A plethora of talent will be on display today in the Red Carpet Basketball Classic at Warren Central.

Forest Hill brings in two state-ranked teams, including the Lady Rebels (19-3) who will play the Warren Central’s Lady Vikes in the day’s main event at 5:30.

“We knew Forest Hill was going to be good and we want to play good teams in the Red Carpet Classic,” WC girls coach Donny Fuller said. “We didn’t know we’d catch them in the second round of the JPS.”

Forest Hill and WC met in the second round of the Jackson Public Schools Tournament in late December with Forest Hill taking a 52-45 win. The Lady Rebels’ only losses this season have come against nationally ranked Murrah (twice) and McComb. They’ve beaten WC’s Division 2-5A rivals Provine and Clinton and they also own two wins over Division 3-4A leader Callaway.

Courtney Marbra, a 6-foot-2 center, and Bianca Powell lead the Lady Rebels. WC (15-8) is paced by two-time Vicksburg Post Player of the Year Sha’Kayla Caples. Caples is averaging nearly 25 points per game. In a win over sixth ranked Natchez last week, she fired in a season high 39 points.

“Marbra is a really good post player and they have a good point guard in Powell, but it was (Brittany) McGruder that hurt us the most last time. Our biggest thing is who can get healthy to play. Caples, Karnina Bunch, Heather Casey, Brittany Erves and Alissa Sanders have all been sick this week. I just hope we can suck it up and play,” Fuller said.

RCC Committee chairman Charlie McKinnie said he was pleased with the quality of team’s in this year’s Classic.

“We have some really good teams coming in this year like Forest Hill boys and girls along with two teams from Long Beach and two from Mount Olive,” McKinnie said.

The 1 p.m. boys game between Long Beach (15-8) and Vicksburg (19-5) will pit a pair of high scoring guards. The Gators, winners of seven straight, are paced by Jonathan Phelps, who had 32 in a win against Callaway Tuesday night. He is averaging 24 points a game for the Gators. Vicksburg’s Friday night game at Yazoo County was postponed until Thursday because of ice.

Long Beach is led by Savalace Townsend, who averages 27 points per game. He scored a season-high 40 points in a 69-68 loss to Picayune, the Gulf Coast’s top rated team.

“I don’t know much about them other than what I can remember from seeing them this summer. They had one really good kid,” VHS coach Dellie C. Robinson said.

The Long Beach girls (15-5) will then play the Missy Gators (8-16), following the boys game at 2:30. The Lady Bearcats were ranked No. 5 in the Sun Herald’s Best of the Coast poll.

The 4 p.m. game will match sixth ranked Forest Hill (19-5) against the WC boys (5-18). The Rebels are paced by the high-scoring combo of guard Josh Moore and 6-5 center Terrell Kennedy. The Rebels made it to the finals of the JPS Tournament, losing to Lanier 99-98 in overtime.

The action gets started at 10 with St. Aloysius (5-13) taking on Mount Olive (13-3) in a District 6-1A game. The Pirates feature Baltimore Ravens’ quarterback Steve McNair’s son, Steve, and two nephews in Julius and Jason McNair. Rain Maxwell is the team’s top scorer. Alex Lanier leads the Flashes at 19 points per game.

The St. Al girls (3-15) follow at 11:30 against the Lady Pirates. Elizabeth Mazzanti leads the Lady Flashes.