The holiday season is always a crucial time of the year for the high school basketball season as the tournaments and events surrounding the winter break often define the early season rankings.
The 2018 holiday season was especially important for the top teams in high school basketball as upsets were waiting at every turn with only three teams who entered the holiday season in the top 10 able to escape the holiday season unbeaten.
Read on for a complete guide of the top holiday events in high school basketball.
Recap of the Top 10 Holiday Events:
Arby’s Classic (Bristol, Tenn.)
Recap:
The 36th
annual Arby’s Classic didn’t lack for excitement as 16 of the 30 games
played in the tournament were decided by 10 of fewer points. Those 16
games included both semifinal games and the title showdown.
No.
17
Carmel Christian (Matthews, N.C.) entered the event as the only
nationally ranked team in the 16-team field and the Cougars had a
challenging road just to make it to the finals. The defending state
champions defeated
Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) 55-49 and
Buford (Ga.)
67-62 in the quarterfinal and semifinal games before taking on
Bearden (Knoxville, Tenn.) for the championship game.
The Cougars
appeared in control of the title game for long stretches and entered the
final period leading 48-40. A 9-0 Bearden run midway through the fourth changed that as the Bulldogs used a 21-9 fourth quarter to
knock off the previously unbeaten Carmel Christian and take home the
event crown.
Title Game:Bearden over No. 17 Carmel Christian 61-57
All-Tournament Team:MVP
Jacques GloverJake Boggs,
Shamarcus Brown,
Chico Carter Jr.,
Bradley Dean,
Deangelo Epps,
Zac Ervin,
Stanley Eze,
Connor Jordan, Marae Forman,
Donovan Gregory,
Jordan Meka,
Taft Mitchell,
Donell Nixon,
Trent Stephney,
Cameron Tucker,
Stan Turnier,
Marcus Watson
Beach Ball Classic (Myrtle Beach, S.C.)Recap:
The
38th edition featured a well-balanced
16-team field with eight games decided by four points or less. In the
end
Westchester (Los Angeles) took down No. 19
Scott County (Georgetown, Ky.) by one, 42-41, in a thrilling championship game
that ended with a 12-2 run from the Comets.
Scott County showed a
lot of resilience, losing senior superstar
Michael Moreno against No. 20
Cox Mill (Concord, N.C.) but rebounding to defeat
the two-time defending state champions 71-60 in a highly anticipated
quarterfinal showdown. The Cardinals then advanced to the title
game by taking down
North Little Rock (Ark.) 69-62 in the
semifinals, before running out of steam late in the title game with
their star looking on in street clothes.
Senior Duke pledge
Wendell Moore Jr. played at an incredibly high level all week —
averaging 30.5 points and 11.8 rebounds and finishing second in event history with 122 points over his four games.
Title Game:Westchester over No. 19 Scott County 42-41
All-Tournament Team:MVP —
Jordan Brinson, MOP —
Wendell Moore Jr.Kaelen Allen,
Glenn Covington,
Isaiah Crawford,
R.J. Davis,
Marcus Dockery,
Jaylen Forbes,
Chris Ford,
Montorie Foster,
Mike Green II,
Kaden Metheny,
Collin Moore,
Joquarius Valrie,
Lorenzo Williams
Chick-fil-A Classic (Columbia, S.C.)
Recap:
One of the more wide open fields of any holiday tournament. This was evident early as both ranked teams coming into the event were taken down before the championship game.
No. 18
Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) was upended by eventual National Division champions,
Bella Vista Prep (Scottsdale, Ariz.), in a semifinals double-overtime thriller. No. 25
Roman Catholic (Philadelphia), featured in the American Division, were unable to make it out of the first round as the Cahillites were upset by
Independence (Charlotte, N.C.) in their opening game of the tournament.
An event loaded with exciting games saw buzzer-beaters, overtime thrillers and more with Bella Vista Prep winning the National Division title and
Salesian College Prep (Richmond, Calif.) taking home the National Division.
American Division Title Game:Salesian College Prep over Dorman 45-39
National Division Title Game:Bella Vista Prep over St. Frances Academy 55-46
All Tournament Team:American Division
MVP —
Shane Bell, MOP —
Myles TateBrandon Boston,
Tommy Bruner,
Jalen Duren,
P.J. Hall,
Raekwon HortonNational Division
MVP —
Terry Armstrong, MOP —
James WisemanAdrian Baldwin,
N'Faly Dante,
Anthony Edwards,
Addison Patterson,
Dischon Thomas
City Of Palms Classic (Fort Myers, Fla.)
Recap:The
2018 City of Palms Classic featured six of the top 12 teams in the
nation, including No. 2 IMG Academy and No. 3 Oak Hill Academy.
