MentorFan

Urspring defeats Gate City 60-50 in the opening round game. Urspring will play Father Henry Carr (Canada) in a 1st round game tomorrow. Update: Cherokee 68 Tabernacle 57 (Cherokee will play Berkmar, GA tomorrow)

Games will have a new home this year on WKPT. All 30 games will be streamed (audio only) online. http://www.wkptradio.com/

Mentor (OH) did win their final tune-up on Saturday, so they are 5-0 heading into the Classic. The average margin of victory is 31.2 ppg. The first game against Abingdon (VA) may be a bit of a mismatch, but after that I expect every opponent to be a very difficult match for this Mentor team. Looking forward to following the action online.

From my brief research, here is what I find: Of all the TN schools, Science Hill (7-1) and Melrose (5-1) are the most highly regarded. The two play eachother in the first round. Last year's champs, Christ School, are 12-4 - but they probably play a schedule as tough as any in North Carolina. Two of their losses are to the same team, Wesleyan Christian - the top ranked teams in NC. While four losses shows they are beatable, the Greenies are probably still the team to beat. Princeton Day Academy (MD) is 8-5, but they are similar to Christ School in that they are loaded with talent and have a tough schedule to match. PDA has collected much of the talent in the Baltimore area this season through transfers. The record might not reflect as much, but they could be the second best team at the Classic. Virginia Episcopal (3-0) is ranked highly in their state by Massey and other computer rankings, but I don't know much about them beyond that. As for out of the country teams, I can't say anything about Urspring (Germany) except that their tradition speaks for itself. They will definitely be one of the tough outs at this tournament.

Anybody care to give an update of teams playing at the Classic? I'm sure tonight is the last game any of the teams have before next week's event. Mentor (OH) is currently 4-0 and plays their final tune-up tonight at home. None of the teams Mentor has played so far are at the level of the better teams at the Arby's Classic. The Cardinals are ranked No. 5 in the Cleveland Plain Dealer seven county coverage area. If there was a Division I (Ohio big school) state poll, my guess is Mentor would be ranked somewhere in between 10-15. This team does not come in with quite the hype of the previous two Mentor teams, but they are still pretty good. The biggest difference between this year's team and the previous two is no superstar. Two years ago it was Cole Krizancic (2010 Arby's MVP), the all-time leading scorer in Mentor history. Last season it was Justin Fritts - who became Ohio's Mr. Basketball. This year's team spreads the wealth and lacks a true "go-to" guy.

http://tricitiessports.com/extopper-standouts-back-to-defend-title-at-th-annual-arbys-classic-p61994-238.htm Article on the draw

Last year's champions (Christ School, NC) and runner-ups (Mentor, OH) return to the Classic. I can only give a breakdown on Mentor right now. Last year the team had 8 or 9 guys in their normal rotation led by leading scorer (and Ohio's Mr. Basketball winner) Justin Fritts. He is now graduated and playing DII ball in West Virginia. The other major loss to graduation was point guard Danny Wallack. One other loss is a current senior (Mitch Trubisky) who is a big time football recruit that is graduating early to enroll at North Carolina. His presence will be missed as well. Four of the top seven scorers do return, led by senior Jeff Foreman and juniors Brandon Fritts, Conner Krizancic, and Caleb Potter. These four all averaged around 8-12 points per game last season. Mentor will continue to play their up tempo offense that looks to use a full-court press, run and run on offense, and utilizing the three-point shot as much as their talent allows. This year's team doesn't have quite the number of shooters as the last two Mentor teams that went to the Arby's Classic. This team has more size than the past two Mentor teams. I don't expect an offense as potent as the 2010 or 2011 tournament, but still one that should average about 70-75 ppg. One thing that will work against Mentor is their successful football season. About half of the regulars on the team also play football. Mentor just won a regional title and will advance to the Ohio big school state semifinal game. A long football run for key basketball players may mean a slow start to the season. Hopefully by the time of the Arby's Classic the team will be ready.

