7 Days until the MaxPreps Holiday Classic: 7 state finalists

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — There are seven days until the 13th MaxPreps Holiday Classic and to celebrate, we look at the seven state finalists from 2014-15 that will participate in the 117-team, 11-division tournament that runs Dec. 26-30 in Palm Springs. 

Among those seven, four won state titles. They are: 

Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) — The Gaels enter 7-2 following a 58-56 loss to Overland (Aurora, Colo.) (7-0) at the Tarkanian Classic and 76-74 to Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.). Gorman is led by 6-5 junior Chuck O'Bannon Jr, son of former UCLA great Charles O'Bannion., and 6-10 senior Zach Collins, ranked the 64th best senior in the country by 247Sports. O'Bannon is the No. 37 junior. Last year, Gorman went 30-3 and won its second straight and fourth state title in six years. Gorman opens with Capital Christian (Sacramento, Calif.), another state finalist from last season. Gorman beat Capital Christian 83-39 at the Wild West Shootout in Reno (Nev.) last season. 
 
Jonesboro (Ga.) — The Cardinals have won back-to-back Georgia 4A state titles and last year finished No. 9 nationally. The Cardinals are led by the reigning MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year M.J. Walker. Jonesboro averaged 74 points per game — twice hitting triple digits — and were led by Walker, Jr. (17.3 points per game) along with a pair of seniors Tracy Hector Jr. (12.7 ppg) and Deantre Mack (10.9). The Cardinals and Walker are currently 7-2, but winners of seven straight after losing the first two games to powers Norcross (70-65) and Wesleyan Christian Academy (52-51) at the Atlanta Hardwood Jam Fest. Those two squads opened the season a combined 16-2. Walker had 36 against Norcross. Jonesboro opens with Windward (Los Angeles).

See MPHC Open Division bracket

Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas) — The Lions are the high school home of Los Angeles Laker Julius Randle. Presetonwood won its fourth Texas private school title in the last six seasons in 2014-15. The Lions feature 6-foot-11 center Schnider Herard, a native of Haiti regarded as a Top 100 prospect by 247Sports.The Lions (15-4) have already played 19 games and open the MPHC with De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), which won this tournament in 2006.

See MPHC site for all teams, brackets, stories

Bountiful (Bountiful, Utah) — The Braves went 22-6 last season and won the Utah 4A state title with a 66-54 win over Kearns. Four seniors led that team, but they return 6-2 senior Austin Parkinson, who averaged 8.6 points per game last year and is a three-sport standout. The team's current 17-man roster features six seniors, six juniors, four sophomores and 6-2 freshman Brig Willard. Ryan Pollard is a 7-foot junior. The Braves open with Mercer Island (Wash.).



The other state finalists were Palo Verde (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Chino Hills (Calif.), the tournament favorite.

Past Invitational Champions
2014 – Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) def. Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.), 67-66
2013 – Jackson (Mill Creek, Wash.) def. Capital Christian (Sacramento, Calif.), 54-45
2012 – Westchester (Los Angeles) def. Fort Bend Travis (Richmond, Texas), 70-62
2011 – Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) def. Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.), 76-69
2010 – Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.) def. Silverado (Las Vegas), 65-57
2009 – Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.) def. Foothill (Henderson, Nev.), 78-67
2008 – Orange Lutheran (Calif.) def. Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo, Calif.), 85-70
2007 – Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) def. Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.), 62-55
2006 – De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) def. Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.), 78-57
2005 – Etiwanda (Calif.) def. Loyola (Los Angeles)
2004 – Cathedral City (Calif.) def. Elsinore (Wildomar, Calif.)
2003 – Indio (Calif.) def. Cathedral City (Calif.)
* Event was known as Desert Heat Invitational from 2003-2010.