Showdown has had many legends

Since 1987, high school basketball teams across multiple states have traveled to Southeast Missouri the week after Christmas to compete in the annual Poplar Bluff Showdown tournament.

The tournament — which was created to aid the Mules with their post-season preparations — has featured several athletes who took their talents to the next level. Many of whom went on to have prolific collegiate and professional basketball careers.

“We’ve had players that have gone on to the NFL and the AFL, as well as the NBA,” former Poplar Bluff athletic director Bill Caputo, who served as the Mules’ AD from 1995-2008, said. “We’ve had players that were named player of the year for the ACC and the Big East. … We pride ourselves on having a good basketball tournament.”

Here’s a look at some of the most prolific players who have competed in the Poplar Bluff Showdown:

__Tyler Hansbrough, Poplar Bluff__

Perhaps the most decorated athlete to ever play in the Poplar Bluff showdown is hometown hero Tyler Hansbrough.

Hansbrough is the only player in tournament history to be named to the all-tournament team three times, doing so his freshman (2001-02), junior (2003-04) and senior (2004-05) seasons. During his tenure at Poplar Bluff High School, Hansbrough led the Mules to two state championships (2003-04, 2004-05), earned All-State honors three times, became the first four-time All-SEMO Conference selection, earned SEMO Conference Player of the Year honors three times, scored 2,464 career points, grabbed 1,175 career rebounds and the list goes on.

“I’ve heard stories that they let people in early to put their chair backs in seats where they would be sure and have a seat because it was standing-room only,” current Poplar Bluff athletic director Kent Keith said. “I believe there were at least one or two games where the fire marshal come in and they had to shut the doors because there’s too many people in the gym.

“I understand it was legendary how people followed him on the road to ball games and all that stuff because they wanted to be a part of that. I wish I had been there to see him play. I wasn’t, but I’ve heard a lot of stories.”

Before beginning his collegiate career at North Carolina, Hansbrough was named to the McDonald’s and Parade All-American teams and competed in the McDonald’s All-American Game, the Jordan Classic and for Team USA in the Nike Hoop Summit game.

Hansbrough — who became known as Psycho T in college due to his aggressiveness on the court — continued to excel at the next level where he earned first-team All-ACC and first-team All-American honors in each of his four years at UNC. As a junior, Hansbrough was named the ACC’s Player of the Year and the consensus National Player of the Year while leading the Tar Heels to a Final Four berth before falling to Kansas 84-66.

With business left unfinished, Hansbrough returned for his senior season to lead North Carolina to its fifth national championship where the Tar Heels toppled second-seeded Michigan State 89-72 in the title game. Along the way, the Poplar Bluff native broke the ACC’s all-time scoring record with 2,872, a record he still holds.

During his college career, Hansbrough averaged 20.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and half a block per game. His No. 50 jersey has since been retired at UNC.

Hansbrough was selected 13th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers, who he played with through the 2013 season. Hansbrough signed a two-year deal with the Toronto Raptors in 2013 after becoming an unrestricted free agent and a one-year deal with the Charlotte Hornets in 2016.

Following his stint in the NBA, Hansbrough was acquired by the NBA Development League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants on March 1, 2017, before playing one season each for the Guangzhou Long-Lions and Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association. In 2019, Hansbrough signed with the Sichuan Blue Whales where he played until Feb. 1, 2020, when the CBA suspended the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

__Ben Hansbrough, Poplar Bluff__

Unlike his older brother, Ben Hansbrough’s road to the NBA was a little bumpier.

Hansbrough received first-team All-State honors twice, was named to the All-SEMO Conference team three times and received the John Gibbs Award as the SEMO Conference Player of the Year. He joined Tyler on both of Poplar Bluff’s state championship teams.

Following his high school career, Hansbrough set his sights on Mississippi State and the SEC. As a freshman, he was named to the SEC Coaches All-Freshman team. Following his sophomore season with the Bulldogs, he decided to transfer to Notre Dame.

Before suiting up for the Fighting Irish, Hansbrough had to sit out the 2008-09 season due to the NCAA’s transfer rules. As a fifth-year senior, Hansbrough received second-team All-American and first-team All-Big East honors while also being named the Big East Player of the Year after averaging 18.4 points and 4.3 assists per game.

Hansbrough went undrafted following his final collegiate year of eligibility and began his professional basketball career with Bayern Munich in Germany where he struggled to get playing time. Following his release from Bayern Munich on Dec. 23, 2011, Hansbrough inked with Slovenia’s Krka Novo Mesto but left in January due to personal reasons.

