Reimagined Arby's Classic to tip off this week at Virginia High

BRISTOL, Va. — Thirty-eight basketball teams at two different venues all playing in the same town and on the same days? Basketball fans across the Tri-Cities region could develop hoops overload in the days ahead, as The Classic at Tennessee High being held at Viking Hall is joined by the revamped Arby's Classic at Virginia High's Bearcat Den. Both events will be held from Dec. 26-31, although only the Arby's Classic at Virginia High will play games on Sunday. Formerly held at Tennessee High's Viking Hall for four decades, the former Arby's Classic was rebranded The Classic at Tennessee High for last's year tournament after the Bristol Tennessee school district and the AES Restaurant Group were unable to reach an agreement to continue their partnership. The Arby's Classic went away for one year, but has returned, with AES Restaurant Group and Virginia High School making the announcement during a joint press conference in September of 2024. Twenty teams from seven states will fill the field, with the action beginning with four games on Friday, starting with the host Bearcats and Hampton meeting at 2 p.m. Gate City will play the final game on opening day, facing Science Hill after playing three games last week against teams from Alabama, South Carolina and Kentucky at the Alpha Invitational in Kingsport. Gate City's Parker Jenkins said after the Alpha that the competition will help the Blue Devils when the postseason arrives. "It is great competition, playing great teams. Of course, we are not going to see these type of teams in the Mountain 7, but there are still good teams in the Mountain 7," Jenkins said. "I am excited for that and I am excited that we got this opportunity and we have the Arby's coming up so that will be another great opportunity. It will be great." Tri-Cities Christian is the fourth local team in the field. Included on the Eagles' roster is 6-foot-7 sophomore Justin Akengbowa, who is considered one of the top prospects in the Class of 2028 according to rivals.com. Other Virginia schools include Oak Hill Academy, which has long been one of the more prominent prep basketball powerhouses in the nation. Roanoke Catholic, Handley High School in Winchester and John Marshall from Richmond will also be in the field. John Marshall has won the last four Class 2 state championships in Virginia, including the 2024 title game victory over Virginia High. They also defeated Gate City to claim the title in 2020. Tennessee will also be represented by Hamilton Heights from Chattanooga. Three Kentucky schools will be included, led by Montgomery County (Mount Sterling), Martin County (Inez) and Wesley Christian (Allen City). Georgia schools include Mt. Bethel Christian Academy (Marietta) and Dutchtown (Hampton). Miami Country Day and Charlotte (Punta Gorda) will represent Florida, Archbishop Spalding (Severn) and Baltimore City College will travel from Maryland, while Ridgeview (Columbia) will make the trip to Bristol from South Carolina. Thirty-six games will be played, with the championship game slated for Dec. 31 at 3 p.m. at the Bearcat Den. Three of the seven New Year's Eve games will be played in a separate gymnasium at Virginia High. There will also be three games played on Sunday, Dec. 28, in addition to slam dunk and 3-point contests, all of which will be preceded by a presentation from a speaker representing the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. There are plenty of talented players to watch, possibly led by Ohio State commit LJ Smith, a junior from Oak Hill Academy, who is ranked ninth in the SC (ESPN SportCenter) Next for the Class of 2027. Oak Hill senior teammate Ethan Mgbako has committed to Vanderbilt. Avery Nash from Archbishop Spalding is currently the highest ranked Class of 2028 prospect in the field. Nash's senior teammate, Colt Busse, has committed to East Tennessee State. Much more on each team and more players to watch can be found in the capsules that will be included with this story at timesnews.net or johnsoncitypress.com. **** The Arby's Classic Dec. 26-31, at Virginia High's Bearcat Den ****ARCHBISHOP SPALDING, Severn, Md. Nickname: Cavaliers 2024-25 Record: 23-9, loss Baltimore City League quarterfinals Head Coach: Josh Pratt Players to Watch: Nash Avery (6'7, soph., SC NEXT 18); Braxton Bogard (6'8, soph., 2028 SC Next 23); Colt Busse (6'4, sr.); TJ Moultrie (6'3, sr); Cam Carter (5'11, sr.) Notes: Avery is ranked 18th in the 2028 