State basketball tournament capsules
Class 6A
WHEN Today-Saturday
WHERE North Little Rock High School DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Boys: Jonesboro; Girls: Conway
PAST FIVE CHAMPIONS Boys: Jonesboro (2023), North Little Rock (2022), North Little Rock (2021), Little Rock Central/Conway (2020), Fort Smith Northside (2019); Girls: Conway (2023), North Little Rock (2022), Fort Smith Northside (2021), Bentonville/Fayetteville (2020), Fort Smith Northside (2019)
FAVORITES Boys: Springdale Har-Ber, Bryant, Little Rock Central; Girls: Conway, Fort Smith Northside, North Little Rock
SLEEPERS Boys: North Little Rock, Fayetteville; Girls: Fayetteville, Cabot
MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS Boys: Courtland Muldrew (Springdale Har-Ber), Kellen Robinson (Bryant), Annor Boateng (Little Rock Central); Girls: Alexis Cox (Conway), Jocelyn Tate (North Little Rock), Jenna Cook (Cabot)
OTHERS TO WATCH Boys: Isaiah Sealy (Springdale), Ornette Gaines (Fayetteville); Girls: Erianna Gooden (Fort Smith Northside), Charleen Hudson (Springdale) KEY FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS Boys: Jonesboro vs. Bentonville; Girls: Little Rock Central vs. Bentonville NOTEWORTHY Fort Smith Northside girls Coach Rickey Smith won his 750th game on Feb. 20 against Springdale. … Bryant’s Kellen Robinson has scored more 2,500 points in his high school career. … Both Alexis Cox and Emerie Bohanon have scored more than 1,000 points at Conway, which is looking to win its second straight girls state title. … The last time the tournament was held in North Little Rock in 2018, the host team went on to win the showcase in both the boys and girls divisions. … Little Rock Southwest is making its first-ever appearance in the postseason.
Class 3A
WHEN Today-Saturday
WHERE Elkins High School DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Boys; Manila; Girls: Salem PAST FIVE CHAMPIONS Boys: Manila (2023), Osceola (2022), Harding Academy (2021), Rivercrest/Osceola (2020), Ashdown (2019); Girls: Salem (2023), Bergman (2022), Mayflower (2021), Mountain View/Valley Springs (2020), Mountain View (2019),
FAVORITES Boys: Rivercrest, Dumas, Osceola; Girls: Bergman, Fouke, Salem
SLEEPERS Boys: Riverview, Bergman; Girls: Mayflower, Lamar MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS Boys: Tommy Reddick (Dumas), Richard High (Osceola), Benjamin Noonan (Lamar); Girls: Payton Futch (Jessieville), Marleigh Sellars (Salem), Kori Sanders (Lamar)
OTHERS TO WATCH Boys: Dylan Friend (Bergman), Fran Robinson (Rivercrest); Girls: Kiki Williamson (Mayflower), Sarah Snodgrass (Lincoln)
KEY FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS Boys: Riverview vs. Elkins; Girls: Valley Springs vs. Lamar
NOTEWORTHY LISA Academy North is playing in the state tournament for the first time. The Jaguars will face 2023 runner-up Bergman in the opening round. … Only two teams — Lamar, Dover — have beaten the Mayflower Lady Eagles since Dec. 20. Mayflower is 13-3 over that same span. … Osceola has been beaten by rival Rivercrest four times since Jan. 12. That’s the only team the Seminoles have lost to during that stretch. … Fouke (35-0) is the only unbeaten team in the field. The Lady Panthers haven’t dropped a game since losing 67-41 to defending champion Salem in the second round of last year’s event. … There will be a new boys’ titlist because Manila didn’t earn a berth in the tournament.
Class 5A
WHEN Today-Saturday
WHERE Searcy High School DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Boys: Pine Bluff; Girls: Greenwood PAST FIVE CHAMPIONS Boys: Pine Bluff (2023), Jonesboro (2022), Jonesboro (2021), West Memphis/Jacksonville (2020), Marion (2019); Girls: Greenwood (2023), Greenwood (2022), Jonesboro (2021), Nettleton/Greenwood (2020), Little Rock Christian (2019)
FAVORITES Boys: Benton, Pine Bluff, Lake Hamilton; Girls: Greenwood, Vilonia, Russellville SLEEPERS Boys: Nettleton, Marion; Girls: West Memphis, Greene County Tech
MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS Boys: Terrion Burgess (Benton), Ty Robinson (Lake Hamilton), Jai’Chaunn Hayes (White Hall); Girls: Anna Trusty (Greenwood), Breanna Burk (Russellville), Sidni Middleton (Vilonia)
OTHERS TO WATCH Boys: Jacob Lanier (Maumelle), Taylor Smith (Nettleton); Girls: Whitley Rogers (Little Rock Christian), Amelia Rogers (Hot Springs Lakeside)
KEY FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS Boys: Alma vs. White Hall; Girls: Vilonia vs. Nettleton
NOTEWORTHY White Hall is playing in the state tournament for the first time since 2015. … Anna Trusty is Greenwood’s all-time leading scorer with 1,886 points. She scored 31 points in the Lady Bulldogs’ 85-39 win over Greenbrier in their regular-season finale. … Lake Hamilton’s Ty Robinson went over the 2,000-point mark last week against El Dorado. The senior has signed to play for Florida Atlantic next season … On the girls’ side, Greenwood and Lake Hamilton both own 10-game winning streaks. … Pine Bluff, the defending champion, and Nettleton could meet in the second round for the second year in a row.
