Teams gear up for 'Rumble on the Ridge'

Little Rock Hall’s Bobby Portis pulls down a rebound in the first half of the 7A Boys State Championship game against Fayetteville.

— The 16th annual Rumble on the Ridge basketball tournament in Forrest City will tipoff on Thanksgiving with six team from Arkansas and one each from Tennessee and Alabama and will feature some of the best in the region.

Tournament director Bill Baxter believes this year's talent level will be the best in nine years when several future NBA players participated.

"We've had some good ones over here but I think it's the best tournament we've had since 2003," tournament director Bill Baxter said. "Of course in 2003, is when we had Tyler Hansbrough, Monta Ellis and Tasmin Mitchell and all those guys."

Fayetteville with 6-11 center Tyler McCullough, a Missouri State signee and 6-3 guard Manuale Watkins open up play against Memphis Southwind that features Missouri signee and power forward Johnathan Williams, 6-10 and 6-5 guard JaJuan Johnson, a Marquette signee at 3:30.

Little Rock Hall and Arkansas commitment/ power forward Bobby Portis, 6-9 1/2 will tipoff next at 5 against Hughes while junior power forward Trey Thompson, 6-9 will lead Forrest City against a very talented Gadsden City, Ala. squad with 7-0 sophomore center Trey Kalana and a pair of 6-7 junior forwards in Jeff Garrett and Rakim Lubin at 6:30.

The night's final game at 8, will see Jonesboro, who's lead by junior point guard Kahron Ross, 5-11 against Clarksville with Oral Roberts signee, point guard Dederick Lee, 5-11.

On Friday, the semi-finals will start play at 5 and the championship game will tipoff at 6:30 on Saturday.