Must-see high school basketball showcase events in 2013-14

January is showcase season in high school basketball.

While the December landscape is dominated by bracketed tournaments, event organizers cut the prelims out once the calendar turns and league schedules take over for most programs.

The result is four consecutive weekends in January packed with matchups pitting nationally-ranked teams and prospects against one another.

The Spalding Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass., and the Flyin' to the Hoop Basketball Invitational outside of Dayton, Ohio, have the highest concentration of starpower.

The Hoophall Classic will feature nine games involving nationally-ranked teams while Flyin' to the Hoop will include eight.

Here's a closer look at nearly 40 must-see showcase events (or shootouts as they are known in some regions) this seaon:

Marshall County Hoopfest
Dec. 5-7 – Marshall County High School – Benton, Ky.
Key matchups
Dec. 6 – Arsenal Technical (Indianapolis) vs. Ballard (Louisville, Ky.)
Dec. 6 – No. 7 Prime Prep (Dallas) vs. Quality Education Academy (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Dec. 7 – No. 3 Huntington St. Joseph Prep (Huntington, W.Va.) vs. Arsenal Tech
Dec. 7 – No. 4 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) vs. Christ Presbyterian Academy (Nashville, Tenn.)
Dec. 7 – No. 7 Prime Prep vs. No. 16 White Station (Memphis, Tenn.)

Chicago Elite Classic
Dec. 7 – UIC Pavilion – Chicago
Key matchups
No. 9 Whitney Young (Chicago) vs. No. 10 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)
No. 6 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) vs. Curie (Chicago)
Hamilton (Memphis, Tenn.) vs. Simeon (Chicago)
Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.) vs. Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.)
Etiwanda (Calif.) vs. Marian Catholic (Chicago Heights, Ill.)
Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) vs. St. Rita (Chicago)
Fenwick (Oak Park, Ill.) vs. University (Normal, Ill.)

Hoophall West Classic
Dec. 13-14 – Grand Canyon University – Phoenix, Ariz.
Key matchups
Dec. 13 – No. 4 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) vs. Yates (Houston)
Dec. 14 – No. 5 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) vs. Yates
Dec. 14 – No. 4 Oak Hill Academy vs. No. 6 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)

Cancer Research Classic
Jan. 3-4, 2014 – Wheeling Jesuit University – Wheeling, W.Va.
Key matchups
Jan. 3 – No. 6 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) vs. Villa Angela-St. Joseph (Cleveland, Ohio)
Jan. 3 – No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) vs. St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.)
Jan. 4 – Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) vs. Simeon (Chicago)
Jan. 4 – No. 6 Bishop Gorman vs. Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)
Jan. 4 – No. 1 Montverde Academy vs. No. 17 Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.)
Jan. 4 – No. 7 Prime Prep (Dallas) vs. No. 9 Whitney Young (Chicago)

McCracken County Festival of Hoops
Jan. 9-11 – McCracken County High School – Paducah, Ky.
Key matchups
Jan. 10 – Curie (Chicago) vs. Villa Angela-St. Joseph (Cleveland, Ohio)
Jan. 10 – No. 7 Prime Prep (Dallas) vs. No. 20 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.)
Jan. 10 – No. 3 Huntington St. Joseph Prep (W.Va.) vs. Our Savior New American (Centereach, N.Y.)
Jan. 10 – No. 25 Carlisle (Martinsville, Va.) vs. Orr (Chicago)
Jan. 11 – No. 25 Carlisle vs. Marian Catholic (Chicago Heights, Ill.)
Jan. 11 – No. 3 Huntington Prep vs. No. 20 Sunrise Christian Academy

Spalding Hoophall Classic
Jan. 16-20 – Blake Arena – Springfield, Mass.
Key matchups
Jan. 18 – Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.) vs. Rainier Beach (Seattle)
Jan. 18 – Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.) vs. Yates (Houston)
Jan. 18 – No. 10 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) vs. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore)
Jan. 18 – No. 3 Huntington St. Joseph Prep (Huntington, W.Va.) vs. No. 7 Prime Prep (Dallas)
Jan. 19 – No. 18 Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville, Fla.) vs. St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.)
Jan. 19 – No. 8 La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) vs. Our Savior New American (Centereach, N.Y.)
Jan. 19 – DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) vs. St. Joseph (Metuchen, N.J.)
Jan. 20 – No. 11 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) vs. St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.)
Jan. 20 – No. 2 Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) vs. Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.)
Jan. 20 – No. 4 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) vs. No. 9 Whitney Young (Chicago)
Jan. 20 – No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) vs. Curie (Chicago)
Jan. 20 – No. 5 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) vs. Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia)

