What we will remember from the 2024 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions
The Bass Pro Tournament of Champions, once again, provided many memorable moments that are going to stick with those in attendance long after the final buzzer sounded.
Paul VI (Virginia) winning its second title in three years proved to be the biggest storyline but there were moments throughout the three-day event that continued to make it the best item on the Ozarks sports calendar.
Here's what we'll remember from this year's tournament.
Paul VI had one of the better teams we've seen in recent years
Heading into the tournament, the No. 1 team in the country was the overwhelming favorite. The Panthers lived up to the hype and they dominated the field without maybe their best player.
Paul VI emerged with their second title in three years with a 71-53 win over an entertaining St. John Bosco (California) team that didn't lack talent. The Braves featured the No. 2 sophomore in the country in Brandon McCoy and we'll continue to hear his name over the next few years and into his college days and potentially at the NBA level.
More: Paul VI wins second Bass Pro Tournament of Champions title in three years
The Panthers just had too much. Darren Harris, a Duke signee, was phenomenal the whole tournament and was the obvious pick to take home the MVP award. He dropped 23 points in the championship game while knocking down four shots from deep.
Paul VI also featured standouts like Ben Hammond (Rhode Island), Isaiah Abraham (UCONN), Garrett Sundra (Notre Dame) and a few others who are four- and five-star prospects. The Panthers were without 6-foot-11 five-star center Patrick Ngongba who is the highest-rated player on the team.
It didn't matter. This Paul VI team wasn't going to lose and it felt like a given since before the tournament started. The Panthers lived up to the hype.
McEachern's Ace Bailey put on a show and hit a shot at the buzzer
The most exciting player to watch in the tournament was Bailey, who might be the top senior in the country. The 6-foot-8 wing looks like someone we're going to be watching in the NBA within the next few seasons.
Bailey led his team to a third-place finish thanks to a game-winning jumper with about seven seconds left to give McEachern (Georgia) a 61-59 win over Edmond North (Oklahoma). It didn't matter how well he was guarded; there wasn't a soul in the arena who could have contested with his jumper as it left his fingertips.
More: Ace Bailey might be the best player in the nation. He's shining at Tournament of Champions
The shot capped off a 31-point, 16-rebound performance. No one in the tournament put up a single-game stat line quite like that... except for when he scored 29 points and grabbed eight boards in McEachern's opening-night win over Vashon.
Bailey will be a player those who attended will be able to say "I watched him play in high school" when he's putting up numbers in the league.
Central's Tyrique Brooks won the slam dunk contest
Springfield kept the dunk contest trophy in the city thanks to another spectacular performance from the Queen City's best dunker.
Central senior Tyrique Brooks won the contest after finishing as the runner-up a year ago. Those who have watched Central play this season know that he treats every fastbreak like he's in a slam dunk contest as he's made it known that he's one of the best players in the Ozarks.
More: Central senior Tyrique Brooks wins 2024 Tournament of Champions slam dunk contest
Brooks jumped over three people for his winning dunk. He was our favorite heading into the tournament and he didn't disappoint.
Central continued to look like the best team in the Ozarks
The best story in southwest Missouri continued with Central continuing to look like the best team the area has to offer. It came out with a seventh-place finish but there is a lot to be excited about for the remainder of the year over at The Pit.
Central's 68-46 win over Glendale kept the Bulldogs at the top of the area power rankings if we were to put them together right now. The rematch from the Gold Division championship game at the most recent Blue and Gold Tournament reminded everyone how overwhelming they can be after falling short in the first two days of the tournament.
More: 2025 Tournament of Champions wishlist: Boozer twins, Link's return and Central (again?)
The Bulldogs came close to winning their consolation semifinal game but Rainier Beach (Seattle) got a putback to go in the final seconds. Against one of the best teams out of Washington, the Bulldogs showed they have what it takes to take on the best in the area.
Central will be the team to watch as it heads into the remainder of the year as a team that can win the Ozark Conference title.
Springfield Public Schools Athletics Director Josh Scott, who also serves as the tournament's director, said he never thought he'd have a chance at inviting Central to participate when he first took the job. We're glad he was able to and hope to see it happen more going forward.
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: Paul VI, Ace Bailey among highlights
