NEA Invitational Tournament

[NeaBaller21]

Matchups have been determined for the 70th Boys and 40th Girls NEA Tournament. Dates and Times have not been finalized yet for 1st round games. Dates and Times will be posted as soon as it becomes available. The number to the left is the seed.

Boys D II

1 Nettleton Bye
8 Brookland 9 Manila
4 Gosnell 13 Batesville
5 Westside 12 Trumann
2 Blytheville 15 Cedar Ridge
7 Valley View 10 Harrisburg
3 Osceola 14 Melbourne
6 Cave City 11 Rivercrest

Boys D I

1 EPC 16 CRA
8 Tuckerman 9 BIC
4 Sloan Hendrix 13 Ridgefield Christian
5 Izard Co 12 Cross Co
2 Riverside 15 Walnut Ridge
7 Mammoth Spring 10 Marmaduke
3 Marked Tree 14 Rector
6 Bay 11 Armorel

Girls D II

1 Nettleton 16 Bye
8 Westside 9 Cave City
4 Brookland 13 Cedar Ridge
5 Osceola 12 Melbourne
2 Batesville 15 Bye
7 Trumann 10 Rivercrest
3 Valley View 14 Bye
6 Harrisburg 11 Manila

Girls D I

1 Bay 16 Bye
8 Mammoth Spring 9 Rector
4 Riverside 13 Cross Co
5 Tuckerman 12 Walnut Ridge
2 Izard Co 15 Bye
7 Sloan Hendrix 10 EPC
3 Marmaduke 14 Armorel
6 BIC 11 Marked Tree

[birddawg1986]

Seen in the JB Sun this morning where the Cedar Ridge girls/boys both pulled out last night. Thats kinda of lame after seedings have been in place. They didnt have any problems the last 4 years when they were winning. You got to take the good with the bad in high school sports it all runs in cycles. Hate for the NEA people.

[BoxNOne]

+1 Birddawg they have bad teams and got seeded low so they dropped out. Great example for young people.

[OB11]

Who is the head coach at Cedar Ridge now?

[GreyColt]

Why does Riverside and Tuckerman from the 3A get to play the lower teams while the other 3A teams have to play the upper bracket?

[bdubyab60]

I think it's done by enrollment numbers but not sure.

[NEark tigers]

If Earle was in the NEA Tourney, the boys and girls both will be 1 seeds....because of double state championships...

[HorseFeathers]

The bay vs armorel game could be interesting

[bdubyab60]

If Earle was in the NEA Tourney, the boys and girls both will be 1 seeds....because of double state championships...

I don't think that's how they seed them for the  NEA. I'm fairly sure they just go off your record this year.

[ISU7]

+1 Birddawg they have bad teams and got seeded low so they dropped out. Great example for young people.

Failed to mention Manila not in it this year..😷😎

[BoxNOne]

I think it's done by enrollment numbers but not sure.

This is correct. Riverside has been in the upper division the last few years. They have added a couple of schools with larger enrollments and that pushed Riverside down to the lower division.

[Donnie Jamon]

I was pretend coach for 2 diff meetings at the NEA conf meetings when i helped coach  EPC girls team.  They gave you a list of the teams playing and I had to give our record and you ranked them 1st to last.  They did the figuring in about 15 min and you got the seeds..  That was 12 years ago but that is how it went.. 

[neaguru]

Failed to mention Manila not in it this year..😷😎

Manila not in what?

[NEA Razorback olfan]

Brookland boys plays Manila first rd of NEA

[birddawg1986]

Yeah they select by AAA numbers. You got 4 teams that have not played in the NEA in years Brookland, Blytheville, Gosnell, Batesville. This is great that some of the bigger schools are now participating

[Radiotalker]

Yeah they select by AAA numbers. You got 4 teams that have not played in the NEA in years Brookland, Blytheville, Gosnell, Batesville. This is great that some of the bigger schools are now participating

Good to see 4 schools returning to play. Need more.

[HorseFeathers]

Is this still a single elimination tournament?

[bdubyab60]

Yep lose and go home

[NEA Razorback olfan]

I love to go watch the NEA , the only complaint is the single elimination rule that I know of.
I have already seen a few teams in this tourney, some very good Compitition .
Brookland is back in the fray this year. Good luck to all the teams this year!

[bdubyab60]

Well the one thing that is good about the single elimination is that it simulates what the post season is like. Plus if you lose you get more time for the holidays

[Mustangfans]

Well the one thing that is good about the single elimination is that it simulates what the post season is like. Plus if you lose you get more time for the holidays

That's a great way to look at it bdub. The way our boys and girls have been playing we'll have a lot of holiday time!

[MikelB]

That's a great way to look at it bdub. The way our boys and girls have been playing we'll have a lot of holiday time!

So will EPC 

[bdubyab60]

So will EPC 

The girls maybe. If the boys lose to CRA we should quit the season.

[Mustangfans]

The girls maybe. If the boys lose to CRA we should quit the season.

What are you trying to say, bdub? Lol

[bdubyab60]

What are you trying to say, bdub? Lol

Well I'm trying to be nice lol

[Mustangfans]

Well I'm trying to be nice lol

That would be the upset of the decade!!

