Who should you have your eye on in Round 2 of the Arkansas (AAA) high school boys 6A Tournament?

Previewing and analyzing each of the remaining teams and their key players in the second round of the 6A playoffs.

Joshua Gao

The first round of the Arkansas 6A boys basketball playoffs has wrapped up and the second round begins today. There were no wild upsets in the opening round of the postseason, but that could easily change.

This article breaks down each of the remaining 8 teams in the tournament, recognizing players from each squad who are expected to make major impacts.

Bentonville Tigers

The Tigers came away with a round 1 win over Conway, defeating the Wampus Cats 66-53. It was a total team win, moving to 4-0 against Conway since 2020.

Bentonville saw multiple players have double-digit scoring nights, with seniors Ma'aiki Dauda and Miles Gnandt leading the way with 18 points. Another senior, Javyn Williams was close behind with 17.

This Bentonville team is one of the oldest teams in the 6A playoffs, with senior leadership headlining every game this season. The Tigers can call upon the tough inside play of Dauda or they can swing it outside to Gnandt, who knocked down 6 3-pointers against Conway. Williams is another player who is tough to stop from outside, showing that he could knock down threes off the catch in the first quarter.

Bentonville can also call upon players like Elijah Wilhelm, Harry Ware, and Kamran Akbar, all seniors.

That veteran play will be important in round 2 against Bryant, the 6A Central champs.

Bryant Hornets

Bryant had a bye in round 1, meaning they are rested and ready to face Bentonville at 5:30 PM.

Upon looking at this team, three players stick out: RJ Young, Camarion Bead, and Kellen Robinson. All three players have Division I potential, with Robinson already committing to the University of Arkansas-Little Rock to play alongside his brother, KK Robinson. Juniors Young and Bead have all received offers to play at the next level.

Robinson only played 6 games in the regular season after returning from injury, but he still managed to lead Bryant in scoring, posting 26.0 points a night. RJ Young was the leading scorer for the majority of the regular season at 21.0 points a night. Bead was not far behind at 17.6 points.

That trio is scary, especially adding that Young leads the team in rebounding, blocks, and is second on the team in steals. With this Bryant team, Bentonville will be facing multiple players who are impactful on both sides of the ball. Even senior guard RJ Newton had great contributions throughout the year, averaging 8.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game.

The Hornets averaged just under 70 points per game during the regular season, while pulling down 30.6 rebounds and snatching balls away 9.1 times a night.

There two-way ability against Bentonville's veteran leadership will be interesting to watch.

North Little Rock Charging Wildcats

The Charging Wildcats defeated Fort Smith Northside in the opening round 68-53 behind freshman Elijah Bryant's 22 points.

The Charging Wildcats have a deep guard rotation, with Bryant being one of their improved contributors. Andre Barnes has led the way at the point guard position throughout the season, with Kevon Smith and Tadrian Baker playing consistently in conference play. Ta'Coreyian Williams and Noah Butler have been the anchors down low, but the opposition should not count out sophomore guard Ethan Polite, who has shined at times this season.

Bryant and Smith were active on both ends of the ball against Northside. North Little Rock can win games with their defense alone, but they can also silence the crowd with their 3-point shooting and transition offense.

NLR matches up against Springdale Har-Ber in the second round, who is coming off a bye.

Har-Ber Wildcats

The last time the Wildcats were in the second round of the 6A playoffs, they saw a huge scoring outing from Courtland Muldrew, who finished that game with 36 points. Now that Muldrew is back and continuing to lead the charge for Har-Ber.

Outside of Muldrew, the Wildcats feature several talented players, such as Jabarih Washington, Hayden Wood, and Mar Lee. Washington shot around 40% from three throughout the regular season, Wood is a highlight reel finisher, and Lee is capable of going for 20 points at any given moment.

The Wildcats can play some excellent defense, but opposing teams need to account for their athleticism and high-octane scoring, as Courtland Muldrew is entering the second round with over 2,000 career points.

Har-Ber faces another Wildcat team in North Little Rock tonight at 8:30 PM.

