Gulfport basketball brings in nationwide talent in 40th annual Holiday Classic

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) -The 40th annual Gulfport Holiday Classic is adding in some major talent from across the state and country this year.

The field includes the Admirals, Olive Branch, Raymond, and Terry from the Magnolia state.

They’re also bringing in Marion High School out of Arkansas, Princeton High School out of Cincinnati, Windermere Prep out of Florida, and Zachary High School out of Louisiana, each team brings with it a host of college level talent.

”I’ve said it over and over again, I believe Mississippi, pound for pound has the best athletes in the nation and this is an opportunity to showcase that and put that to the test by bringing in all this talent to compete against,” said Gulfport athletic director Matt Walters.”

”When you think about athletes, a lot of people and scouts don’t really think about Mississippi, I feel like Mississippi gets overlooked,” said senior guard Amir Abdul-Rauf. “So for teams from Ohio, or Missouri, or Arkansas come down to a Mississippi tournament and for us to showcase our skills, I think that can put us on the map.”

The Holiday Classic tips off December 28-30 at Bert Jenkins Gym.

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