'3 good days of basketball': Kaminsky Classic tips off Thursday with full slate of games

Jan. 3—The 2024 Kaminsky Classic basketball tournament kicks off Thursday with a 2 p.m. game pitting the 2023 champion, Webb City, against the William Chrisman Bears of Independence.

Joplin, Carl Junction and Neosho also play that day.

Joplin's athletics director, Matt Hiatt, talked about the teams competing in this year's tournament.

"It's another great field," Hiatt said. "One thing we always try to do is bring in teams from across the state. We've got great local flavor with us — Webb City, Neosho and Carl Junction — so you can catch some of the local action. We're also bringing in William Chrisman from the Kansas City area and Francis Howell, who is always a really solid team from the St. Louis area. We've added Union this year, who is new to the tournament and a good Class 5 team. Poplar Bluff will be back this year as well. You're going to get a good look at what basketball is across the state. You're going to see some great teams and great athletes. It'll be three good days of basketball."

Cardinals: 2 p.m.

Webb City claimed its second Kaminsky Classic championship last year with a 53-52 win over the Francis Howell Vikings from St. Charles. It was the Cardinals' third straight trip to the title game.

The Cardinals (6-2) are led by 2023 All-Tournament pick Barron Duda and standout guard Holton Keith. This year, the Cardinals finished second in the Carthage Invitational, and in their last game on Thursday, they defeated St. Joseph Central 84-65 in a 12 Courts of Christmas game in Kansas City. They have one game left before the tournament — a Tuesday home game against McDonald County (4-6).

William Chrisman (3-6) has been idle since a 56-37 loss to Van Buren, Arkansas, in the 12 Courts of Christmas on Dec. 21. The Bears return senior Trey Taylor, who was selected to last year's All-Tournament Team. The Bears are on a four-game skid and come into the tourney hungry for a win. Chrisman fell 68-53 to Jefferson City in last year's fifth-place game.

Bulldogs: 3:30 p.m.

The Carl Junction Bulldogs (5-4) and last year's runner up, the Francis Howell Vikings, square off in the 3:30 p.m. game Thursday. The Bulldogs last played Dec. 19, when they beat McDonald County 65-60.

The Vikings (9-2) fell to undefeated Ladue 65-58 in the championship game of the MICDS Don Mauer Holiday Invitational last week in St. Louis.

Wildcats: 5 p.m.

The Neosho Wildcats (4-6) and the Poplar Bluff Mules battle in the 5 p.m. Thursday game. The Wildcats finished fourth in the Black Division of last week's Neosho Holiday Classic after losing to Benton 59-47 in the third-place game Friday.

Poplar Bluff lost to Joplin in last year's third-place game and looks to improve on its 8-6 start this year. They defeated Germantown, Tennessee, 76-74 in the Poplar Bluff Showdown on Saturday to finish seventh in that tourney.

Eagles: 6:30 p.m.

The host Joplin Eagles will face the tourney newcomer Union (6-3) in the final opening-round game at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

Joplin finished third last year, besting Poplar Bluff 66-60 in the third-place game. Senior Whit Hafer, a University of Missouri football signee, returns as an All-Tournament selection from last year. Should they meet in a later round game, Hafer will share the court with another Tiger football signee in Francis Howell's Jude James.

The Eagles have struggled so far this year. They dropped a 12 Courts of Christmas game to Smithville (45-37) last Friday and lost in double overtime to St Joseph Central 52-48 on Saturday to fall to 1-8 on the season. Joplin's lone win so far this season was 57-48 over Leavenworth in the Carthage Invitational.

Joplin's last Kaminsky Classic championship was in 2022, with a come-from-behind 55-52 win over Webb City.

Union fell 70-57 to a 10-1 Rolla team in its last game Dec. 20.

Tournament semifinals for the 2024 Kaminsky Classic will be at 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Friday, with the championship game at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

Consolation semifinals will be at 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Friday. The third-place game will be at 2 p.m. Saturday. The fifth-place game is at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, and the seventh-place game is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday.