2022 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions: What to watch for on opening night

Opening night of the 2022 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions is here, and we're ready for the return of one of the best traditions Ozarks sports has to offer.

Some of the top players and teams in the nation will match up with local programs on opening night. There will be opportunities for our local athletes to show what they're capable of doing against some of the nation's best, while the top teams can also show why they're held in such high regard.

The three-day event begins Thursday at 4:30 p.m. at JQH Arena with Whitney Young taking on New Madrid County Central. Four games will take place each day at JQH Arena.

BASS PRO TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS OPENING NIGHT SCHEDULE

• 4:30 p.m. — Whitney Young vs. New Madrid County Central

• 6 p.m. — Sierra Canyon vs. Parkview

• 7:30 p.m. — Nixa vs. Milton

• 9 p.m. — Paul VI vs. Springfield Catholic

Here's what we're going to be watching for throughout the first night of the tournament:

More: Here are the 2022 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions' best players

How legit is New Madrid County Central?

The current No. 4 team in Missouri Class 4 will make its way to JQH Arena for a showdown with one of the better teams in the country. It will be the first of two trips for the school to southwest Missouri this month.

New Madrid County is located in the bootheel of Missouri and has multiple, young Division-I-caliber players who are starting to get attention. The program will return to the Springfield area to play in the Nixa Invitational.

More: What to know about 2022 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions — Bracket, schedule, stream, players

We'll get our first glimpse of New Madrid in the first game when it takes on Whitney Young, which features the likes of Miami (Florida) signee A.J. Casey, Power 5 prospect Dalen Davis and Northern Illinois signee Xavier Amos.

Jadis Jones is the highlight for New Madrid as he's a 2024 prospect holding Division-I offers. He's put up big numbers through his first two seasons and should be a fun guard to watch.

How showtime will Sierra Canyon be?

With the roster Sierra Canyon has, there's little doubt that you should have your popcorn ready.

Sierra Canyon (California) promises to be the main event throughout the three days as it boasts a roster full of Power 5 talent. High-flying dunks, alley-oops, deep 3's and big-time blocks might be the norm for each possession.

Sierra Canyon will open its tournament with Parkview, as the local program gets its shot against maybe the best team in the nation.

More: What to know about Bronny James, LeBron's son, before 2022 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions

Bronny James, Amari Bailey, Kijani Wright and Ramel Lloyd Jr. are only a few of the most well-known names in high school sports that make this the most-anticipated team to ever participate in the tournament.

Those names won't intimidate a Parkview squad that isn't short on confidence. The tournament will allow some of the under-the-radar players on the Vikings to showcase what they can do against the top players in the nation.

No matter how much of a fight Parkview puts up, the Trailblazers will still find moments to be the all-star team they are. Sierra Canyon promises to be the team that gave fans their money's worth.

More: What to know about Amari Bailey, a UCLA signee who will play in 2022 Tournament of Champions

Will Milton look like a team that can challenge for a title?

Most of the hype entering the tournament surrounds Sierra Canyon, but Milton has a squad that is going to try and play spoiler.

Milton has one of the best backcourts in the nation with five-star junior Kanaan Carlyle and Ohio State commit Bruce Thornton leading the way with the No. 3 junior football player in the country, Lebbeus Overton, taking up the inside.

Milton will play Nixa in the first round of the tournament — which has a Division-I prospects of its own in Colin Ruffin and Kael Combs.

More: Here is the 2022 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions bracket, schedule, list of high school teams

Ruffin and Combs are athletic and smart enough to cause some problems. Nixa has one of the better coaches in the area's history in Jay Osborne leading the way, and there's no doubt the Eagles will be on a mission to compete.

If Milton plays at the level it's capable of, it's going to be a team that challenges to play in the championship game on Saturday night. It'll have an opportunity to raise some eyebrows immediately after Sierra Canyon leaves the floor.

Can Paul VI make another deep run?

Paul VI has had an excellent history in the Tournament of Champions which includes a 2013 title, a third-place finish in 2014, a fourth-place finish in 2015 and a runner-up finish in 2020.

There's no doubt Paul VI is capable of another run at the tournament title.

Dug McDaniel returns for his second appearance in the tournament after playing in the 2020 title game loss to Oak Hill. He's the No. 60 senior in the country and is signed to play at Michigan. He's joined by Deshawn Harris-Smith who is the No. 113 recruit in the junior class and is landing Power 5 offers.

More: What to know about Sierra Canyon basketball before it participates in Tournament of Champions

Paul VI has played Sierra Canyon this season, which could make for an interesting storyline down the road. Sierra Canyon came away with a three-point win over the Panthers on Dec. 23 in Honolulu.

To have a shot at playing Sierra Canyon in a potential championship, Paul VI is going to have to get past Springfield Catholic first as it was recently added to the tournament field. Catholic has a potential Power 5 player in Zach Howell, who is coming off a recent big-time performance at the Blue and Gold Tournament on the JQH Arena floor.

Which local player makes a name for himself?

One of the biggest stages in high school sports presents opportunities for local athletes to shine and make names for themselves while going up against some of the nation's best.

We've seen local standouts Anton Brookshire, Aminu Mohammed, Jared Ridder and others throughout the years put up big numbers during the tournament. All three ended up playing Division I basketball.

There are a few players in this year's tournament who will have chances to have big games of their own and capture the attention of those in attendance and those who see the film afterward.

More: Who at Parkview is going to guard Bronny James at the 2022 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions?

Catholic's Howell and Nixa's Ruffin and Combs are among the big three local names who have yet to commit to a college program. Howell and Combs have Division-I offers, while Ruffin is receiving interest. That all could change soon.

Howell had a fantastic four-day stretch at the Blue and Gold Tournament. He holds an offer from Texas Tech and is receiving interest from others.

Combs might be the best athlete in the area who is going to be a matchup problem for whoever he's assigned to guard. He's a tall, explosive athlete who shines both in basketball and football.

Ruffin is a bit under-the-radar but is the smartest player on the floor every game and is capable of scoring a lot of points in a hurry.

There are others who can go off for big games including Parkview's Elijah Whitley who recently committed to Drury.

Keep an eye on these players throughout. Hopefully, college coaches will, too.

Will anyone famous make an appearance?

The possibility of LeBron James making an appearance this week is real — whether it's Thursday or Friday night as the Lakers have both nights off before playing at Denver on Saturday.

James likes to make his presence known courtside as he watches his son play. There are likely a few fans who would be willing to move so the king can have a throne.

More: Could LeBron James and Drake show up at the 2022 Bass Pro Tournament of Champions?

James isn't the only celebrity tied to the tournament as rapper Drake has been one to attend Sierra Canyon games along with actor Michael B. Jordan.

There might also be a chance that NBA legend Scottie Pippen could make an appearance as his son Justin Pippen is a sophomore for Sierra Canyon.

There is also the possibility of seeing well-known college basketball coaches courtside recruiting throughout the event.

Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or Twitter at @WyattWheeler_NL. He's also the co-host of Sports Talk on Jock Radio weekdays from 4-6 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: 6 things to watch on opening night of the 2022 Tournament of Champions