SC (SportsCenter) NEXT Class of 2028; has offers from Virginia tech, Maryland, Syracuse, Mississippi); Bogard is 23 in the SC NEXT Class of 2028; has offers from West Virginia, Mississippi State, Mississippi); Busse has signed with East Tennessee State. **** BALTIMORE CITY COLLEGE, Baltimore, Md. Nickname: Black Knights 2024-25 Record: 24-6 Head Coach: Omarr Smith. Players to Watch: Camari Stewart (6'5, sr); Ethan Chinnia (6'0, jr.) Notes: Chinnia has drawn interest from several Division I programs, including Georgia Southern, Campbell, Texas San-Antonio and Coppin State…The Black Knights are 5-0 on the young season. **** CHARLOTTE, Punta Gorda, Fla. Nickname: Fightin' Tarpons 2024-25 Record: 22-7 Head Coach: Mike Williams Players to Watch: Jianny Reyes Sanchez (6'3, sr; Isaiah Newsom (6'0, sr.) Notes: Lost to St. Thomas Aquinas, which is playing in The Classic at Tennessee High, in the 6A state semifinals last season…Sanchez has an offer from Fort Lauderdale…The Tarpons head to Bristol with a 6-2 record. ****DUTCHTOWN, Hampton, Ga. Nickname: Bulldogs 2024-25 Record: 26-4 Head Coach: Wallace Corker Players to Watch: Maddox Melancon (6'6, sr.; Bobby Boggs (6'1, sr.) Notes: Lost in the Class AAAAA quarterfinals in Georgia last season…The Bulldogs are 5-3 as they leave for Bristol. ****GATE CITY, Gate City, Va. Nickname: Blue Devils 2024-25 Record: 12-15 Head Coach: Chris Fugate Players to Watch: Kaden Houseright; Parker Jenkins; Ollie Carpenter; Zayne Reed. Notes: Gate City was a two-overtime decision against Virginia High from reaching the Class 2 state tournament…Houseright is a BIG SHOTS top 20 shooting guard in the 2027 Class…Gate City is 2-4 or 2-3-1 depending on how their Alpha Invitational loss to Auburn is recorded. Auburn won 56-54, but the final scoresheet had the score as 54-54. ****HAMILTON HEIGHTS, Chattanooga, TN Nickname: Hawks 2024-25 Record: 14-14 Head Coach: Sam Bambrey Players to Watch: BJ Bradford (6'0, sr;, Alhassane Camara (6'10, jr.; Barruck Adam (6'8, sr.) Notes: Hamilton Heights has been a regular at Virginia High tournaments in the past…According to MaxPreps, the Hawks are 0-7 on the season…Adam has an offer from Long Island University. Bradford has a Division I offer from Tennessee-Martin. *** HAMPTON, Hampton, Tn. Nickname: Bulldogs 2024-25 Record: 24-10 Head Coach: Ned Smith Players to Watch: Colby Clark (6'5, fr.) Notes: Hampton, one of the smallest schools in the tournament, won the 2023 Class 1A state championship…The Bulldogs are 7-4 on the season. **** JOHN HANDLEY, Winchester, Va. Nickname: Judges 2024-25 Record: 25-2 Head Coach: Zach Harrell-Hook) Players to Watch: Will Braun-Duin (6'4, jr.; Christian Dinges (6'4, sr.) Notes: Also known as just Handley, the Judges fell to Varina in the Class 4 state semifinals last season…Braun-Duin, who is a BIG SHOTS third-ranked shooting guard in Virginia, has drawn interest from Old Dominion, American, Mount St. Marys and Tennessee-Martin…Dinges is the fifth ranked shooting guard in Virginia accord to BIG SHOTS. He has committed to prep school at Fork Union Military Academy…Karen Oglesby has led the Judges to a 5-0 start on the season. **** JOHN MARSHALL, Richmond, Va. Nickname: Justices 2024-25 Record: Head Coach: Yohance Skinner Players to Watch: Troy Tomlin (6'3, jr.) Notes: John Marshall has won the last four Class 2 state championships in blowout fashion, defeating Graham last season and Virginia High in 2024. They also defeated Gate City in the finals in 2020…Former head coach Ty White, who used his connections and coaching prowess to lead the Justices to all that success, resigned after last season and is now coaching at Petersburg High School…Tomlin is the top-ranked shooting guard in Virginia according to BIG SHOTS…The Justices are 4-2 on the young season. **** MARTIN COUNTY, Louisa, Ky. Nickname: Cardinals 2024-25 Record: 21-10 Head Coach: Joshua Horn Players to Watch: Braxton Keathley, 6'5, jr). Notes: The Cardinals are 6-3 heading to Bristol…Keathley is a 4-four junior prospect with offers (Texas A&M, East Carolina, Eastern Kentucky, more) and interest from Kentucky, Purdue, Louisville, Florida State, South Carolina and LSU)… **** MIAMI COUNTRY DAY, Miami, Fla. Nickname: Spartans 2024-25 Record: 21-7 Head Coach: Ralph Mata Players to Watch: Miguel Orbe (6'3, jr). Notes: The Spartans are 11-1 heading to Bristol…Orbe is ranked in the top 100 junior prospects by 247 Sports. He has numerous offers, including Arizona State, Florida State, Dayton, Texas Christian, UNLV