How much noise can Central, Glendale make at 2024 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions?
There's not a week that goes by without Glendale head coach Brian McTague thinking about the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions.
It's what everyone affiliated with basketball in southwest Missouri dreams of. The Spokane grad who has coached the Falcons since 2013 has led his team on Springfield's biggest stage before and will get another chance to this week.
"It's an awesome opportunity for us," McTague said. "I'm as happy as I've ever been, no exaggeration. This tournament's on my mind year-round whether we're in it or not. It's just a great opportunity for our kids and for our program to etch their names in the history of this tournament going forward."
Two of Springfield's high schools will compete with some of the top teams this week when the event starts Thursday at 4:30 p.m. at Great Southern Bank Arena.
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Glendale will be joined by Central which is making its first appearance since 2009. The Bulldogs are led by Nixa grad Jordan Epps who played in the tournament when he wore an Eagles uniform in 2012. He has since transformed the Bulldogs into one of the top teams in the state and one that's worthy of being considered the area's best.
Springfield Public Schools Athletics Director Josh Scott said there was a point where he never imagined Central would be chosen to represent the area in its marquee event.
"It just shows the hard work we've put in over the last couple of years," Epps, the third-year head coach, said. "Just seeing the success they're having and the opportunity to play in an event like this and be recognized as one of the better teams in the area and in the state is a huge accomplishment for them."
Central and Glendale could meet at some point during the tournament although they're placed on opposite sides of the brackets. The two met in the Gold Division championship game at the Blue and Gold Tournament two weeks ago.
The Bulldogs won the game 77-47 to cap off a four-game showing which ended in running clocks. They also have wins over the likes of Nixa, Republic, Ozark, Staley and Father Tolton. Monday's state-wide boys' basketball poll has Central ranked as the No. 6 team in Class 6.
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Central's roster features one senior in standout guard Tyrique Brooks — maybe the favorite to win Saturday night's slam dunk contest. A batch of star juniors including Keion Epps, Bryce Walker, Devin Sanford and TayShaun Wells should keep the Bulldogs among the elite teams in the area for the remainder of this year and next — with a good possibility they're invited back to the Tournament of Champions next season.
"This is something I envisioned for the program," Epps said. "Maybe not within the couple of years that it has been but it was definitely one of my goals to make Central a program that is respected in the basketball community and to allow the guys to play in tournaments like this. It's giving the Central community and Central fans something to cheer about again. It's definitely a goal of mine for us to be where we are and I'm just glad it's happening at the pace it's happening."
Glendale is back in the tournament for the first time since 2018. The Falcons lost two of their last three entering a potential Tuesday night game against Waynesville. They've gone from a 6-17 team in 2021 to being one that's on pace to have their third straight winning season.
The Falcons feature perhaps the top sophomore college basketball prospect to come out of Springfield since Aminu Mohammed first arrived at Greenwood before the 2018 season. Sophomore Amare Witham has been one of the area's more entertaining players to watch through his first year and a half in a Falcons uniform. He's aided by senior standout Ta'Veaion Washington who recently scored 44 points in an overtime loss to Class 5 No. 6 Rolla.
More: High school basketball roundup: Central, Glendale look to build momentum before TOC
"(Amare) will look forward to the opportunity," McTague said. "He's one of the most confident kids, if not the most confident kid I've ever coached. I know the moment's not going to be too big for him. It's going to be a great opportunity for him to go out there and hopefully help us get a win and to also put himself out there to the eyes around the country who will be watching."
The local programs at the tournament don't typically get the easiest of draws in the opening round and the 2024 edition is no different.
Central will get St. John Bosco (California) in Thursday's 6 p.m. game. Bosco notably features Brandon McCoy, the No. 2 overall player in the Class of 2026.
Glendale will follow by playing what MaxPreps currently ranks as the No. 1 team in the country in Paul VI. The Panthers feature a handful of five-star and four-star prospects. The team won the tournament in their last appearance in 2022 by knocking off Bronny James and Sierra Canyon.
"We're not going to see teams better than we're going to see this week for the remainder of the season," McTague said. "You've got three games in three days to lay it on the line every night, regardless of how it goes and just learn how to compete and fight those battles one day at a time.."
Bass Pro Tournament of Champions 2024 schedule
Thursday, Jan. 11
4:30 p.m. — Edmond North (Oklahoma) vs. Rainier Beach (Seattle)
6 p.m. — St. John Bosco (California) vs. Central
7:30 p.m. — Paul VI (Virginia) vs. Glendale
9 p.m. — McEachern (Georgia) vs. Vashon (St. Louis)
Friday, Jan. 12
4:30 p.m. — Consolation semifinal
6 p.m. — Consolation semifinal
7:30 p.m. — Winner's bracket semifinal
9 p.m. — Winner's bracket semifinal
Saturday, Jan. 13
2:30 p.m. — Seventh-place game
4 p.m. — Consolation championship
6 p.m. — Dunk contest
7 p.m. — Third-place game
9 p.m. — Championship
Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or X at @WyattWheeler_NL.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Tournament of Champions 2024: Central, Glendale prepare for event