[Head Lion]

Brookland boys plays Manila first rd of NEA

If I have 1 ounce of say in Lion land, this will be our swan song in the NEA.

[ISU7]

Brookland boys plays Manila first rd of NEA

Dang I know.  I was trying to get my man Head Lion to reply because I remember him saying the Lions were gonna look for a better tournament than the NEA preferably one that guarantees a team at least two games. I for one wouldn't have blamed them. 

[HorseFeathers]

The single elimination part is killing this tournament...

[Head Lion]

Dang I know.  I was trying to get my man Head Lion to reply because I remember him saying the Lions were gonna look for a better tournament than the NEA preferably one that guarantees a team at least two games. I for one wouldn't have blamed them. 

My friend, I like you to much for you to rile me up. O yea, Go Cubs Go, Go Cubs Go, hey Chicago want do you say the Cubs are gonna win today.

[OB11]

The single elimination part is killing this tournament...

I think that's true but that is part of the nostalgia of the tournament.  Same format for 70 years makes it hard to change it up. 

They would have to get a second site for the "loser's" bracket if they went to double elimination.  This tournament is already like 7 full days of games.  Not sure the committee that runs the tournament would want the headache of managing a second site; plus I'm not sure what school would want to give up their gym for a tournament that they may or may not be playing in for 5+ days during Christmas break. 

[NEA Razorback olfan]

I think that's true but that is part of the nostalgia of the tournament.  Same format for 70 years makes it hard to change it up. 

They would have to get a second site for the "loser's" bracket if they went to double elimination.  This tournament is already like 7 full days of games.  Not sure the committee that runs the tournament would want the headache of managing a second site; plus I'm not sure what school would want to give up their gym for a tournament that they may or may not be playing in for 5+ days during Christmas break.

+1

[Missco]

The tournament has around 30 boys teams and 26 or 27 girls teams I wouldn't call it dead. Especially looking at the number of schools that have closed in NEA over the last 35 years.

[luxora4life]

The single elimination part is killing this tournament...

Winning is the answer to the 1 game problem.  If a team lose in the first round, they probably need to be practicing any way.

[RedWolf275]

The tournament has around 30 boys teams and 26 or 27 girls teams I wouldn't call it dead. Especially looking at the number of schools that have closed in NEA over the last 35 years.

Plus there will be 5,000 plus for semis and finals.

[bdubyab60]

Ive always liked this tournament. I can go sit in one place get to see schools of all classifications all in one day. used to actually take a few vacation days to get to catch the early games.

I can see if teams make a 5 hour drive they would like to have two games and just stay a night wherever they are going. But most of these are less than an hour away so one day of travel for one game isn't bad. And as luxora said. Win a game and you don't  have to worry about that second. I mean is one game going to really make or break a teams season just because they went to a tournament and lost two straight or even split.

If less teams were in it I could see it going to two games for each team but as it is its like a mixed state tourney. Actually that would be a nice setup a s well having the champions of each division play each other.

[OB11]

Ive always liked this tournament. I can go sit in one place get to see schools of all classifications all in one day. used to actually take a few vacation days to get to catch the early games.

I can see if teams make a 5 hour drive they would like to have two games and just stay a night wherever they are going. But most of these are less than an hour away so one day of travel for one game isn't bad. And as luxora said. Win a game and you don't  have to worry about that second. I mean is one game going to really make or break a teams season just because they went to a tournament and lost two straight or even split.

If less teams were in it I could see it going to two games for each team but as it is its like a mixed state tourney. Actually that would be a nice setup a s well having the champions of each division play each other.

Great points.  I mean, it is called the NEA.  Not like they are trying to get teams from across the state or other states to come play.  This tournament is giving the teams in this part of the state an opportunity to play in a DI arena in front of a lot of people. 

[bdubyab60]

DIV 1 girls final. Riverside 43 Marmaduke 38

[bdubyab60]

Nettleton 28 Batesville 19 DIV 2 girls at half

[bdubyab60]

Surprising fact. This is Riversides first time wining the girls division.

[bdubyab60]

Nettleton wins the large girls division

[bdubyab60]

Bay 12. EPC 11 end one. May be my only post on this one. Phone is about dead

[bdubyab60]

EPC 26 Bay 23 at half. Only 6 fouls called between the two teams

[bdubyab60]

Bay 49 EPC 45 final. Choked it away down the stretch

[hssportfan]

Reed didn't get a shot the last 3 possessions. Brown should  have let him have the shots

[bdubyab60]

Only two shots from him in the 4th

[BoxNOne]

Surprising fact. This is Riversides first time wining the girls division.

Bdub, I think this is the most talent to come through the Riverside girls program. Plus they have no seniors on the team.

[bdubyab60]

Bdub, I think this is the most talent to come through the Riverside girls program. Plus they have no seniors on the team.

They had a couple teams in the 90's that were pretty stout. Think they ran on to EPC girls a couple times. Had a set of twins on those teams but EPC was loaded

[BoxNOne]

Good memory Bdub. Those were the Tackett twins. Those teams were good, got to state quarters a couple of times.

[bdubyab60]

Good memory Bdub. Those were the Tackett twins. Those teams were good, got to state quarters a couple of times.

The year EPC one the title I think they lost 2 games. One of those was Riverside.