Class 2A
WHEN Today-Saturday
WHERE Mansfield High School DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Boys: Biglow; Girls: Mount Vernon-Enola PAST FIVE CHAMPIONS Boys: Bigelow (2023), Lavaca (2022), Marianna (2021), England (2020), England (2019); Girls: Mount Vernon-Enola (2023), Melbourne (2022), Melbourne (2021), Melbourne (2020), Melbourne (2019),
FAVORITES Boys: Bigelow, Cutter-Morning Star, Marshall; Girls Mount Vernon-Enola, Riverside, Mansfield
SLEEPERS Boys: Bay, East Poinsett County; Girls: Acorn, Earle MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS Boys: Bennett Wilson (Bigelow), Payton DePriest (Marshall), Ahmod Davis (Cutter-Morning Star); Girls: Dessie McCarty (Mount Vernon-Enola), Kaylee Ward (Mansfield), Da’Mya Wilson (Barton)
OTHERS TO WATCH Boys: Joseph McVay (Earle), Andrew Johnson (Lavaca); Girls: Quinn Johnson (Izard County), Daisy Dollar (Acorn)
KEY FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS Boys: Cutter-Morning Star vs. Bay; Girls: Riverside vs. Quitman
NOTEWORTHY The Barton Lady Bears, in Ryan Koerdt’s debut season as head coach, are in the state tournament for the first time since 1982. … Reigning Class 2A champion Bigelow (24-2) lost its two games this season by a combined five points to England (62-58) and Cutter-Morning Star (56-55). … The Mount Vernon-Enola Lady Warhawks have won 43 consecutive games. The last time they suffered a setback was on Feb. 25, 2023, when they were beaten by Conway Christian 52-40. … Fordyce’s Brenton Sledge and Antuwan Williams both reached 1,000 points in their careers during the 2A-South Regional Tournament.
Class 4A
WHEN Today-Saturday
WHERE Farmington High School DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Boys: Little Rock Christian; Girls: Farmington PAST FIVE CHAMPIONS Boys: Little Rock Christian (2023), Magnolia (2022), Mills (2021), Mills/Magnolia (2020), Magnolia (2019); Girls: Farmington (2023), Nashville (2022), Harrison (2021), Star City/Farmington (2020), Batesville (2019) FAVORITES Boys: Little Rock Christian, Farmington, Subiaco Academy; Girls: Farmington, Nashville, Morrilton SLEEPERS Boys: Mills, Brookland; Girls: Pulaski Academy, Morrilton MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS Boys: J.J. Andrews (Little Rock Christian), Layne Taylor (Farmington), Tayshaun Wallace (Subiaco Academy); Girls: Marin Adams (Farmington), Shalyn Lyle (Nashville), Johnna Brockman (Morrilton)
OTHERS TO WATCH Boys: Zaylin Rowland (Mills), Cole Kirby (Brookland); Girls: Evan Polsgrove (Brookland), Madison Sanders (Pulaski Academy) KEY FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS Boys: Brookland vs. Morrilton; Girls: Forrest City vs. Dardanelle
NOTEWORTHY Fans won’t get the opportunity to see a third straight Farmington-Nashville matchup in the girls final. Those two were placed on the same side of the bracket and could potentially meet in the semifinals. … Farmington and Mills played each other last year in the second round of the boys’ tournament in a game won by the Cardinals. Those two could square off in the semifinals this year. … Every girls’ team is at least six games over .500. … Joe T. Robinson (15-17) is the only team in the boys’ field with a below .500 record. However, nine of the Senators’ losses were to teams in larger classifications.
Class 1A
WHEN Today-Saturday
WHERE North Arkansas College (Harrison) DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Boys: County Line; Girls: Mammoth Spring PAST FIVE CHAMPIONS Boys: County Line (2023), Bradley (2022), Viola (2021), Nevada (2020), Izard County (2019); Girls: Mammoth Spring (2023), Norfork (2022), Rural Special (2021), Kirby (2020), Wonderview (2019)
FAVORITES Boys: Marked Tree, Brinkley, Nevada; Girls: Norfork, Mammoth Spring, Concord
SLEEPERS Boys: Clarendon, Bradley; Girls: Kingston, Emerson MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS Boys: Jaiden Wilson (The New School), Eli Tate (Concord), Ken Carter (Marked Tree); Girls: Brynn Washam (Mammoth Spring), Liza Shaddy (Norfork), Keely Blanchard (Norfork)
OTHERS TO WATCH Boys: Shep Newcomb (Ozark Catholic), Tray Griffin (Emerson); Girls: Layla Tell (Emerson), Kately Cornett (Concord)
KEY FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS Boys: Concord vs. The New School; Girls: Kingston vs. Marked Tree
NOTEWORTHY The 30 victories that the Concord Lady Pirates have amassed this season are the most ever in program history. … Defending champion County Line and last season’s runner-up, Marked Tree, could battle against each other in the semifinal round. … There’s a chance that Mammoth Spring and Norfork could meet in the girls’ final for the third straight season. Norfork won the title in 2022 while Mammoth Spring returned the favor last year. … Marvell-Elaine has lost three of its last four games, but upset Wonderview during the first round of regionals to earn a state bid. … Norfork has won 20 consecutive games. The Lady Panthers’ lone defeat was to Bergman, 45-43, on Nov. 16.