TOURNAMENT PREVIEWS
Class 6A
WHEN Today-Saturday
WHERE Bryant High School
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Fort Smith Northside (boys); Fort Smith Northside (girls)
PAST FIVE CHAMPIONS Boys: Fort Smith Northside (2019), North Little Rock (2018), Fort Smith Northside (2017), Cabot (2016), North Little Rock (2015); Girls: Fort Smith Northside (2019), North Little Rock (2018), Fayetteville (2017), North Little Rock (2016), Fayetteville (2015)
2020 FAVORITES Boys: North Little Rock; Girls: Fort Smith Northside
2020 SLEEPERS Boys: Bryant; Girls: Fayetteville
MATCHUPS TO WATCH Boys: Rogers vs. Cabot; Girls: Rogers vs. Bryant
NOTEWORTHY Little Rock Central and Bentonville West are playing in a rematch from a game that happened earlier in the year. The Tigers battled back from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to win 56-53. …Bentonville junior center Maryam Dauda is closing in on the team’s all-time career rebounding mark, and she still has a season left. … Fort Smith Northside and North Little Rock have combined to win four of the past five boys titles in the state’s largest classification. … Van Buren and Mount St. Mary girls teams are a combined 1935 and play a pair of third-place teams in the first round. … The Fort Smith Northside Lady Bears and Bentonville Lady Tigers have each won 20 consecutive games. … Third-seeded Rogers swept second-seeded Fayetteville, which swept top-seeded Springdale Har-Ber. … Three boys teams (Bryant, Little Rock Central and Conway) all finished the year with 8-6 records in the 6A-Central Conference.
Class 4A
WHEN Today-Saturday
WHERE Farmington High School
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Magnolia (boys); Batesville (girls)
PAST FIVE CHAMPIONS Boys: Magnolia (2019), Baptist Prep (2018), Baptist Prep (2017), Arkansas Baptist (2016), Monticello (2015); Girls: Batesville (2019), Central Arkansas Christian (2018), Pocahontas (2017), Riverview (2016), Riverview (2015)
2020 FAVORITES Boys: Magnolia, Mills; Girls: Batesville
2020 SLEEPERS Boys: Blytheville; Girls: Star City
MATCHUPS TO WATCH Boys: Monticello vs. Brookland; Girls: Southside Batesville vs. Ozark
NOTEWORTHY The Magnolia boys haven’t lost since Feb. 22, 2019, (58-55 to Monticello). Since then, the Panthers have reeled off 29 victories in a row. … The only boys and girls teams in the state to finish the regular season unbeaten came from the 4A-8 Conference (Magnolia boys, Star City girls). … The Batesville Lady Pioneers have beaten every team they’ve faced. Batesville lost to Nettleton and Southside Batesville, but also beat both. … After enduring a six-game losing skid from Jan. 21-Feb. 7, the Ozark Lady Hillbillies won four consecutive to end the regular season, then notched three consecutive upsets to win the 4A-4 Conference. … The last 4A team to beat the Pulaski Academy Lady Bruins, prior to their loss last week to Southside Batesville, was Star City on Nov. 23 during the Mount St. Mary Invitational. … Camden Fairview didn’t clinch a regional berth until the final week of the season, then beat 4A7 co-champ Malvern to reserve its spot in the state tournament.