One day until the MaxPreps Holiday Classic: One Open Division champion

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — There's a single day until the MaxPreps Holiday Classic, and ultimately, there will be only one Open Division champion.

Last season, unlikely Jackson (Mill Creek, Wash.) was the first team out of California to win the top division at the now 12th-annual tournament which features this season 148 teams in 15 divisions and eight different venues.

Beautiful state-of-the-art Rancho Mirage (Rancho Mirage, Calif.) plays host to the top two divisions with two gyms. The tournament runs Friday through Tuesday.

MaxPreps National Basketball Editor Jason Hickman wonders if yet another Washington team could take home the title in a division filled with California powers, including defending national champion Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) and preseason No. 5 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.). 

Issaquah (Wash.) (5-0), like Jackson, will definitely go in as a darkhorse, but the Eagles have a lot of pieces headed by senior guard Ty Gibson, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound senior guard who averages 22.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.

"He is a flat out stud," Hickman said. "Issaquah is a battle-tested outfit that knows the ropes in Palm Springs. The Eagles were here last year and have won 15 of their last 17 going back to 2013-14. "

Issaquah hopes to repeat what Jackson did last year as a relative known, winning four straight games including 54-45 over Capital Christian (Sacramento) in the finals.

Jackson, which went 26-1 and reached Washington's 4A title game in 2012-13, received 18 points from senior guard Dan Kingma and 11 points, 14 rebounds and four assists from tournament MVP Jason Todd in that title game.

"We came down here with the goal to get better and I think we did that and a little more," said Todd after the game. He's now at the University of Portland. "We got some great experience with some great teams down here and ultimately our goal was to gel together as a team not only on the court, but off the court as well. It's not every day that you get to play in an event like this."

Interestingly, Jackson went on to finish 25-2 but was derailed in the first round of the Washington 4A state playoffs by of all teams, Issaquah.

The Eagles will get plenty of competition.

Besides Mater Dei and Sierra Canyon, other headliners include Texas private school state champion Prestonwood Christian (Plano), California section champions Archbishop Mitty (San Jose), Folsom, JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano) and Moreau Catholic (Hayward).

Sierra Canyon went 29-4 a year ago with a rotation that featured four freshmen — including MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year Cody Riley — and sophomore point guard Devearl Ramsey, a USA Basketball gold medalist.

The Invitational Division will also feature state championship hopefuls from Georgia, Utah and Wisconsin.

"The MaxPreps Holiday Classic keeps getting better. Last year's Classic was simply amazing with a brand new venue and great teams and fantastic games," MaxPreps Founder and President Andy Beal said. "This year is shaping up to be even better with defending MaxPreps national champion Mater Dei and top teams from throughout the country playing for the gold ball."

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Players to Watch

Class of 2015
Djery Baptiste (6-10, C), Prestonwood Christian
Joe Binyoti (6-0, G), Rufus King
Gordon Gehan (6-5, G/F), Episcopal
Ty Gibson (6-2, G), Issaquah
Ty Hudson (6-2, G), Pebblebrook
Stephen Matthews Jr. (6-0, G), Sacramento
Trhae Mitchell (6-6, G/F), Pebblebrook
Nick Pallas (6-8, F/C), JSerra
La'Vette Parker (6-2, G), Mater Dei
Rex Pflueger, (6-5, G), Mater Dei – No. 59 in 247Sports Composite
Colin Russell (6-8, F), Folsom
Grant Troutt (6-2, G), Episcopal

Class of 2016
Brendan Bailey (6-5, G/F), American Fork
M.J. Cage (6-9, F/C), Mater Dei – No. 17 in 247Sports Composite
Shacquille Dawkins (5-8, G), Alemany
Tre Finch (6-1, G), Sacramento
Jordan Ford (6-0, G), Folsom
Oscar Frayer (6-6, F) Moreau Catholic – No. 37 in 247Sports Composite
Daron Henson (6-7, F), Alemany
Schnider Herard (6-11, C), Prestonwood Christian – No. 50 in 247Sports Composite
Jayce Johnson (6-10, C), JSerra Catholic – No. 60 in 247Sports Composite
Ben Kone (6-8, F), Archbishop Mitty
Brandon Lawrence (6-2, G), Moreau Catholic
D.J. McGee (6-0, G), Prestonwood Christian
Evan Peters (6-5, G), Prestonwood Christian
Devearl Ramsey (5-10, G), Sierra Canyon – No. 34 in 247Sports Composite
Christian Terrell (6-4, G), Sacramento – No. 38 in 247Sports Composite
Jared Wall (6-1, G), Folsom
Solomon Young (6-7, F), Sacramento – No. 70 in 247Sports Composite

Class of 2017
Ira Lee (6-7, F), Sierra Canyon – MaxPreps Freshman All-American
Damari Milstead (6-1, G), Moreau Catholic – MaxPreps Freshman All-American
Jordan Poole (5-10, G), Rufus King
Cody Riley (6-8, F), Sierra Canyon – MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year
Trevon Ary-Turner (6-3, G), Issaquah

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