Greenfield Christmas Tournament tips off Monday with 4 games
From staff reports
While the area prep basketball scene falls largely dormant the week of Christmas, there is one oasis for fans to bathe in this week.
Assuming its usual position on the holiday calendar is the 2015 Greenfield Christmas Tournament, which gets underway Monday with a quartet of games.
In the 3 p.m. opener, Concord First Assembly will battle Fayetteville Freedom Christian. At approximately 4:30, Neuse Christian will oppose Harrell’s Christian, with Raleigh St. David’s School taking on North Raleigh Christian at 6. The host Knights conclude the opening day of tournament play with a 7:30 tip as they take on Pantego Terra Ceia.
Each team is guaranteed three games in the tournament, with third-, fifth- and seventh-place games scheduled in addition to the championship. Four games are scheduled each day through Wednesday evening’s championship tilt.
First Assembly, coached by Frank Cantadore, makes its return to the tournament after finishing fourth in last years field. The North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association 2-A Metrolina Conference Eagles (6-2), who won the 2015 NCISAA 2-A crown, are led by 6-foot-6 senior Nenad Milenkovic and his 19.9 points per game. Freedom Christian, the only 2-A member in the split 1-A/2-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference, enters with a 7-4 mark.
Neuse Christian (7-5), the owner of a 1-1 record against teams in the tournament field, is paced by junior wing Kaleb Hunter. Hunter buckets 27.6 points per game for the 1-A Carolina Christian Conference Lions. A transfer from North Raleigh Christian, Hunter has been offered by NCAA Division I Charlotte and is soliciting interest from Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Stanford.
Harrells Christian (5-3) boasts 6-8 senior power forward Quate Mckinzie at 15.9 points per contest and senior combo guard Marcus Scarborough at 14.3 ppg. Mckinzie has tendered a verbal commitment to Buffalo. St. David’s of the NCISAA 2-A Eastern Plains Conference has a potent backcourt in senior Robbie O’Han and sophomore Kris Monroe. O’Han averages 21.7 points per contest for the 5-2 Warriors, while Monroe checks in at a 20.6 points-per-game clip. North Raleigh, members of the NCISAA 3-A Triangle Conference, owns a 3-6 record.
The hosts could be sternly tested in Monday’s final game of the day. Terra Ceia presents with four players in double figures, led by junior Tyler Hendrix. Hendrix is currently averaging a double-double at 19.8 points and 12.5 rebounds per contest, while senior post Chase Furlough (13.3 ppg), junior Messiah Barnes (13.3 ppg) and junior Quentin Van Essendelft (11.4 ppg).
Greenfield, having a rebuilding year by its usual standards at 7-6, still boasts one of the nation’s most electric sophomores in Coby White. He’s averaging 29 points a game with 8.5 rebounds and just over five assists and broke the Knights’ single game scoring record with a 46-point showing in a loss to Neuse Christian back on Dec. 11. He’s supplemented by junior Dorieon Suggs as well as a pair of twin brothers in seniors Jake and Luke Taylor. Suggs checks in at 16.8 points per game as Jake Taylor adds a 14.5 points-per-game clip. Luke Taylor averages a hair short of 13 points per contest at 12.9.
The Knights are coming off a third-place showing in last year’s event defeating First Assembly in the process. After winning the tournament every year since its inception, Greenfield has since gone on a three-year drought in winning the tournament, dating back to 2012.
From staff reports
While the area prep basketball scene falls largely dormant the week of Christmas, there is one oasis for fans to bathe in this week.
Assuming its usual position on the holiday calendar is the 2015 Greenfield Christmas Tournament, which gets underway Monday with a quartet of games.
In the 3 p.m. opener, Concord First Assembly will battle Fayetteville Freedom Christian. At approximately 4:30, Neuse Christian will oppose Harrell’s Christian, with Raleigh St. David’s School taking on North Raleigh Christian at 6. The host Knights conclude the opening day of tournament play with a 7:30 tip as they take on Pantego Terra Ceia.
Each team is guaranteed three games in the tournament, with third-, fifth- and seventh-place games scheduled in addition to the championship. Four games are scheduled each day through Wednesday evening’s championship tilt.
First Assembly, coached by Frank Cantadore, makes its return to the tournament after finishing fourth in last years field. The North Carolina Independent School Athletic Association 2-A Metrolina Conference Eagles (6-2), who won the 2015 NCISAA 2-A crown, are led by 6-foot-6 senior Nenad Milenkovic and his 19.9 points per game. Freedom Christian, the only 2-A member in the split 1-A/2-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference, enters with a 7-4 mark.
Neuse Christian (7-5), the owner of a 1-1 record against teams in the tournament field, is paced by junior wing Kaleb Hunter. Hunter buckets 27.6 points per game for the 1-A Carolina Christian Conference Lions. A transfer from North Raleigh Christian, Hunter has been offered by NCAA Division I Charlotte and is soliciting interest from Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Stanford.
Harrells Christian (5-3) boasts 6-8 senior power forward Quate Mckinzie at 15.9 points per contest and senior combo guard Marcus Scarborough at 14.3 ppg. Mckinzie has tendered a verbal commitment to Buffalo. St. David’s of the NCISAA 2-A Eastern Plains Conference has a potent backcourt in senior Robbie O’Han and sophomore Kris Monroe. O’Han averages 21.7 points per contest for the 5-2 Warriors, while Monroe checks in at a 20.6 points-per-game clip. North Raleigh, members of the NCISAA 3-A Triangle Conference, owns a 3-6 record.
The hosts could be sternly tested in Monday’s final game of the day. Terra Ceia presents with four players in double figures, led by junior Tyler Hendrix. Hendrix is currently averaging a double-double at 19.8 points and 12.5 rebounds per contest, while senior post Chase Furlough (13.3 ppg), junior Messiah Barnes (13.3 ppg) and junior Quentin Van Essendelft (11.4 ppg).
Greenfield, having a rebuilding year by its usual standards at 7-6, still boasts one of the nation’s most electric sophomores in Coby White. He’s averaging 29 points a game with 8.5 rebounds and just over five assists and broke the Knights’ single game scoring record with a 46-point showing in a loss to Neuse Christian back on Dec. 11. He’s supplemented by junior Dorieon Suggs as well as a pair of twin brothers in seniors Jake and Luke Taylor. Suggs checks in at 16.8 points per game as Jake Taylor adds a 14.5 points-per-game clip. Luke Taylor averages a hair short of 13 points per contest at 12.9.
The Knights are coming off a third-place showing in last year’s event defeating First Assembly in the process. After winning the tournament every year since its inception, Greenfield has since gone on a three-year drought in winning the tournament, dating back to 2012.
