The 10 Best Events During the 2016-17 High School Basketball Season
With the high school basketball season coming into focus for much of the country in late November, it is time to take a look at 10 events you should be aware of on the national schedule.
Times around the holidays and Martin Luther King Jr. weekend are certainly busy on the tournament- and showcase-heavy national high school basketball schedule, but there are other events on unique weekends that are on the list as well.
These 10 events are filled with 5-star prospects and high-major players, and they're listed by the order they'll begin on the calendar. Here are 10 events you should be focused on during the high school basketball season, as many of these events will help determine things like McDonald's All-Americans.
Marshall County Hoopfest
1 of 10
Date: Dec. 1-3
Location: Marshall County High School, Benton, Kentucky
Players Involved: DeAndre Ayton (Hillcrest), John Petty (Mae Jemison), Gary Trent (Prolific Prep), Paul Scruggs (Prolific Prep), Billy Preston (Oak Hill), Matt Coleman (Oak Hill), Lindell Wigginton (Oak Hill), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Hamilton Heights)
Why It's Important: The premier early event of the high school season, the Marshall County Hoopfest has long been an event where the nation's elite play. This year's field looks no different, as it includes Oak Hill Academy, Hillcrest Academy, Prolific Prep, Hamilton Heights (Tenn.), Curie (Ill.) and Belleville Althoff (Ill.). With loads of 5-star talent, as well as teams competing for major state and national titles, this is a solid field for an opening shootout.
The National High School Hoops Festival
2 of 10
Date: December 10
Location: DeMatha Catholic High School, Hyattsville, Maryland
Players Involved: Trevon Duval (IMG Academy), Collin Sexton (Pebblebrook), Elias Harden (Pebblebrook), D.J. Harvey (DeMatha), Jalek Felton (Gray Collegiate Academy), Juwan Gary (Gray Collegiate Academy), Jordan Tucker (Wheeler), Darius Perry (Wheeler)
Why It's Important: Not many elite high school events come before the holiday season, so this event has been a nice addition to the calendar with the amount of high-level guards coming to Maryland. Duval and Sexton are in contention as the best two guards in the country, and they get to play at the same event early in the year.
The Tarkanian Classic
3 of 10
Date: December 15-20
Location: Bishop Gorman High School, Las Vegas, Nevada
Players Involved: Brandon McCoy (Cathedral Catholic), Ira Lee (Crossroads), Shareef O'Neal (Crossroads), Charles O'Bannon Jr. (Bishop Gorman), Jemarl Baker (Roosevelt), Cassius Stanley (Harvard-Westlake), Onyeka Okongwu (Chino Hills)
Why It's Important: The West Coast's elite holiday tournament brings in teams with high-major talent, as this year's event has 5-star and 4-star prospects all over. Host Bishop Gorman is always in the national picture, and it's joined by strong teams like Crossroads and Cathedral Catholic. The young talent in this event, with players like Stanley and Okongwu, is also exciting to watch.
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Culligan City of Palms Classic
4 of 10
Date: December 16-21
Location: Florida SouthWestern State College, Fort Myers, Florida
Players Involved: DeAndre Ayton (Hillcrest), Mohamed Bamba (Westtown School), Brandon Randolph (Westtown School), Cameron Reddish (Westtown School), Trevon Duval (IMG Academy), Quade Green (Neumann-Goretti), Collin Sexton (Pebblebrook), M.J. Walker (Jonesboro), Nick Richards (The Patrick School), Jeremiah Tilmon (East St. Louis), Wendell Carter (Pace), John Petty (Mae Jemison), Kevin Knox (Tampa Catholic), Hamidou Diallo (Putnam Science)
Why It's Important: City of Palms has become the country's must-see holiday tournament, and this year's lineup is a fantastic collection of 5-star prospects. The class of 2017 is loaded with 5-star players, as the big men (Ayton, Bamba, Carter, Tilmon, Richards), point guards (Duval, Green, Sexton) and scoring wings (Diallo, Knox, Walker, Petty) are all stacked at their respective positions.
