Tucker Hosting DeKalb’s Chick-fil-A Basketball Classic

By Mark Brock

Sixteen boys’ teams from Georgia (13), Tennessee (1), Florida (1) and Mississippi (1) are headed to Tucker High School to play in the DeKalb County Chick-fil-A High School Basketball Classic on Dec. 26-30.

The tournament held the past two years at Columbia and won by them moved to the larger venue this year as 12 playoff teams from 2013, including one state champion, one runner-up and one Final Four participant, take on the four game challenge for the title.

Eight games are on tap for Thursday, Dec. 26 to open the tournament and eight more on Friday, Dec. 27, as day one winners and losers play.

The tournament opens at 10 a.m. as an up and coming young squad from Southwest DeKalb faces Sandy Creek. Southwest is led by freshman Naquante Hardy (14.0 points, 2.8 steals, 1.8 assists) and sophomore Keith Gilmore (13.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 steals, 1.8 assists). The Panthers were 3-3 heading into a date against Tucker before the Christmas break.

Sandy Creek has gotten out to a 5-0 start this season after going 7-16 a year ago.

Seniors Paul Jackson (21.5 points, 6.4 assists) and Greg King (13.9 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.9 blocks) lead a Martin Luther King Jr. team sitting at 6-4 with a pair of dates before tournament time as the Lions take on DeKalb County rival Stone Mountain at 11:30 a.m.