Flyin' to the Hoop
Jan. 17-20 – Trent Arena – Dayton, Ohio
Key matchups
Jan. 17 – No. 2 Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) vs. Wayne (Huber Heights, Ohio)
Jan. 18 – No. 12 Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) vs. No. 19 Northland (Columbus, Ohio)
Jan. 18 – Franklin (Ohio) vs. HCYA (Houston)
Jan. 18 – Dunbar (Dayton, Ohio) vs. Marian Catholic (Chicago Heights, Ill.)
Jan. 19 – Christian Brothers (St. Louis, Mo.) vs. Shaker Heights (Ohio)
Jan. 19 – St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) vs. University (Normal, Ill.)
Jan. 19 – No. 7 Prime Prep (Dallas) vs. Garfield Heights (Ohio)
Jan. 19 – No. 20 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) vs. Thurgood Marshall (Dayton, Ohio)
Jan. 20 – No. 12 Roselle Catholic vs. No. 22 Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.)
Jan. 20 – No. 20 Sunrise Christian Academy vs. Wilmington (Ohio)
Jan. 20 – No. 3 Huntington St. Joseph Prep (W.Va.) vs. Cleveland Central Catholic (Ohio)
Jan. 20 – No. 7 Prime Prep vs. Trotwood-Madison (Trotwood, Ohio)

Penny Hardaway's Hoop Fest
Jan. 24-25 – Dyer County High School – Newbern, Tenn.
Key matchups
Jan. 24 – St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.) vs. Whitehaven (Memphis, Tenn.)
Jan. 24 – No. 4 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) vs. Hamilton (Memphis, Tenn.)
Jan. 25 – No. 18 Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville, Fla.) vs. No. 20 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.)
Jan. 25 – No. 16 White Station (Memphis, Tenn.) vs. Hamilton
Jan. 25 – Simeon (Chicago) vs. St. Benedict's Prep
* Event also includes Jan. 25 games at Houston and Southwind high schools in Memphis

Nike Extravaganza
Jan. 31-Feb. 1 – Mater Dei High School – Santa Ana, Calif.
Key matchups
Jan. 31 – No. 5 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) vs. Village Christian (Sun Valley, Calif.)
Feb. 1 – Centennial (Corona, Calif.) vs. Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.)
Feb. 1 – No. 6 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) vs. JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Feb. 1 – No. 10 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) vs. Etiwanda (Calif.)
Feb. 1 – DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) vs. Westchester (Los Angeles)
Feb. 1 – No. 5 Mater Dei vs. No. 9 Whitney Young (Chicago)

MORE TOP SHOWCASE EVENTS

Hoops For The Cure Classic
Nov. 15-16 – Multiple Locations – Alpharetta, Ga.

Hoophall West Classic
Nov. 26, 27, 29 – Corona del Sol High School – Tempe, Ariz.

Charlotte Hoops Challenge
Nov. 29-30 – Providence Day School – Charlotte, N.C.

Thanksgiving Hoopfest
Nov. 29-30 – Sandra Meadows Arena – Duncanville, Texas

Lighthouse Thanksgiving Classic
Nov. 29-30 – Corinth High School – Corinth, Miss.

Nor Cal Tip Off Classic
Nov. 30 – Newark Memorial – Newark, Calif.

Nike Explosion
Dec. 7 – Wheeler High School – Marietta, Ga.

Clark Kellogg Classic
Dec. 7 – Ohio Dominican University – Columbus, Ohio

DMVelite Holiday Tip-Off Classic
Dec. 7-8 – C.H. Flowers High School – Flowers, Md.

Hope Classic High School Basketball Showcase
Dec. 12-14 – Multiple Locations – Struthers/Youngstown, Ohio

Breakdown Sports Tip-Off Classic
Dec. 14 – Minnetonka High School – Minneapolis, Minn.

DFW Challenge
Dec. 14 – Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center – Fort Worth, Texas

The Hope Classic
Dec. 14 – Struthers Fieldhouse – Struthers, Ohio

Greater Atlanta Christian Showcase
Dec. 14 – Greater Atlanta Christian – Norcross, Ga.

NY2LA Sports Classic
Dec. 14 – Homestead High School – Mequon, Wis.

Steel City Invitational
Dec. 19-21 – Pete Hanna Center – Birmingham, Ala.

City Legendz High School Invitational
Dec. 21-22 – St. Raymond High School/Gauchos Gym – Bronx, N.Y.

Mike Miller Classic
Dec. 27-28 – Corn Palace – Mitchell, S.D.

Play 4 Cancer Shootout
Dec. 28 – Jackson High School – Massillon, Ohio

Duel in the Desert Invitational
Jan. 3-4 – Rancho Solano Prep – Scottsdale, Ariz.

Chance Harman Classic
Jan. 3-4 – Floyd County High School – Floyd, Va.

Timberwolves Shootout
Jan. 4 – Target Center – Minneapolis, Minn.

MLK Basketball Classic
Jan. 20 – Grand Canyon University – Phoenix, Ariz.

Martin Luther King Jr. Classic
Jan. 20 – Haas Pavilion – Berkeley, Calif.

King Holiday Hoopfest
Jan. 20 – Seattle Pacific University – Seattle, Wash.

Fairfax State Preview
Jan. 25 – Fairfax High School – Los Angeles

Hilton Invitational
Jan. 25 – Norcross High School – Norcross, Ga.

Dunk 4 Diabetes Shootout
Jan. 25-26 – Walsh University – North Canton, Ohio

PrimeTime Shootout
Feb. 8-9 – Roselle High School – Roselle, N.J.