Can St. Patrick defeat Ocean Springs at Hoopsfest? What to know about Coast tournament
Hoopsfest at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi has provided a thrilling end to the regular high school basketball season for 26 years, and year 27 will be no different.
Four boys basketball matchups fill the afternoon as eight of the Coast’s most talented teams converge on the court.
The Harrison Central Red Rebels play Pass Christian at 4:30 p.m. Harrison Central has been a force at full strength but has dealt with crucial losses in its lineup throughout the season.
A talent-filled Pascagoula versus Gulfport game follows at 6 p.m. The Panthers have a deep starting five featuring a North-South All Star but have struggled with consistency. The game offers the Admirals a chance at revenge, having lost to Pascagoula 44-40 earlier this season.
To cap the night, the hometown Biloxi Indians face nearby rival D’Iberville. Biloxi has established itself as one of the best teams in the state behind the play of Duran Parish and Rayjuan Daniel. The Warriors have no fear of top programs, though, having already beaten Meridian, Yazoo City and Gulfport in the Holiday Classic.
The most intriguing contest of the day is the first one, though. Festivities tip off at 3 p.m. with a battle between the 23-1 St. Patrick Fighting Irish and the 18-5 Ocean Springs Greyhounds.
St. Patrick has climbed to No. 2 in our updated power ranking behind 22 consecutive wins. The Fighting Irish’s only loss came by one point to Bay High on Nov. 2.
Ocean Springs had also put together a long win streak, running it up to 16 games before hitting a snag. The Greyhounds have lost three of their last four games.
The game offers fans a chance to see two of the strongest starting lineups in South Mississippi go head-to-head.
The Fighting Irish have multiple players who can pour in double digits with ease and they’re led by star guard Nick Krass. The senior is averaging north of 20 points per game and is the all-around scorer that ties the unit together.
Nick’s younger brother, Mathew, has exploded onto the scene this year at point guard as a sharp-shooting compliment to his older brother.
Together, the Krass brothers have proved a lethal threat that has helped the Fighting Irish dismantle many of their opponents by an average of 26.6 points per game.
They’ll be facing the most talented team the Fighting Irish have seen this year. Ocean Springs isn’t exactly new to St. Patrick — the Fighting Irish took down the Greyhounds 47-45 just last season.
But head coach Keith Robinson has not seen this year’s Ocean Springs team, the one led by the best underclassmen duo on the Coast and star senior Avery Carter.
Freshman Maddox Noblitt has matured well beyond his age and has already made a significant impact as a varsity starter. He’s joined by sophomore point guard Elijah Isom to form a dangerous and young backcourt duo.
The pair blend with Carter well, who uses his athleticism and crowd-pleasing above-the-rim play to energize the Greyhound offense.
The 3A against 6A battle promises to be a good one. Ocean Springs has already wrapped up region play and will have its full focus on seeking vengeance for the last time it saw the Fighting Irish. St. Patrick still has a couple of district games left but will have to be ready if it wants to win another one for the small schools.
Tickets to enter Hoopsfest are $12.
This story was originally published January 27, 2022 at 3:21 PM.