Both of the powerhouses were
taken down before a potential championship showdown could take place as
No. 23
Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia) dominated the Warriors in the semifinals and
Trendon Watford went off for 38 points and 12 rebounds to lead
Mountain Brook (Birmingham, Ala.) to the biggest upset of the tournament in the quarterfinals as the
Spartans took down the Ascenders 72-67.
The event culminated with a
final day that included a 59-point outburst from Syracuse pledge
Joseph Girard III and No. 7
McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) claiming the top
spot in the nation after defeating Imhotep 68-47 in the event’s
championship game.
Title Game:No. 7 McEachern over No. 23 Imhotep Charter 68-47
All-Tournament Team:MVP —
Sharife Cooper,
Cole Anthony,
Armando Bacot Jr.,
Vernon Carey Jr.,
Cam'ron Fletcher,
Joseph Girard III,
Elijah Hutchins-Everett,
DJ Jeffries,
Jared Jones,
Makhi Mitchell,
Isaac Okoro,
Khalil Robinson,
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl,
Donta Scott,
Trendon Watford,
Malachi Wideman 
McEachern celebrates after wining the City of Palms Classic with a 68-47 victory over Imhotep Charter.
File photo by Jim Redman
Recap:
The
inaugural Emerald Coast 16 featured two nationally ranked teams and nine
states represented. The two ranked teams — No. 12
Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) and
No. 19 Carmel Christian — both proved their mettle taking home event titles.
Wasatch Academy captured the title of the
Marquee bracket with wins over
West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.),
Potter's House Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.) and
Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.). The
Tigers did it behind a balanced effort as seven different players
reached double figures in their three games with four players reaching
double digit scoring numbers multiple times.
Carmel Christian
benefited from a balanced effort as well as they had five players score
10 or more points in the title game alone. Carmel Christian captured the
Three Stripe Life Bracket by taking down
Lanier (Montgomery, Ala.),
Heritage (Newnan, Ga.) and
Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.) en route to the tournament
championship.
Marquee Title Game:No. 12 Wasatch Academy over Wheeler 85-72
Three Stripe Life Title Game:No. 19 Carmel Christian over Pebblebrook 82-66
All-Tournament Team:Jaire Eastmond,
Jalen Harper,
Mady Sissoko,
Jake Boggs,
Diante Smith,
Dontavius King,
Charlie Weber,
Lance Terry,
Charlie Russell,
Elijah Seward,
Charles Smith IV
Hoop City Classic (Mitchell and Sioux Falls, S.D.)
Recap:
The ninth annual Hoop City Classic didn’t let 11-plus inches of snow stop an
exciting event that saw No. 2
La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) taken to
overtime by
Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) in one of eight games with bonus basketball at the exciting
week of hoops.
La Lumiere overcame a 12-point halftime deficit to
knock off the Pilots in overtime, 83-79, guided by a dominant performance
from 5-star senior
Isaiah Stewart, who finished with 24 points and 17
rebounds in the signature win. The Lakers went on to take down
Tea (S.D.) 78-64 in a title game that saw the lead swell to 67-40 after
three quarters of play.
The other ranked team in the event — No.
14 Mountain Brook was upset in their first game at
the tournament. The Spartans fell to
DeLaSalle (Minneapolis, Minn.) 63-62
after a tournament-high 38 points from Stanford pledge
Tyrell Terry.
Terry scored 101 points over his three games in the event which was the
most of any player — averaging 33.6 points per contest.
Title Game:
'Iolani Classic (Honolulu)
Recap:The island tournament had as much star power as any holiday event as the loaded field featured three of the top six teams in high school basketball.
The only problem was after a semifinal upset of the top ranked
Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), La Lumiere was unable to face No. 4
Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) in the tournament championship game because of California state rules. The CIF does not allow its members to play independent teams, meaning Sierra Canyon was not allowed to play the Lakers for the championship game.
Instead Montverde Academy took on Sierra Canyon and Lumiere faced off against No. 20
Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) with the winner being determined based on their overall record at the tournament. La Lumiere handled business against Oak Ridge, while Montverde Academy knocked off Sierra Canyon — giving La Lumiere the event title.
All- Tournament Team:MVP —
Isaiah Stewart, MOP —
Cade CunninghamPrecious Achiuwa,
Kaelen Allen,
Kevin Bethel,
Jordan Brinson,
Keion Brooks,
Casey Brown,
Noah Bumanglag,
Bryson Crockett,
Tyler Fairbanks,
Micah Garrett,
Niven Glover,
Wendell Green Jr.,
Kenyon Martin Jr.,
Moses Moody,
Kameron Ng,
Scotty Pippen Jr.,
Geremy Robinson,
Cassius Stanley,
C.J. Walker
Jerry Tarkanian Classic (Las Vegas)
Recap:
Seven
separate varsity boys brackets were highlighted by a loaded Platinum
Division bracket that saw the host,
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)
repeat. The Gaels took down No. 9
Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) in
a convincing championship game to close out the week outscoring
their opponents by 19 points per game.
