Watson Chapel High School’s boys basketball team has pulled out of the King Cotton Holiday Classic, tournament director Sam Glover announced Monday.
Glover wrote in a news release the team withdrew “having evaluated the tournament field.” The Wildcats were slated to compete in a showcase division of King Cotton, which guaranteed 10 of the 18 boys teams two or three games in a non-tournament format. (The other eight teams including Pine Bluff will play in a national tournament.)
“At this time, we are focused on strategies to accommodate the gap created,” Glover said.
Watson Chapel was to play Gillion Academy of Alexandria, Va., in the 8:45 p.m. game on Dec. 27, the first day of King Cotton. Watson Chapel Coach Jevon Barnes said he had talked with Glover in May about the potential of playing but didn’t hear from him until the schedule was released.
“I asked if he could get us a better matchup,” Barnes said Thursday morning. “I only have one senior on the team, and he hasn’t played a lot of varsity minutes, so I have a team that’s really young. If I can’t get a better, I feel as if I will not let my team be humiliated.”
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Barnes said the situation would be different if Watson Chapel were in a tournament-style format because the team wouldn’t have a choice who to play in a tournament but would want to showcase itself against an opponent of a similar level. The Wildcats, who compete in Conference 4A-8, are 2-6 overall with victories over Greers Ferry West Side and Dumas and will resume action Tuesday at home against Hot Springs, with Bauxite at home Friday and a visit to White Hall on Dec. 22 to close out the 2025 portion of the season.
The Wildcats last competed in King Cotton in 2021.
Glover said he hadn’t reached out to any of the participating coaches since May.
“Why would we?” Glover said. “You agreed. You’re in the tournament. Once you’re in, you’re in.
“We have a standard for the competition level of teams who play in King Cotton, and we don’t move away from that standard for anyone.”
Glover added local or regional teams are added to the King Cotton field to give them the opportunity to play at a high level. Barton (6-2, 4-0 in Conference 2A-6) is one of the smallest schools represented in this year’s Classic against two-time defending Mississippi 4A champion Raymond (8-4). Pine Bluff (1-7, 0-1 in 5A-South Conference) is competing in the national bracket against Dallas’ Faith Family Academy (11-2).
“I think King Cotton is a beautiful thing,” Barnes said. “As a leader of my team, I’ll always stand behind them and make sure they’re in the proper place and get proper treatment. I just know there are levels to everything.”
The Watson Chapel girls team is still scheduled to play at King Cotton and will face Oak Grove, La., at 4 p.m. Dec. 27. The Classic will resume Dec. 29-30, but a schedule has not yet been set for those days.
Tickets are available at the King Cotton website or at Go Fan (search Go Forward Pine Bluff). Ticketholders are asked to observe the Pine Bluff Convention Center’s clear bag policy.
Here is the Dec. 27 schedule in full:
10 a.m.: Boys, Barton vs. Raymond, Miss.
11:30 a.m.: Boys, Windermere Prep (Orlando, Fla.) vs. St. Michael’s Catholic (Austin, Texas)
1 p.m.: Boys, Bryant vs. St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.)
2:30 p.m.: Boys, North Little Rock vs. Zachary, La.
4 p.m.: Girls, Watson Chapel vs. Oak Grove, La.
5:30 p.m.: Boys, Benton vs. Inglewood, Calif.
7:15 p.m.: Boys, Pine Bluff vs. Faith Family Academy (Dallas)