After being exiled for almost two decades, King Cotton is making a jubilant return to Pine Bluff.
The King Cotton Classic, which was a national-level high school basketball tournament held at the Pine Bluff Convention Center from 1983-1999, is back in town for another run.
Go Forward Pine Bluff officials are eager to see the return of the boys basketball tournament that features eight teams from seven states.
"It should be a really good event," Go Forward Pine Bluff CEO Ryan Watley said. "Ticket sales are up and everyone seems to be excited for it. There's only a few minor things that we need to complete."
The three-day tournament starts Thursday, with the championship game scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday.
The King Cotton was not the first national high school tournament -- Las Vegas and Myrtle Beach, S.C., also held major events -- but Pine Bluff was the first tournament to pay the visiting teams' expenses.
On Dec. 28, 1987, ESPN broadcast the King Cotton Tournament, making it the first live high school basketball event.
Some of the more noteworthy players to have participated in the King Cotton were Corliss Williamson, Jason Kidd, Bobby Hurley, J.R. Reid, Kareem Reid, Chris Mills and Joe Johnson.
Watley said more than $500,000 worth of improvements have been made to the convention center in anticipation of the tournament's return. A new video scoreboard along with renovated restrooms and dressing rooms have been added.
"Bringing the King Cotton back to Pine Bluff wasn't our biggest priority, but since we've brought it back, we've placed a lot of emphasis on making it a first-class event," Watley said.
Houston Math Science & Tech was awarded the tournament's No. 1 seed and will play Jacksonville in Thursday's late game at 8:45 p.m. Currently ranked as the No. 12 team in Texas, the Tigers (13-3) average 74.6 points a game. Senior 6-4 guard Marlon Jackson leads the Houston team by averaging 26.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists a game.
Gulliver Prep of Miami enters the tournament with a 6-3 record and is led by two juniors. Tony Sanders is averaging 21.6 points and 6.0 rebounds. Gabe Taylor, a 5-8 guard, is scoring 16.3 points and handing out 3.9 assists a game.
"This field is very talented, especially the Houston and Miami teams," Watley said. "I think we'll see some very competitive games with some Division I talent."
Gulliver Prep will play Columbus, Miss., in the tournament opener at 4:30 p.m. Pine Bluff will take on Buffalo (N.Y.) Park at 7:25 p.m. on Thursday.
Sports on 12/26/2018
KING COTTON
Ticket prices range from $8 to $40. Children ages 6 and younger are admitted free but require a ticket.
Thursday’s games
Game 1 Gulliver Prep, Fla. vs. Columbus, Miss., 4:30 p.m.
Game 2 New Orleans Walker vs. Long Beach (Calif.) Poly, 5:45 p.m.
Game 3 Pine Bluff vs. Buffalo (N.Y.) Park, 7:25 p.m.
Game 4 Houston MST vs. Jacksonville, 8:45 p.m.
Friday’s games
Game 5 Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 4, 1:30 p.m.
Game 6 Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 2, 3 p.m.
Game 7 Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 4, 6 p.m.
Game 8 Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 2, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday’s games
Seventh-place game, 3 p.m.
Fifth-place game, 4:30 p.m.
Third-place game, 6:45 p.m.
Championship, 8 p.m.