BOYS BASKETBALL: Joining forces: Nederland, YMBL unite for Classic

Published 6:27 pm Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Nederland’s annual Bulldog Classic basketball tournament is reaching into Beaumont.

After many years of hosting its own late-fall basketball classic, the Young Men’s Business League of Beaumont has teamed with Nederland’s basketball staff for the 48th annual Bulldog Classic, which tips off Thursday with two games at Lamar University’s Montagne Center.

“Many years ago, I played in both of them,” said Macon, a 1981 Nederland graduate who will chair the Young Men’s Business League starting in January 2019. “They both were successful tournaments over the years.”

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The Classic is already a big-name basketball event in Southeast Texas, given the blue-chip talent that has participated over the years. The Dog Dome at Nederland High will host the majority of the games, with three of them Thursday, three on Friday and bracket play Saturday. Teams that make the bronze bracket of the Classic will compete in Nederland’s competition gymnasium on Saturday.

For coach Brian English, whose Bulldogs (3-2) will play in one of four three-team pools with Alvin and Houston Sharpstown, the Classic isn’t about scheduling games Nederland can just breeze through, adding he doesn’t know much about the teams he’s facing.

“We’re going into this blind,” English said. “That’s what you want in a tournament. You play games to help you play better down the stretch.”

Nederland is coming off a 63-62 win at Crosby on Tuesday behind Hayden Hefner’s 22 points and J.B. Rahe’s and Joseph Gipson’s 11 each. The Bulldogs will face Alvin in Thursday’s nightcap on their home court.

Macon adopted the Classic as his project with the YMBL and is hopeful the event will grow with more teams.

“They [YMBL] know I knew Brian [English] real well,” Macon said. “They allowed us to support his tournament. We tried to get it to where we can play at both arenas. It’s an exciting new venue. Also, it gives us a look at some very talented players.”

I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews

About I.C. Murrell

I.C. Murrell was promoted to editor of The News, effective Oct. 14, 2019. He previously served as sports editor since August 2015 and has won or shared eight first-place awards from state newspaper associations and corporations. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, grew up mostly in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

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