No. 9 Rancho Christian
knocked off No. 15
Federal Way (Wash.) 76-57 in their semifinal matchup and
appeared to be well on their way to an event title after their
convincing win over a quality top 25 foe. The Gaels were guided by
co-MVPs of the Platinum Division,
Noah Taitz and
Zaon Collins. Bishop
Gorman was able to re-establish itself on the national scene after a
dominant weekend at the Tarkanian Classic.
No. 13
Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) also picked up its first loss of the season in the
title game of the National Division bracket. The Pilots fell to
Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix) 71-61 in the National Division
championship contest following two close wins at the event.
Platinum Division Title Game:
Bishop Gorman over No. 9 Rancho Christian 61-39
Isaiah Cottrell, Bishop Gorman
Photo by Nicholas Koza
Recap:
No. 11
Ranney (Tinton Falls, N.J.) was tested from its opening game as it took on local
Garner Magnet (Garner, N.C.) that got hot at the right time down the stretch.
Trailing 69-66 with one free throw remaining for Villanova pledge
Bryan Antoine, Ranney looked to have suffered its first loss of the season. However, before Antoine could shoot his second free throw with just 9 seconds remaining, the Garner bench received a technical foul before Antoine's second free throw, giving him two additional shots. The 5-star guard calmly stepped to the line and knocked down all three free throws to knot things at 69. Ranney was then fouled on the inbounds and hit one of two free throws to win the opener 70-69.
In the final game for the Garden State contender, Ranney battled to knock off previously unbeaten
South Central (Winterville, N.C.) while overcoming a 24-point, 20-rebound effort from 2020 UNC bound big man
Day'ron Sharpe. Antoine averaged 32.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 steals per game to lead the Panthers to the event title.
TJ Warren Title Game:No. 11 Ranney over South Central 65-58
David West Title Game:Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) over
Trinity Christian (Fayetteville, N.C.) 69-49
All-Tournament Team:David West Bracket:
MVP — Terrance Clarke, MOP -
D.J. ThomasJaden Bradley,
Nimari Burnett, Alonzo Gaffney,
Greg Gantt, Jalen Lecque,
Keith "KJ" Marshall,
D.J. Nix,
Bryce WatermanTJ Warren Bracket:
MVP —
Bryan Antoine, MOP -
Day'Ron SharpeCartier Jernigan,
Scottie Lewis,
Justin McKoy,
Shykeim Phillips,
DJ Robertson,
Isaiah Todd,
Patrick Williams,
Carter Whitt
Les Schwab Invitational (Hillsboro, Ore.)
Recap:
Sierra Canyon showed they were clearly the best team, knocking off their opponents by an average of 22.3 points per game. The Trailblazers left no doubt in any of their four contests as a balanced attack saw three different players make the eight-man all-tournament team.
The other two out-of-state teams in the event were tournament runner-up
University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and defending Evergreen State champion
Gonzaga Prep (Spokane, Wash.). The Sunshine State powerhouse knocked off the Bullpups after a strong second-half surge that gave University the 58-53 victory in what may have been the best game of the tournament in the second semifinal.
There were also some outstanding performances by local talents as
Aaron Deloney exploded for a tournament record 47 points in a tough loss for
Grant (Portland, Ore.) in the consolation final against Skyview, while talented 6-foot-8 sophomore
Ben Gregg averaged 23.3 points, 15.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.5 blocks per game with his versatility on full display.
Title Game:
No. 5 Sierra Canyon over University 68-52
Other top holiday events:
Pontiac Holiday Classic (Pontiac, Ill.)
Curie (Chicago) took home a statement win
in the title game of the 88th annual tournament, knocking
off fellow unbeaten
Bloom (Chicago Heights, Ill.) 58-44 in the championship game.
Rancho Mirage Holiday Invitational (Rancho Mirage, Calif.)
Slam Dunk to the Beach (Lewes, Del.)
Jonathan Kuminga made his case for the title of best sophomore in the nation, posting an event record 40 points in a closely contested 76-70 loss to
Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.).
The Classic at Damien (La Verne, Calif.)
No. 16 Rancho Christian secured its second event title of the season, taking down Centennial 77-69 in a rematch of
the Battlezone Tournament championship game.
Torrey Pines Holiday Classic (San Diego)
Shadow Mountain (Phoenix) took home the event title by defeating Mission Bay 82-62 in the championship game. The Matadors were led by Arizona State signee
Jaelen House who took home MVP honors.
Tournament of Champions (Marietta, Ga.)
Note: Rankings in individual event write-ups are based on Updated Xcellent 25 Rankings at the time of the event.
Note: Holiday Season was defined as Dec. 17-Dec. 31
