Plenty of questions still surround the 2020-21 high school basketball season as nearly half the states across the nation have tipped off amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Alabama and Mississippi were the first two states to being on Nov. 5, with some programs playing upwards of 25 or more games already this season.
In total, 34 states have kicked off their seasons (complete list below), with five more states set to tip off within the next ten days.
Delays and ongoing changes are a common theme in high school basketball as 21 states and the District of Columbia pushed back start dates of Jan. 4 or later, while Illinois and Hawaii canceled their winter high school sports seasons altogether.
In addition to the fluctuating start dates, many notable tournaments have been canceled, including the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions, City of Palms Classic, Chick-fil-A Classic, 'Iolani Classic, John Wall Holiday Invitational and Spalding Hoophall Classic.
These cancellations create challenges for top-tier programs who use these events as staples of their national-schedule resume. The lack of these major events hurts the chances for highly-regarded players to improve their stock on a national stage and fails to allow programs to test themselves against similar talent.
As the COVID-19 surge blankets the country and state associations evaluate a safe path to resuming athletics, schedule changes will continue to happen.
Some examples include California, New Mexico and Oregon delaying their seasons until the spring and the District of Columbia announcing earlier this week it would shift the high school basketball season start to Feb. 1. Additionally, states continue to work to keep athletes and spectators safe as was evident last month in
North Carolina instituting a mask mandate during practices and games.
Below is an updated list of when the high school basketball season is set to begin in all 50 states.
Graphic By: Ryan Escobar
States already underway
Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
States with scheduled start dates
Nevada – Jan. 15
Arizona - Jan. 18
Connecticut – Jan. 19
Alaska – Jan. 22
Michigan – Jan. 22
Colorado – Jan. 25
New Jersey – Jan. 26
District of Columbia – Feb. 1
Washington – Feb. 1
West Virginia – March 1
California – March 12
New Mexico – March 22
Oregon – May 17
To be determined
New York, Rhode Island
Notable tournaments/events canceled
Alhambra Invitational — Cumberland, Md.
Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions — Springfield, Mo.
Cancer Research Classic — Wheeling, W.Va.
City of Palms Classic — Fort Myers, Fla.
Chick-fil-A Classic — Columbia, S.C.
Chicago Elite Classic — Chicago
Flyin to the Hoop Classic — Dayton, OH
Hoop City Classic — Sioux Falls, S.D.
'Iolani Classic — Honolulu
John Wall Holiday Invitational — Raleigh, N.C.
Kevin Brown Memorial Tournament of Champions — Washington, Ill.
Kevin Durant National Hoopfest — Multiple sites
Les Schwab Invitational — Hillsboro, Ore.
Lighthouse Classic — Corinth, Miss.
Slam Dunk to the Beach — Lewes, Del.
Spalding Hoophall Classic — Springfield, Mass.
Notable tournaments/events rescheduled
The Classic at Damien — La Verne, Calif., April 3-10
Nike Extravaganza — Santa Ana, Calif., May 14-15