The field and bracket for the 2012 edition has been released. I look forward to following the tournament through this forum and the other TN media. This even sounds fantastic. Not having a real vested involvement (i.e. close relative playing) in my Mentor (OH) team - it just doesn't make sense for me to make the long trip to Bristol for the tournament. But if I had the means and/or a good reason, I would love to be there! This year's even will be spanned over six days due to the 30th falling on a Sunday. That is a long (and expensive) week of basketball for all those traveling and staying in TN. It is good for Bristol business though. Here is a link: http://tricitiessports.com/arbys-classic-bracket-unveiled-p61972-1.htm

Without being there I don't really know if Mentor's shots were not falling due to defense, poor shot selection, being cold, or some combination. I listened to the telecast and the WXSM guys made it seem like Mentor was missing some open looks they were hitting in the first few days of the Classic. I guess a 3-1 showing is impressive considering the talent, but its hard not to be disappointed considering how well Mentor played the first three games. In Ohio, the 3-2 zone is very rarely used against Mentor over the years. I have no idea why that is the case. When it is used, the team has a lot of trouble finding their shot. If I was coaching against Mentor, that is exactly the kind of defense I would be using. Congrats to Christ School on winning the title and Bradshaw for MVP. Two years in a row the 3rd place team got the MVP. Sounds like he would have been a fun player to watch.

Austen Arnold from Gate City, VA

Final: Mentor 92 Charlotte Christian 61 Justin Fritts had 26 points to lead all Mentor scorers. Jeff Foreman (13), Danny Wallack (12), and Mitch Trubisky (10) scored in double digits. Mentor set the team record for three-pointers in the Arby's Classic with 44 (broke their record of 42 last year). Mentor still has one more game to extend that record. Matthew Fisher-Davis had 28 points for the Knights to lead all scorers.

Two state champions (Irmo, SC and Memphis Craigmont) from last season will meet in the 6th place consolation final. Greater Atlanta Christian (back-to-back state champs in GA) and Urspring meet in the 5th place game. That says a lot as to the depth of this tournament. The 3rd/4th place game (loser of Mentor/Charlotte Christian against loser of Christ School/CPA) tomorrow should also be a good one. It goes without saying the championship game will be excellent. What a way to spend a New Year's Eve day.

Gate City, Craigmont, Fort Myers, and Irmo win in the consolation bracket. Mentor (102-78 over GAC) and Charlotte Christian (58-44 over Cherokee) are the first to punch their tickets to the semifinals.

I thought Mentor had it tough in the top of the bracket with 2011 state champs like GAC and Craigmont along with Charlotte Christian. But it appears the strength of the tournament is in the bottom of the bracket with a top four of CPA, Urspring, Irmo, and Christ School. Thursday should have a lot of excellent matchups. Wish I could be there!

Scores from today: Urspring 46 Sevier County 38 Tabernacle Baptist 58 Greeneville 34 Greater Atlanta Christian 73 Gate City 63 Mentor 102 Hurley 29 Charlotte Christian 43 Sullivan East 42 Cherokee 51 Craigmont 47

One team I neglected to include is Irmo (SC). They are in the bottom half of the bracket and are 9-0, meaning Mentor isn't the only undefeated team. Irmo is the top ranked team in South Carolina (No. 18 in the Mideast Region) according to ESPN. Other ESPN rankings show Christ School (No. 2) and Charlotte Christian (No. 5) receiving some NC state poll recognition.

Thanks for the info on CPA. They definitely deserve to be on the short list of tournament favorites. I believe Mentor (Ohio) is the only team entering the Classic unblemished, but it helps that the Cardinals have only played four games so far. Mentor has averaged 103 points per game in their four wins. They will be just as exciting as they were last year, even if they don't have an individual player with the flash and skill of the 2010 Classic MVP, Cole Krizancic. Mentor's half of the bracket includes two of the best (if not the two best) small school teams in Virginia, a couple of state champions from a year ago (Craigmont and Greater Atlanta Christian), the No. 2 and No. 3 ranked teams in the TriCities poll (14-1 Sullivan East and 10-1 Cherokee)), and Charlotte Christian (7-1) - one of the better private school teams in North Carolina. The other half of the bracket is no picnic either with Christ School, CPA, Urspring, etc. The team that comes out of this as tournament champions will certainly have earned it the hard way.

