Perennial powers headed fro Rumble on the Ridge
The field for the 2007 Rumble on the Ridge high school boys basketball tournament has been set, according to director Bill Baxter.
The 2007 Rumble on the Ridge will once again be held over the Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 22-24 at Mustang Arena.
This year’s tournament field includes the first team from Oklahoma to make an appearance in the 10-year history of the event, Putnam City, a perennial nationally-ranked power.
Putnam City features 6’4 Brandon Jackson and 6’6, 205 pound junior shooting guard Xavier Henry, who has committed to Kansas.
Xavier Henry is the younger brother of C.J. Henry, the 17th pick in the first round of the 2005 Major League Baseball by the New York Yankees.
The Pirates finished 21-6 last season
Duncanville, Texas, who defeated Forrest City at the Holiday Hoops Tournament held in December at Fayetteville, becomes the second Texas team to come to the Rumble.
Strake-Jesuit, from Houston, was a part of the 1999 Rumble field.
Duncanville finished 39-0 this season and won the Texas state championship. They are also the defending Hoops USA National Champion and return 6’6 Jr. Shawn Williams, 6’5 Jr. Roger Franklin and 6’8 Will Brown.
Tennessee will be represented by two teams at the 2007 Rumble — Antioch High School from Nashville and White Station, from Memphis, both first timers to the tournament.
Antioch is the second largest school in Tennessee and is expected to be one of the top teams in the state this coming season with 6’6 Michael McAdoo.
White Station is a perennial powerhouse team from Memphis who has won the state title four times in the past 10 seasons.
White Station features 6’7 junior power forward Ferrakohn Hall, 6’0 sophomore point guard Joe Jackson and 5’9 Eric Buggs.
New Hope High Scool, from Columbus, Miss. returns for its second straight Rumble appearance and will be joined by another Mississippi team, Northeast Lauderdale from Meridian.
Northeast Lauderdale has one of the top players in the nation in 6’8 Romero Osby, who has committed to Mississippi State.
New Hope finished as runners-up in Mississippi’s Class 4A state tournament this season and return all of their starters from last year, including 6-9 Rashanti Harris.
Richwood High School, from Monroe, La., returns for its second appearance in the Rumble.
Richwood, part of the 2004 tournament field, expects to be one of Louisiana’s top teams in 2007 and will be anchored by 6’8 senior forward Storm Warren, who has committed to Baylor and 6’7 Leslie Davis. Warren averaged 24 points and 18 rebounds as a junior.
The 2007 Rumble tournament will have just one Arkansas team, the host team Forrest City.
Four of the eight 2006 Rumble tournament teams went on to win their respective state tournaments. Jonesboro won the Class 6A state title, Greene County Tech won the Class 5A state title, Christian Life Academy repeated as Louisiana’s Class 1A state champions and Peabody from Alexandria, La. won its fourth state title since 1991.
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