Five holiday high school basketball tournaments to check out
It’s tourney time. Holiday tourney time, to be exact.
We’ve reached the point in the high school basketball season where boys and girls teams start rounding into shape. Rotations sharpen and bench players emerge as coaches search for depth while grinding through games every day.
This edition of the High Five looks at the top holiday tournaments for the area’s boys and girls basketball teams.
5. Pontiac boys
Benet, St. Charles North and West Aurora are the lone area teams at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament, slated for Dec. 29-31, but the reason it’s on the list is because of the Redwings.
The defending Class 4A state champions are happily lying in the weeds a bit after an early loss to St. Ignatius. But Benet remains among the favorites to repeat in 4A thanks to three-year varsity players Jayden Wright (Eastern Illinois University) and 7-foot Colin Stack (North Dakota State).
The Pontiac field is again stacked, to the point where Benet is just the No. 3 seed. Three-time defending state champion DePaul Prep is No. 1, Curie is seeded second and New Trier is right behind Benet as the fourth seed.
4. Montini girls
The Montini Catholic Christmas Tournament began Monday and runs through Saturday, and features some of the top girls teams from the area and beyond.
A title game between Benet and Lyons Twp. could be brewing, although Benet’s side of the bracket also features Fremd, St. Charles East and a talented team from Indiana in Hammond Central.
Lyons Twp. has an interesting opener against Merrillville, also from Indiana. Prospect and Marist could make noise on that side of the bracket.
3. Wheeling boys
Old faithful. The Wheeling Hardwood Classic, which also started Monday and runs through Saturday, has been a holiday staple since its beginning in 1978.
It boasts another strong field this season, headed by Fremd and Illinois State-bound Jordan Williams. Showcasing the depth of the bracket, the Classic website notes that four of the 16 teams — Fremd, Deerfield, Glenbrook North and Prospect — won Thanksgiving tournaments.
Libertyville and Bryce Wegrzyn (Winona State) is another reason to head to Wheeling.
2. Dundee-Crown girls
I still remember the legendary Candace Parker dunk back in the day, but that’s just one layer of the history built at the Komaromy Classic through its 42 years. It runs from Friday through next Tuesday.
Only three of the 16 teams reside outside our area, so this is literal one-stop shopping to see the best of the best from around here. Naperville Central, with Trinity Jones (Clemson) and Erin Hackett, is among the favorites, but land mines await throughout the bracket.
The opposite bracket away from the Redhawks is a doozy with St. Charles North, Maine South and others.
1. York boys
Ever since the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic expanded to 32 teams in 2013, this tournament has been nothing short of amazing. From state champions like Glenbard West to NBA players like past tourney MVP Corey Maggette, the Tosh has seen it all over the course of five decades.
What does this season’s tournament have to offer? Tough to say with so many teams to watch. The Tosh starts Friday and ends New Year’s Eve.
St. Ignatius, based on that win over Benet, is clearly a favorite. But there are so many local dark horses, including Glenbard East with Michael Nee and Palatine with Tony Balanganayi.