and more. **** MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Sterling, Ky. Nickname: Indians 2024-25 Record: 25-11 Head Coach: Jason Mays Players to Watch: Tyce Jarvis (6'6, jr., Andrew Terry (6'9, soph., Austin Sears (6'1, jr.) Notes: The Indians fell in the semifnals off the Kentucky state tournament…Jarvis, Terry and Sears all have offers from Eastern Kentucky…Jacksonville State has offered Jarvis and Terry, while Morehead State is interested in Jarvis and Sears. Ohio is also in the running for Sears. **** MOUNT BETHEL CHRISTIAN, Marietta, Ga. Nickname: Eagles 2024-25 Record: 16-13 Head Coach: Cal Boyd Players to Watch: Peter Julius (6'10, soph.; Roman Avery (6'5, jr). Notes: The Eagles will arrived in Bristol with a 7-3 record…Julius is ranked in the top 20 in the SC NEXT ratings for the sophomore class. He has an offer from Georgia Tech. **** OAK HILL ACADEMY, Mount of Wilson, Va. Nickname: Warriors 2024-25 Record: 23-11 Head Coach: John Zito Players to Watch: LJ Smith (6'3, jr,; Ethan Mgbako (6'6, sr.; Korea Corbett (6'4, sr.; Kuol Deng (6'10, sr.) Notes: Oak Hill Academy (12-3) hasn't been quite as dominant since Steve Smith retired as coach in 2022, but the Warriors will, no doubt, continue to produce collegiate and professional players…Smith is ranked ninth in the SC Next for the Class of 2027, has committed to Ohio State…Mgbako is rated the top strong forward in Virginia by SC NEXT, has signed with Vanderbilt…Corbett is a 4-star prospect with offers from Mississippi, South Carolina, California, Nevada and more…Deng is a top 200 prospect in the senior class…Former Oak Hill player and NBA Hall of Fame Carmelo Anthony serves in a co-general manager role for the Warrior ****. RIDGEVIEW, Columbia, S.C. Nickname: Blazers 2024-25 Record: 23-7 Head Coach: Joshua Staley Players to Watch: CJ Moore (6'7, soph.; RJ Davis (6'6, soph.; DJ Wylie (6'4, jr.; Talon Staley (6'3, sr). Notes: Ridgeview (8-2) won the South Carolina Class AAAAA Division I state championship last season, winning the title game by 24 points…Moore is a national top 50 player, and ranked second among sophomores in South Carolina. He has offers from Wake Forest, California and Presbyterian…Davis is a top 100 player and fifth in South Carolina. He has offers from Wake Forest and California…Wylie is a top 200 players and second among juniors in South Carolina, with offers from Wake Forest, Queens, Nicholls, Charlotte and more…Stanley is the eight-ranked shooting guard in South Carolina. **** ROANOKE CATHOLIC, Roanoke, Va. Nickname: Celtics 2024-25 Record: 20-12 Head Coach: Shawn Good Players to Watch: Jayden Johnson, 6-2, sr.; Leron Lipford, 6'0, jr.) Notes: Roanoke Catholic advanced to the semifinals of the VISAA Division III state tournament last season…Johnson is BIG SHOTS 11th rated shooting guard in Virginia…Lipford is a top 15 point guard in Virginia, according to BIG SHOTS. **** SCIENCE HILL, Johnson City, TN Nickname: Hilltoppers 2024-25 Record: 26-7 Head Coach: Jon Higgins Players to Watch: Brody McGuire (point guard, sr.; Darian Jackson (guard, jr.) Notes: Science Hill is a three-time champion of The Classic at Tennessee, the precursor to the revamped Arby's Classic. That titles came in 1993, 1995 and 1999…The Hilltoppers lost to Maryville in the Class 4 sectionals last season. **** TRI-CITIES CHRISTIAN, Blountville, TN Nickname: Eagles 2024-25 Record: 27-13 Head Coach: Tyrone Smith Players to Watch: Justin Akengbowa (6'8, soph.; Lofton Looney (5'10, jr., Aaron Pomrenke (6'5, sr,; Ashby Chadwick (6'9, jr.; Ash Fernandez (7'1, soph.; Jordan Peters (6'2, soph). Notes: The Eagles are 7-5 on the season…Akengbowa is a 3-star prospect ranked in the top 150 in the sophomore class by rivals.com… **** VIRGINIA HIGH, Bristol, Va. Nickname: Bearcats 2024-25 Record: 22-8 Head Coach: Julius Gallishaw Players to Watch: Davy Woolen (guard, jr.) Notes: Virginia High lost in the Class 2 state championship game to John Marshall in 2024 and lost to Floyd County in the Class 2 state quarterfinals last season…The Bearcats lost several semiors to graduatiom, in adding to talented underclassman Landon Lee, who transferred to Knox Catholic in the offseason. **** WESLEY CHRISTIAN, Allen, Ky. Nickname: Circuit Riders 2024-25 Record: 23-7 Head Coach: Peyton Adams Players to Watch: Jacob Slone (shooting guard, sr.; Ouki Kosugi (point guard, jr.) Notes: The Circuit Riders, one of the more unique nicknames in prep sports, have been a regular at tournaments at Virginia High in past years.