Another article from the BHC...

BRISTOL, Tenn. ? Gate City High School basketball coach Scott Vermillion had a bad feeling all the time he was driving to Sunday's draw for the 26th Arby's Classic, and he couldn't shake it.

"I just knew we were going to get a pretty tough draw,"? Vermillion said.

Turns out, his gut feeling was right.

Vermillion drew first because his team was at the top of the alphabetical list of local teams in the tournament draw. That meant he had a shot at six different out-of-area opponents.

He drew a rugged one: Monsignor Pace High, of Opa Locka, Fla. The Spartans are two-time defending 4A state champions, and they boast a Division I prospect in 6-foot-8 University of Louisville commitment Rakeem Buckles.

"It's a tough draw,"? Vermillion conceded, "but every game in this tournament is tough. We've got the last game on opening night. It's an exciting opportunity for our kids."?

The tournament, which features seven area teams and 11 from out of the area, tips off Dec. 26 and runs through Dec. 31. All games are played at Tennessee High.

While acknowledging that Gate City had as tough a draw as any of the local teams, first-year tournament director Richard Ensor agreed with Vermillion that there were no easy draws.

"We sent out applications to 55 of the best teams we could find, and we heard back from 50 of them,"? Ensor said. "The quality of the teams coming here is exceptional."?

Sullivan East coach John Dyer understands that all too well. While Vermillion might wonder exactly what his team will see from a Florida team, Dyer knows exactly what his team will face. That's because the Patriots drew Knoxville's Bearden High School, rated by MaxPreps.com as the No. 3 team in the state.

"You never know who you're going to draw, but you know that any team you draw out of that bowl is going to be a good one,"? Dyer said. "It's going to be quite a challenge."?

Dyer said the key for any local team playing in this tournament is to get off to as good a start as possible and not be intimidated.

"Sometimes, if you draw a team that's coming a long distance, that can be an advantage in the first game for a local team,"? he said. "We don't get that break. Bearden doesn't have to come very far."?

This year's tournament doesn't have quite the international flavor of some of its predecessors. The only team coming from outside the continental United States is Tabernacle Baptist, from Freeport, Grand Bahamas. It plays its first game Dec. 26 against Dobyns-Bennett.

No matter how Gate City fares during the tournament, Vermillion said he knows it will be a valuable experience for his players.

"You don't look at the score,"? he said. "You look to see how your players handle different aspects of the game. How do they handle the pressure? How do they handle the size and speed of the other team?

"I figure, if they can compete with that team, they can compete with anyone in Southwest Virginia."?