I know the games will have audio stream online at WXSM's website. Last year's games didn't have video, and I haven't heard anything for sure either way this year yet. I would love to be able to watch live. If anyone has any info, please pass along.

Updates of some teams from the Classic: Mentor (OH) is 3-0, scoring over 100 points in all of their games. They are ranked No. 2 in the Plain Dealer (Cleveland area paper). Mentor hasn't played any team of significance, and they won't until the Classic. Christ School (NC) is 9-1, just taking their first loss of the season over the weekend to High Point Christian Academy (NC). Christ School is averaging over 80 ppg this season. Charlotte Christian (NC) is 7-1. Their only loss of the season is to High Point Christian Academy, suffering the same fate as Christ School. Greater Atlanta Christian is 6-3, but don't let their record fool you. One of their losses was a 66-64 setback to nationally ranked Mill Creek (GA), who was No. 3 in ESPN before their recent loss to Oak Hill. Another loss for GAC was a 64-56 setback to Columbia (GA), last year's Arby's Classic champs and probably the No. 2 team in Georgia. Craigmont (8-4) is one of the better teams in Memphis, but they are off to an up and down start among a very competitive group of Memphis teams. It appears they have played city rival Melrose (the 2009 Arby's Classic champions) three times already this season, going 1-2 in those games.

2011 Bracket: http://www2.tricities.com/mgmedia/file/445/2011-arbys-classic-bracket/

Mentor picked up where they left off last year with a 101-48 win to start their season. The Cardinals were the top scoring team in Ohio last year (about 90 ppg) as well as the leading three-point shooting team in the state. Mentor will have three more games before heading down to Bristol at the end of the month. Mentor is ranked No. 3 in the Plain Dealer (Cleveland area seven county coverage) to start the season.

Any updates on how the early season is going for Classic participants? In Ohio, our first games don't begin until the first weekend in December. But most other parts of the country seemed to have begun. Charlotte Christian is 2-0 with average margin of victory being around 30. Craigmont is 3-1, with the lone loss being to fellow Memphis powerhouse Melrose - a team I believe won the Arby's Classic in 2009. Greater Atlanta Christian (two time state champs from GA) is 1-2, with a couple close losses to what I imagine are quality teams. One loss was in OT and the other was a 66-64 setback to Columbia (GA) - the 2010 Arby's Classic winners. I will try to post some updates of other teams throughout the month, but certainly updates of Mentor.

Also adding one more favorite to the mix is Greater Atlanta Christian. They are the two-time defending state champions in the Georgia AA division (second smallest). Columbia (last year's Arby's Classic champs) won the Georgia AAA state title. If the team I follow (Mentor, OH) is to make another big run - they look to have an even tougher draw than last year. This could include three consecutive games against defending state champions from Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Sports/article.php?id=96037 Another article about the Classic, including a take on Science Hill not participating for the first time since the 90's. I am from Ohio, so I don't know about what team has the biggest following - but it sounds like the article assumes the biggest fan base is from Science Hill. Is that true? How much will it impact attendance? Based on the articles, here are the matchups I could figure out: Top half of bracket: Gate City – Greater Atlanta Christian (1st round 12/27) Mentor – Hurley (1st round 12/27) Sullivan East – Charlotte Christian (1st round 12/27) Cherokee - Craigmont (1st round 12/27) Bottom half of bracket: Sevier – Urspring (opening round) Greeneville – Tabernacle Baptist (opening round) Tennessee High - Christ Presbyterian Academy (1st round 12/28) Irmo - Dobyns Bennet (1st round 12/28) Fort Myers will play the winner of Sevier County/Urspring on 12/28 in the 1st round. Christ School will play the winner of Greenville/Tabernace Baptist. My predictions on the favorites for the top half of the bracket are Mentor, Charlotte Christian (state runner-ups in 2011 to Christ School) and Craigmont (defending state champs out of Memphis). Favorites on the bottom are Christ School and Urspring (last year's runners-up, bringing back all but one starter). But you all can give more info about some of the local teams and their chances.

A lot of the first round matchups have been announced, but does anyone have a full bracket with dates?