Hansbrough once again joined his brother Tyler, this time on the Indiana Pacers after Ben’s successful stint in the 2012 Orlando Summer League. On Sept. 18, 2012, he signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Pacers where he averaged two points and 0.8 assists across 28 games.

Hansbrough went on to join Spain’s Club Baloncesto Gran Canaria for the 2013 season and was picked up by the Chicago Bulls on Sept. 26, 2014, before being waived in October. The Grand Rapids Drive drafted Hansbrough fifth overall in the 2014 NBA Developmental League Draft, but he was waived by the team one month later at his request. Following his release he played the remainder of the 2014 season with Laboral Kutxa Baskonia of Spain.

After his playing career came to an end, Hansbrough joined the Western Kentucky coaching staff as the university’s coordinator of player development in 2015 and was promoted to assistant coach in 2017 before resigning that same year.

__Devin Booker, Moss Point (Mississippi)__

The most successful NBA player of the tournament, Moss Point’s Devin Booker was named to the Poplar Bluff Showdown all-tournament team during his only appearance in 2012.

Booker played collegiately for the University of Kentucky where he was named the SEC Sixth Man of the Year, made the All-SEC second team and was a member of the All-SEC freshman team. Booker averaged 10 points per game during his lone season with the Wildcats.

The Phoenix Suns selected Booker 13th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft where he has risen to stardom in the league. The 6-foot-6 guard has averaged 24.1 points, 4.9 assists and four rebounds during his eight-year career. Booker was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team (2016), won the 2018 3-Point Contest championship, received first-team All-NBA honors (2022) has been named to three NBA All-Star teams.

__Archie Goodwin, Sylvan Hills (Sherwood, Arkansas)__

Sylvan Hills’ Archie Goodwin made the all-tournament team in 2011 before going one-and-done at Kentucky. In his lone college season, Goodwin was named to the Freshman All-SEC team after averaging 14.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

After his short stint with the Wildcats, Goodwin was drafted 29th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Goodwin wouldn’t even have the opportunity to practice for OKC, as he was traded twice — once to Golden State and again to Phoenix — on draft night.

Goodwin played four years in the NBA, averaging 6.3 points and two rebounds per game. After spending three years with the Suns, Goodwin played three games for the New Orleans Pelicans in 2016 before being waived by the team.

After spending time with the NBA Developmental League’s Greensboro Swarm, Goodwin inked a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets in March 2017. He went on to sign a second 10-day contract, followed by a multi-year deal on April 4, before ultimately being waived by the team three months later.

Goodwin would once again play for the Swarm, as well as the Northern Arizona Suns and the Maine Red Claws from 2017-2019 before spending the rest of his career overseas where he still plays.

__Etan (Derrick) Thomas, Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Oklahoma)__

The highest NBA Draft pick in tournament history, Etan Thomas received Poplar Bluff Shootout all-tournament honors in 1994 before going to play all four years of his college career with Syracuse.

During his time with the Orange, Thomas received first-team All-Big East honors and was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year as a junior and senior. Following his collegiate career, Thomas was drafted 12th overall by the Dallas Mavericks in 2000 but missed his entire rookie season with a toe injury.

Thomas was traded to the Wizards for Juwan Howard midway through the 2001 season, having not played a single game in Dallas. The 6-foot-9 forward spent 11 seasons in the NBA, eight with Washington, one with Oklahoma City and one with Atlanta. He averaged 5.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game throughout his NBA career.

__Dwayne Morton, Louisville Central (Louisville, Ky.)__

Dwayne Morton joins Tyler Hansbrough as the only other player to make multiple all-tournament teams, doing so twice in 1987 and 1988.

Morton stayed in his hometown after graduating high school, playing three seasons with the Louisville Cardinals. He was selected 45th overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors.

Morton’s pro basketball career lasted from 1994-2012, although he played just 41 games in the NBA where he averaged 4.1 points for the Warriors. After leaving the league, Morton played in England, Israel, France, the Dominican Republic and Bulgaria before retiring.

___Anthony Peeler, Paseo (Kansas City, Missouri)__

Last but not least, Missouri native Anthony Peeler was named to the first-ever all-tournament team in 1987 before suiting up collegiately for the Missouri Tigers.

Peeler spent all four years at Mizzou where he averaged 16.8 points per game and ended his career with a school-record 497 assists and 196 steals. In addition, Peeler was selected to two All-Big Eight first teams (1990, 1992), was named Big Eight Player of the Year (1992) and earned second-team All-American honors in (1992).

After being drafted 15th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1992, Peeler played 13 seasons in the NBA where he averaged 9.7 points per game. In addition to playing for the Lakers, Peeler spent time with the Vancouver Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards.