said before the game this was going to be the toughest first round opponent Mentor has seen in their four years at the Arby's. Good win for Oak Ridge. It is a good omen. Mentor is 9-3 in their first three years at the Arby's. All three losses were to the eventual champs.

It will be streamed here: http://cent5.serverhostingcenter.com/start/xiltrqjp/ ESPNTricities

Mentor (OH) comes into the event with the fewest amount of games played of probably any team at the Arby's Classic. That will be a disadvantage, but after playing three games in five days to open their season, hopefully the team will be prepared. Mentor, the defending big school champs in Ohio, has only had one returning starter play so far. A second starter from last season, Conner Krizancic (son of the coach), has been recovering from football. He is expected to play during in Bristol. I sure hope so. This will be the weakest Mentor team that has played at the Classic. They are still good, but not as good as the previous three teams. I would be pleasantly surprised to see them in the championship game for the third straight year. Memphis Hamilton is on their half of the bracket. Oak Ridge should be a very tough first round opponent - easily the toughest opening game Mentor has ever had at the Arby's Classic.