The Beach Ball Classic
5 of 10
Date: December 26-31
Location: Myrtle Beach Convention Center, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Players Involved: Wendell Carter (Pace), Charles O'Bannon Jr. (Bishop Gorman), M.J. Walker (Jonesboro), Chuma Okeke (Westlake), Nojel Eastern (Evanston), Nate Watson (Bishop O'Connell)
Why It's Important: With City of Palms coming before Christmas, Beach Ball is one of the events to watch after Christmas during the holiday tournament season. Drawing top high school teams from all over the country, this year's field has 5-star and 4-star prospects on nearly every team. This field has talented big men, guards and wings, so it should be another strong year.
The Cancer Research Classic
6 of 10
Date: January 6 and 7
Location: Wheeling Jesuit University, Wheeling, West Virginia
Players Involved: Trevon Duval (IMG Academy), Quade Green (Neumann-Goretti), Brian Bowen (La Lumiere), Jaren Jackson (La Lumiere), D.J. Harvey (DeMatha), Ikechukwu Obiagu (Greenforest Christian), Jordan Tucker (Wheeler), Darius Perry (Wheeler)
Why It's Important: There aren't a lot of big national events during the time between the holiday tournaments and MLK weekend, so the Cancer Research Classic coming right after the new year is a nice event. This year's event is heavy on guards, as 5-stars (Duval, Green, Bowen) and 4-stars (Harvey, Perry) are all in the event.
Spalding Hoophall Classic
7 of 10
Date: January 12-16
Location: Blake Arena at Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts
Players Involved: Hamidou Diallo (Putnam Science), Mohamed Bamba (Westtown), Brandon Randolph (Westtown), Wendell Carter (Pace), Trevon Duval (IMG Academy), Michael Porter (Nathan Hale), DeAndre Ayton (Hillcrest), Marvin Bagley (Sierra Canyon), Makai Ashton-Langford (Brewster Academy)
Why It's Important: One of the the biggest and most important events on the high school basketball calendar, the Spalding Hoophall Classic draws the most national talent from coast to coast of any during the season. The four-day showcase is loaded with games from a few local teams and a lot of the top 5-star talents in the country, as this year's field is as strong as ever.
The Bass Pro Shop Tournament of Champions
8 of 10
Date: January 12-14
Location: JQH Arena, Springfield, Missouri
Players Involved: P.J. Washington (Findlay Prep), Cody Riley (Sierra Canyon), Marvin Bagley (Sierra Canyon), Ikechukwu Obiagu (Greenforest Christian), Rechon Black (Montverde Academy), R.J. Barrett (Montverde Academy)
Why It's Important: One of the important MLK weekend events is the Bass Pro Shop Tournament of Champions, as it gives a unique arena atmosphere with a strong field of national teams. While many of the events that weekend offer a showcase-style slate of games that are a series of exhibitions, this event is one of the rare tournaments.
Flyin' to the Hoop
9 of 10
Date: January 13-16
Location: James S. Trent Arena, Kettering, Ohio
Players Involved: Trevon Duval (IMG Academy), Gary Trent (Prolific Prep), Paul Scruggs (Prolific Prep), Jalek Felton (Gray Collegiate Academy), Juwan Gary (Gray Collegiate Academy), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Hamilton Heights), Darius Perry (Wheeler), Jordan Tucker (Wheeler), Kyle Young (Jackson)
Why It's Important: The MLK weekend stays busy in Ohio, as Flyin' to the Hoop has long remained an important event. The Hoophall and Tournament of Champions draw plenty of teams, but many also choose to attend Flyin' to the Hoop, as this year's field has a lot of guards to keep an eye on.
Nike Extravaganza
10 of 10
Date: February 3-4
Location: Mater Dei High School, Santa Ana, California
Players Involved: Billy Preston (Oak Hill), Matt Coleman (Oak Hill), Lindell Wigginton (Oak Hill), Jaylen Hands (Foothills Christian), Marvin Bagley (Sierra Canyon), Cody Riley (Sierra Canyon), Jalen Hill (Centennial), Charles O'Bannon Jr. (Bishop Gorman)
Why It's Important: The West Coast has one final huge national event to start February, as the Nike Extravaganza always gets a few national teams to California. This year's local lineup has plenty of high-major players, while Oak Hill Academy joins the festivities as well. A good final tune-up before state playoffs and national tournaments begin, this event has a lot of prime-time matchups.
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Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and information were obtained firsthand.
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