Basketball: WQKT/Smitty Classic Lineup Finalized

The lineup for the 5th annual WQKT/Steve Smith Holiday Hoops Classic has been finalized, and while the tournament shrinks to just one day this year, the quality of games and level of talent among the 12 teams may be the best ever.

According to WQKT sports director Mike Breckenridge, this years classic was trimmed down to 12 teams and 1 day (compared to 18 teams over 2 days last year) due to "some conflicts with schedules and logistics issues at the college. So we added a game to Saturday and will play six that day."

The highlight of the Classic will no doubt be the matchup between Wayne Co. teams Orrville and Smithville. While next door neighbors, the Riders and Smithies have not met in quite a long time on the hardwood (if anyone knows for sure when the last meeting was between these 2, please leave it in the comment section). If the teams have met in the last 30 years, it's been in the early rounds of the tournaments.

***UPDATE: Orrville and Smithville last met in the 1995 sectional tournament at Wooster High School. Orrville won 69-43 on their way to a state championship. Thanks to a reader for the tip.

Smithville is coming off back to back regional appearances in Div. 3, while Orrville has a talented group of returning starters seeking to return the Rider program to regionals for the first time since 1996.

One new wrinkle in the matchup is the fact that the Red Riders have dropped to Div. 3 for th 2009-10 season, so this game may end up being a district championship preview.

Here's the entire schedule for the Classic....

Saturday December 19, 2009
Games played at Timken Gym on the campus of the College of Wooster

Hillsdale vs. Heath 12:00pm
Northwestern vs. Plymouth 1:45pm
Wooster vs. Wadsworth 3:30pm
Triway vs. Western Reserve 5:15pm
Olentangy Liberty vs. Olmsted Falls 7:00pm
Orrville vs. Smithville 8:45pm

Orrville has had a relatively easy road in the Classic, winning all 4 previous games by 13 points or more, and three of the fours wins by 20+. The Smithville game will certainly be the toughest challenge for the Riders in Classic history.

Here's Orrville's results in the 4 previous Smitty Classic games.

2005 - Loudonville (55-28)
2006 - Walsh-Jesuit (80-53)
2007 - Lima Senior (66-53)
2008 - East Liverpool (65-45)