2023 Lighthouse Classic: Friday Notebook
CORINTH, MS — Some of the premiere teams and players from Mississippi and surrounding states converged at Corinth High School on Friday for the tenth annual Lighthouse Classic.
As usual, the first day’s action brought plenty of close matchups and storylines. Two event records were re-written, a couple of signed seniors showed their worth, and some young new names started their stories. But, before I get into the storylines, here are the scores from Friday:
SCORES FROM FRIDAY
Central Florence (AL) 44, Kossuth (MS) 42
Saltillo (MS) 65, Red Bay (AL) 62
PSAT Academy (TX) 61, BFL Prep (WA) 58
Moravian Prep (NC) 117, ABC Prep (NM) 71
Bartlett (TN) 66, Germantown (MS) 32
Raymond (MS), St. Thomas More (LA)
Yahoo City (MS) 45, Pinson Valley (AL) 43
Corinth (MS) 41, Bayou Academy (MS) 33
Without further adieu, let’s get right into the action:
MORAVIAN PREP SHOOTS PAST ABC PREP
The high-octane offense of Moravian Prep broke the Lighthouse Classic team three-point record — the same record they set last season — as they made 24 three-pointers in their 117-70 victory over ABC Prep (NM) on Friday.
Recent South Carolina commit Eli Ellis receives a lot of attention from Moravian and rightfully so. However, their record-breaking performance was a total team effort with ten players making a three-point basket. Abu Yarmah and Bobby Hardison led the way with four makes each.
Moravian Prep has fully embraced modern basketball’s move towards the three-point shot. Their goal is to get up 50 shots from behind the arc each game, and the Lions did that on Friday with 53 attempts.
They will look to defend their crown and win back-to-back Lighthouse Classic Challenge championships on Saturday against PSAT Academy.
BARTLETT SENIORS SHINE IN WIN
Bartlett (TN) cruised to a big win over Madison (MS) Germantown on Friday night in large part due to their stifling defense and pressure. Leading the way were their two seniors that have already signed to play at the next level, Christian Alston (Abilene Christian) and R’Chaun King (Arkansas State).
I’ve beat this drum for a while, but Alston, a 6-foot-5 wing, was as good as advertised. He shot 9 of 18 from the field including 4 of 7 from behind the three-point line to lead Bartlett with 22 points in the game. I think Abilene Christian got one of the biggest steals in the South by locking him up last week.
As good as Alston was, I was more impressed by King’s dominant performance on the defensive end of the floor. The 6-foot-7 forward was tasked with guarding five-star 2026 big man Sam Funches and he delivered on more than one occasion.
King made the most of his strong, powerful frame by pushing Funches off his preferred spots in the post while also causing consistent pressure when the skilled big man was attempting to bring the ball up the floor. I think it’s fair to say Funches never got comfortable and that’s a compliment to the future Arkansas State big man. King finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds.
THE BEST GAME I SAW WAS…
There were several close games throughout day one’s action, but there wasn’t a game quite like Raymond (MS) and Lafayette (LA) St. Thomas More. It was a dog-fight from the opening tip to the buzzer.
It was so good that I’m not going to go further in detail. Better yet, I’ll explain it for you in the Tucker Topics and the beginning of the week to recap the event. Be sure to tune in and subscribe to HoopSeen on YouTube.
CLYDE WALTERS IMPRESSES FOR PINSON VALLEY
I’ve been a big fan of 2026 Pinson Valley (AL) wing/forward Clyde Walters for some time now and he did nothing to sway that opinion on Friday. The versatile, 6-foot-7 prospect has a smooth feel to his game, never getting rushed or sped up, even against a stingy Yazoo City (MS) team.
Acting as a point-forward, Walters was comfortable with the ball in his hands and making plays. He did a nice job of drawing attention from multiple defenders and giving other teammates scoring opportunities. He also competed on both ends of the floor and made some tough finishes around the rim through contact.
With his size, skill-set, and feel for the game, it’s easy to see why several high-major programs are already tracking him closely. He’s recently visited Alabama and Mississippi State.
There’s still plenty of time for discussion as their high school careers progress, but, if you ask me, the gap between Caleb Holt and Walters for No. 1 overall in Alabama’s 2026 class is a lot closer than people think.
HELLO, MY NAME IS …
PSAT Academy picked up a hard-fought win on Friday and leading the charge was 2024 guard TK Lawson. The 6-foot-5 combo guard is as tough and gritty as they come. He was fearless attacking the basket, converting tough shots and making trips to the free-throw line.
Lawson mentioned a handful of schools involved in his recruitment, but if I’m a mid-major program needing a tough tone-setter on both ends of the floor, you may want to take a peek here. He was one of my favorite players from the day.
When talking about Germantown High School, Sam Funches is going to receive a lot of attention as he rightfully should. However, the Mississippi squad has a talented guard in the 2026 class, too.
Joseph Anthony, a 6-foot-1 combo guard, was extremely impressive against Bartlett, one of the best teams in the Memphis metro area. He played with a nice pace, showcased his overall skill-set and basketball IQ, and made good decisions. He finished with a team-high 15 points and only one turnover. He will be one to monitor going forward.
