Classic has strong lineup

There are a litany of pros and essentially no cons for Conway’s boys basketball team Friday and Saturday.

When the Wampus Cats face Bentonville and Hot Springs on back-to-back days during the John Stanton Classic, the benefits stretch beyond a win or a loss for a young unit that Conway Coach Marcus Adams said is still growing.

“The overall atmosphere, in itself, is going to be amazing,” he said. “With our group, especially our young guys, we’re getting exposure, getting a chance to play two high-level teams. And that’s only going to help us.

“But also, too, with this event, you’re not only getting to see some of the best top talent in the state, but some of the best teams in the state as well, all under one roof. It gets better and better each year, and it allows us to see how we measure up at this point in the season.”

The classic begins Friday with a massive four-game schedule that includes three head-to-head matchups with Class 6A hopefuls and a nightcap that features defending Class 4A champion Little Rock Christian against a Bryant team that’s expected to be among the top 10 when the Arkansas DemocratGazette’s overall rankings are released Jan. 7.

On Saturday, six games will be played, starting with an 11 a.m. game between last season’s Class 5A runner-up Lake Hamilton and Springdale Har-Ber. Greenbrier and Little Rock Catholic will end things at 6:30 p.m.

While every game is designed to help teams improve before they get into the meat of conference play, the Wampus Cats will certainly look to use their two games as stepping stones to get better.

Conway (6-4) has experienced both highs and lows at times this season. The Wampus Cats lost their opener to Jacksonville in early November but responded with victories in four of their next six games. That run included a trek to the championship game at the Hot Springs Invitational, and they recently finished runner-up in last week’s Arvest Classic in Rogers.

With just one senior on the roster, Adams said he’s been pleased with some of the things his team has been able to do a month into the season. But with a lineup full of sophomores and juniors, the secondyear coach also said there’s bound to be shaky moments, which he’s already seen plenty of.

“From just playing hard, I’ll give us a B-minus,” Adams said. “Overall, I’m giving us a C-plus, and I say that because with this young group, it’s been attention to detail, the discipline, the focus … just trying to get them to do the things that we need to do to execute and not take plays off.

“Those things have hurt us in games. You can do all those things in one game, then have a quick turnaround and just lose focus, discipline and execution on both ends of the floor in the next game. But that’s just part of the youth we have.”

Adams, also noted that he’s been really happy to see his youngster battle against more experienced teams. Those games, he said, were when the Wampus Cats were at their best when it came to doing the things he’s been trying to get them to do. On other occasions, the inconsistency has cost them.

But through all of that, the Pine Bluff native said he believes his team is trending upward.

Freshmen Jamal Holden, a 6-5 forward, and Karl Johnson, a 5-10 guard, have helped Conway inside and out.

“Jamal’s rebounding the ball, finishing around the rim, shooting the midrange, getting to the rack,” Adams said. “Karl is a kid that battles, man. He makes shots, he’s going to mix it up, he guards. It doesn’t matter who it’s against because he’s scrappy, and he’s going to compete.”

Adams was also complementary of sophomore A.J. McCray and Jace Sullivan, whom he said have both taking huge jumps. But he particularly credited the junior tandem of Kanard Turner and transfer C.J. Jones for providing some muchneeded leadership.

“[Kanard] is doing whatever that needs to be done,” Adams said. “He’ll guard the best player on the other team, he’s rebounding his butt off. And C.J. has got a lot of potential.

“But it’s been so fun coaching these guys. Sometimes they make you want to pull your hair out, but it’s just great to see them grow and progress.”