McCallie's Dr Pepper Classic was created to give both national and local high school basketball standouts the chance to star and make memories.
As the fifth annual event got underway Friday night, two juniors from Chattanooga programs shined extremely bright.
Drew Williams helped spark Hamilton Heights Christian Academy to a 76-64 victory over Class AAA powerhouse Memphis East in the opener, with the 6-foot-7, smooth-shooting left-hander scoring all 11 of his points in the first half and hitting three of the Hawks' 12 3-pointers in the game.
"I have worked every single day on my shot - nonstop," said Williams, whose team is ranked in the top 20 of both the MaxPreps and Xcellent 25 national polls. "I came into high school (at East Hamilton) as a big man, but now I really would say I am a guard. My versatility shows it along with my ball handling, shooting and leadership. I have grown closer to God, too, since I have been here."
The host Blue Tornado followed with a 62-56 loss to Sunrise Christian Academy - the Buffaloes from Bel Aire, Kansas, are third in the Xcellent 25 - but McCallie's Eric Rivers scored a career-high 34 points in one of the most notable performances in the brief history of a showcase with an alumni list that includes six NBA players and 36 college signees.
Rivers, a star wide receiver who helped McCallie reach the Division II-AAA state title in December, put together a hoops highlight reel the same day he was offered a football scholarship by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The 6-foot-1 point guard did so against a plethora of 6-foot-7 talents - Sacramento Kings guard and former Oklahoma Sooners standout Buddy Hield's alma mater has five upperclassmen who are ranked in the top 200 nationally as college prospects.
He was a menace driving to the basket - which helped him set up a 9-for-12 showing on free throws - and crossing over opposing defenders to hit from deep, making five 3-pointers.
"It means a lot to put forth a performance like this, but I feel like I still have work to do," said Rivers, who was four points better than his previous high, set against Hamilton Heights during the previous Dr Pepper Classic. "I want to get better with my shot still and game overall.
"I try to keep defenders off-balance and speed up and slow down my game. When they don't know what you are going to do next, that's when you have an advantage and can make them pay."
Rivers added that he believes McCallie (11-12), which cut a 15-point deficit to just three with 49 seconds left, could have won if it had avoided turnovers early.
Sunrise Christian (16-3), which lost 61-59 to Hamilton Heights on Dec. 22 in Fort Myers, Florida, was led in scoring by junior top-30 prospect Kendall Brown, who finished with 16 points. Brown has a scholarship offer from Kansas and finished second in the dunk contest earlier in the day.
The Hawks (22-2) once again showed their skill.
Florida signee Samson Ruzhentsev, who repeated as the dunk contest champion, scored 21 points and hit three of his five 3-pointers in a 25-point first quarter for the Hawks. Hamilton Heights point guard Dominic Penn added 17 points against Memphis East (16-5).
"The Dr Pepper Classic has been so great for Chattanooga and the entire basketball community," said Hawks coach Zach Ferrell, whose team's schedule includes national tournaments in other states. "This (event) feels like it's our one shot to make an impression on Chattanooga. It's the biggest crowd we play in front of here. Every game we play feels like a championship game, especially due to the national rankings, and we wanted to put our best foot forward here."
Williams has been a major key for the Hawks, having averaged 13 points per game while shooting 40% from 3-point range this season.
"You have to sacrifice a lot to play here," Williams said. "It's going to show if you really want it with the constant work you put in. After I am done here, I want to get my degree and provide for my family in whatever way I can."
The event continues at 4 p.m. Saturday with a trio of games as Howard faces Webb-Bell Buckle before Memphis East meets Sunrise Christian and McCallie takes on Hamilton Heights.
Rivers, after wowing the home crowd on opening night, was thankful for the opportunity.
"Going out there against some of the best in the country is so much fun," he said. "It's definitely something I will remember. When a big game like this comes, I know I have to step it up even more."
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon.