PB Showdown breakdown

The 23rd annual Poplar Bluff Showdown starts today at Peters Gym. Tickets are $6. You can download a bracket and rosters here.

Four teams return from last year's eight-team tournament, not counting the host Mules, who have won this tournament only once.

Poplar Bluff draw a first-round opponent North Pulaski team that reached the Arkansas state final last season and return three all-staters.

Defending-champion Liberty Tech will be featured in the final game, playing Forrest City, while newcomers Ballard of Louisville will face Tupelo, Miss. in the opener. Greene County Tech, which beat North Pulaski for that state title and was the Showdown runner-up last season, plays Warren Central, which also returns.

There's a 3-point and dunk contest at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Here's a look at each team in bracket order:

BALLARD BRUINS

City: Louisville, Ky. * Record: 9-1 * PBS History: Fifth place in 1989 * Notes: Keisten Jones and Ian Chiles were recently named to the all-tournament team at the King of the Bluegrass where the Bruins went 3-1, losing to Memphis Central 67-63 in the opening round. Chiles avearged 21.5 points at the event and was the leading 3-point shooter while Jones averaged 15.0 points. ... Devante Parker was named an all-state wide receiver this fall and has committed to Louisville. ... Knocked off defending state champion Holmes, one of four top 25 teams the Bruins have beaten so far this season.

TUPELO GOLDEN WAVE

City: Tupelo, Miss. * Record: 11-3 * PBS History: First appearance * Notes: Coming off a 21-7 season. ... Chris Brooks, who is rated among the top "juniors to watch" in the state by a recruiting website, missed the first five weeks of the season after knee surgery. He was the team's best defender and top rebounder last season. ... Telvin Haldey scored 22 points in a recent win in which the Wave scored 101. ... Deontaye Ewing scored 11 points as the Wave beat top-ranked team in Class 6A, second overall in the state, Brandon (Miss.) 59-54 at home. ... Reed Clayton led the team in assists last season. ... A deep team that likes to play pressure, full-court defense.

GREENE COUNTY TECH GOLDEN EAGLES

City: Paragould, Ark. * Record: 6-5 * PBS History: Second visit, runner-up last year to Liberty Tech, 73-42. * Notes: Returns two starters (Caleb Hartwig and Zach George) from team that won state title last season, beating North Pulaski in state final 39-34. The Golden Eagles also won a state title in 2007 and lost in the 2008 final. ... Split two meetings with Kennett earlier this season, winning the latest 74-59 after losing 70-46 a week earlier. ... Lost leading scorer Matt Taylor to knee injury earlier this season. ... Hartwig scored 17 and George added 14 points and nine rebounds while Adam Slayton scored 10 in 69-58 win over Jonesboro, Ark. recently.

WARREN CENTRAL DRAGONS

City: Bowling Green, Ky. * Record: 4-2 * PBS History: Fourth visit, finished third last year and in 2006. Lost to Liberty Tech in last year's semifinal, 67-50. * Notes: Finished 25-5 last year, going 17-1 with a district title after the Showdown before losing in the state playoffs. ... Returns four key players from last season, including Troy Halcomb, Jordan Shanklin, who averaged 15.0 points at last year's Showdown, and George Fant, who averaged 11.7. Jacob King, the top 3-point shooter at last year's event, also returns. ... Recently went 1-2 at tough King of the Bluegrass tournament which featured Ballard.

POPLAR BLUFF MULES

Record: 6-2 * PBS History: Won in 2004, finished 0-3 last year. * Notes: Have won two straight entering tournament but haven't played since Dec. 18. ... Are 1-0 at Peters Gym this season, a 76-64 win over Blytheville, Ark. ... Raulston is averaging 19.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.9 steals per game. He is 81 points shy of 1,000 for his career. ... Johnson is averaging 11.1 points, 6.5 rebounds per game. ... White has connected on 47.4 percent of his 3-point attempts and is averaging 10.6 points per game.

NORTH PULASKI FALCONS

City: Jacksonville, Ark. * Record: 8-2 * PBS History: First appearance. * Notes: Lost to Greene County Tech in state final last season. Aaron Cooper and Daquan Bryant were both named to all-state tournament team. Cooper, Bryant and Kyron Ware were all-staters last season. Cooper has committed to Missouri State. ... Cooper averaged 18.0 points and 4.1 assists last season, hitting 82 percent of his free throws and 53 percent of his 3-pointers. This season, he's averaging 16.8 points, 1.5 assists and 2.4 steals. ... Ware is averaging 13.6 points while Bryant is averaging 11.4 and is the team's leading rebounder. ... Two losses were to Conway in double-overtime and to Raleigh-Egypt of Memphis, which reached the state final last season.

LIBERTY TECH

City: Jackson, Tenn. * Record: 7-2 * PBS History: Third visit, defending champions, finished fourth in 2007. * Notes: Return three starters from team that rolled through last year's Showdown -- won by an average of 21.3 points. ... Kendall Anthony was named to the Showdown's All-Tournament team last year, averaging 19.0 points. ... Tarius Johnson and Cordaro Williams also started in last year's championship game.

FORREST CITY

City: Forrest City, Ark. * Record: 3-6 * PB History: Fourth visit, beat Mules for seventh place last year, won 2006 title, finished third in 2005. * Notes: Graduated seven seniors from a 20-win team last season. ... Finished fourth at own tournament, Rumble on the Ridge, during Thanksgiving weekend. ... Beat Pine Bluff, Ark., lost to North Pulaski earlier this season. ... Return starter Jim Bailey.