Branco has announced the teams for the 62nd edition of the Neosho Holiday Classic, 16 teams on the boys and eight on the girls side. On the boys side, Neosho, East Newton, McDonald County and Carthage represent our local area, with Dekaney (Houston), Springdale Har-Ber, St. Joseph Lafayette, Life Prep Academy (Wichita, Kansas), Morrilton, North Little Rock, Kansas City Ruskin, Van Buren, Wesley Christian (Allen, Kentucky), West Memphis, Wooddale (Memphis, Tennessee) and Cedar Ridge (Newark, Arkansas) rounding out the field. Bentonville, Cedar Ridge, Central, Forrest City, St. Joseph Lafayette, McDonald County, Neosho and Van Buren complete the girls field. Play on the boys side begins Dec. 27 and a day later for the girls, with the tournament wrapping up Dec. 30. Another beloved tradition has been the slam dunk and 3-point shooting contest held at the high school gym after the completion of the boys' semifinals, an event that defines standing room only crowd with an overflow of spectators. Recent editions of the Holiday Classic have seen some of the most dynamic high school basketball talent in the nation.