Little Rock Central Tigers

The reigning 6A state champs came away with a first round victory over Bentonville West. Despite the Tigers missing multiple key players due to injury, they still got the job done, with the final score of that game being 60-54.

The Tigers are headlined by do-it-all senior guard Luke Moore. He recently committed to play for the Central Arkansas Bears next season, but the 4-time all-conference performer is ready to get his second ring. Moore averaged 19.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.5 steals during conference play, and if he is shooting with confidence from the 3-point line like he did against Bentonville West, the opposition better watch out.

The Tigers have been without Brandon Wright and Tra'jhin Aleem for the last few weeks, but Central has somehow played some of their best basketball without these key players. Sophomores Daylon Thomas and Trey Stewart commanded both sides of the ball in the paint during the last weeks of the season and junior guard Clay Blair has found consistency shooting the ball. CJ King, Gavyn Holman, Jacob Marshall, and Tre Hope were also important in Central's 4-game winning streak to end the regular season.

Central will have their work cut out for them in the second round against a rested Springdale team.

Springdale Bulldogs

The RedDogs finished the regular season with their first conference title since 2014, as well as winning the bid to host the 6A Playoffs. They have relied on several star players, with one being Razorback commit, Isaiah Sealy.

Sealy is John Calipari's first in-state commit since taking over as the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks. All eyes are on this senior star, who averaged 17.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game during the regular season. He also shot 63% from the field and 35% from the 3-point line. He is also coming off a 25-point, 9-rebound, 7-assist performance in the regular season finale.

Springdale has seen consistent performances throughout the season from players like senior Jaxon Conley and junior DJ Hudson, who both averaged double-digit points per game. Conley is an elite two-way player, who recently eclipsed the 1,000 career points and 300 career steals milestones. Hudson was Springdale's leading rebounder and second on the team in blocks during the regular season.

Seniors Maliq Sosa and Cy Bates are also key contributors to keep an eye on.

Springdale may seem like the favorite to defeat Central in round 2, but they will have to defend a Tiger team who is clicking at the right time.

Fayetteville Bulldogs

The Fayetteville Bulldogs defeated Little Rock Southwest in the opening round and they now turn their attention to the Jonesboro Hurricane.

The Bulldogs feature some hardnosed players like junior Kinyun Johnson, who was killing the Gryphon defense with his speed. They also find solid production from their strong cast of seniors. Jaxson Jorgenson has led the way for Fayetteville many times throughout the season and players such as Odie Williams, Xavier Brown, and Quenci Bradford have made tremendous impacts.

When this veteran Bulldog squad plays as a unit, they win a lot of games. This is a solid passing team who relies on the play of each other to achieve victory.

They will have to continue to gel as they take on Jonesboro tomorrow at 8:30 PM.

Jonesboro Hurricane

Hurricane fans considered Jonesboro "title-town," especially with their play in the 2020's. Jonesboro pulled off the 3-peat, winning titles in 2021, 2022, and 2023. They missed out on the 6A Central title after dropping their season finale, but they are ready to avenge that loss in round 2.

CJ Larry has been Jonesboro's go-to playmaker all season long. He is committed to Northwestern State, but ready to add another ring to his collection. BJ Knowlton has had great performances throughout the season, alongside Kelen Smith, who can singlehandedly take over games with his ability to attack the basket.

Luke Baltz is a consistent threat from beyond the arch while Dejavius Johnson can hurt defenses from inside and outside. Football players TJ Brown, Myreion Taylor, and Jaques Jordan have provided solid minutes throughout the regular season.

Jonesboro can win games in a variety of ways. They can dominate the glass on both ends and score at will in the paint, or they can make a team pay for not contesting their perimeter shots.

Like Fayetteville, they feature a group of seniors who are impactful, so this matchup looks to be even.

6A Second Round Schedule

Bryant vs Bentonville: March 6, 5:30 PM

Springdale Har-Ber vs North Little Rock: March 6, 8:30 PM

Springdale vs Little Rock Central: March 7, 5:30 PM

Jonesboro vs Fayetteville: March 7, 8:30 PM