The 67th Blue and Gold Tournament promises to be another great event hosted by Greenwood and the folks at Missouri State. Once again, we have big name players, big named coaches, and teams that will be playing well into March in the field. Hopefully the snow will hold off enough to allow us to get four days of basketball in.
CLICK HERE FOR BRACKETS FOR THE BLUE AND GOLD
CLICK HERE FOR BRACKETS FOR THE BLUE AND GOLD
The Blue division has multiple interesting story lines and potential matchups, but ultimately it comes down to can anyone beat Nixa.
Favorite: Nixa is the clear favorite here. The Eagles have been the most dominant team in the area in recent years and that isn’t changing with a pair of D-1 recruits running the show. Austin Ruder and Jalen Norman are the best inside-out combo in the area. Also, the emergence of Jacob Ruder and Wes Middleton along with the slashing of Bryce Dullin has proved to vital to what the Eagles are doing this year. The last area team to beat Nixa was Branson back in 2011, which was Avery Dingman’s senior year.
Darkhorse(s): Mount Vernon – The Mountaineers returned four starters from last year’s Final Four team. Led by all-stater Shane Williams, Mount Vernon has picked up right where it left off so far this season. Mount Vernon’s three losses have all come at the hands of extremely talented, large class schools (Nixa, Webb City, Waynesville). As of late, Coach Brock’s squad has reeled off four straight wins, three by at least 30 points. I think Mount Vernon has a great chance to end up in the title game for a rematch against Nixa. Ozark is another team to keep an eye on. Whenever the Tigers have it going they are an extremely difficult team to deal with, just ask Parkview.
Match-up I most want to see: Ozark v. Strafford – I love the way both teams play. Both teams have tremendous balance offensively by playing through their respective big men (Brett Krisik, Ozark and Jacob Wade, Strafford). What makes this matchup so intriguing is what makes the Blue and Gold such a great event. We get to see an extremely talented Class 3 school take on a solid Class 5 in a neutral court setting. For Strafford, a team with state championship aspirations, this is a good measuring stick game, if it happens.
Team that should be on upset alert: All higher seeded teams other than Nixa – I think the first round will be chalk, with all the higher seeds advancing. However, day two things start to get interesting. I believe all the higher seeded teams (West Plains, Rogersville, Strafford) all have tough quarterfinal matchups in teams that have similar styles and talent levels. Rogersville is probably the team that is in the most danger of bowing out early. Coach Gorman’s youthful Wildcats will have their hands full with an experienced, talented Mount Vernon squad.
A name you’ll know after this week: Jordan Bowling, Crane – The 6’4” forward is a large reason why the Pirates are off to an 8-1 start, with the lone loss coming to a very good Strafford team. Bowling, who is “quietly” 20 points and eight boards per game, has scored 20 or more points in five of the Crane’s nine games. Bowling has already tallied a pair of double-doubles, and was a rebound shy in two other games. Bowling’s game will remind you of Creighton’s Doug McDermott, he can do it inside and out. If he continues to shoot 60% from the field, 40% from 3 and 80% from the line, he won’t be unknown for long.
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