2008 MAXPREPS HOLIDAY CLASSIC AT TORREY PINES
When: Friday through Tuesday, Dec. 26-30
Where: San Diego
Divisions: National, American, Mayors, Governors, Senators
Locations: Torrey Pines HS, Cathedral Catholic, La Costa Canyon, Rancho Bernardo, Westview.
Teams: 77 squads from nine different states and Canada.
Audio: www.KBCSports.com
Defending National Division champion: Dominguez (Compton), not back.
Last year’s title game: Click here.
MPHC Page: Click here.
By Mitch Stephens
MaxPreps.com
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Bigger doesn’t always mean better, but it does in the case of the 2008 MaxPreps Holiday Classic at Torrey Pines.
For the first time in its rich 19-season history, the nationally-acclaimed boys basketball tournament has expanded from 55 teams and four brackets to 77 teams and five brackets.
Among the teams are defending national champion St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.), featuring Villanova-bound Dominic Cheek, Washington state power Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma), led by Washington-bound Abdul Gaddy, and local power San Diego, which features arguably the nation’s top junior Jeremy Tyler.
The tournament opens Friday and continues through Tuesday.
“It’s not just more teams and more games to see, but there’s more of everything, especially talent,” Torrey Pines Coach and Tournament Director John Olive.
Olive said that more than 20 players in the tournament have either signed or committed to Division I college programs.
The top player might just be Tyler, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound post who has already committed to Louisville. As a sophomore, he averaged 18 points, 14.5 rebounds and a reported 7.7 blocks per game while leading San Diego (23-5) to its first section championship in 33 years.
“He’s as good as he wants to be,” San Diego coach Kenny Roy said. “He makes us better in every phase of the game.”
Cheek is a wiry 6-5, 175-pound wing who has sprung into his squad’s No. 1 option after graduation six Division I players in June. He was the team’s most consistent outside threat last year when St. Anthony went 32-0 and is considered a top-20 national recruit for the class of 2009.
Gaddy is a 6-3 point guard and like Cheek, considered a top 20 recruit. He averaged 23 points per game for a team last year that finished third in the Washington large-division playoff.
This trio probably leads the top three seeds in the National (top) division according to Olive, though Rocklin, powered by Brendan Lane, a versatile 6-10 post headed to UCLA, is another legitimate threat.
The Thunder is off to an 8-1 start behind Lane, who is averaging 22.8 points per game. Last year he averaged 20.4 points, 11.7 rebounds and 5.2 blocks per game.
St. Anthony (2-0), led by reigning national Coach of the Year Bob Hurley, would be the obvious favorite but three top transfers, all front-liners, Ashton Pankey, Devon Collier and Derrick Williams, won’t be eligible until next month.
Without much size, the Friars will rely heavily on Cheek, junior D’marcus Owens and defense, a Hurley staple, to take the tournament.
“Guard play will definitely be key,” MaxPreps East Coast basketball expert Steve Spiewak said. “This team is definitely a work in progress. It’s going to take some time to groom and learn the system with the younger guys.”
Other California squads that could make some noise in the National division are Newark Memorial (currently No. 6 in the state according to MaxPreps computer rankings), No. 30 Eisenhower (Rialto) and No. 35 Windward (Los Angeles).
One of the most intriguing squads is Chrisman (Independence, Mo.), which runs the famed up-tempo Grinnell (Iowa) style and are led by a pair of Division I standouts in 6-4 guard Justin Clark and 6-7 forward Jon Akey, who have both signed to Illinois State.
Clark averaged 25.6 points per game and made 103 3-pointers last year when Akey averaged 13.8 points and drilled 77 3s, leading the team to a 14-14 record.
This season, the team’s fourth under the Grinnel system, the Bears are 4-2 and Clark is scoring at a 27 ppg clip.
“They should be an interesting matchup for whomever they play,” Olive said.
Chrisman opens with Bellevue (Wash.) in a 1:10 p.m. game Friday at Torrey Pines High.
There are five different sites — Cathedral, La Costa Canyon, Rancho Bernardo and Westview. All National games will be played at Torrey Pines, though at least one game a day from the division will be at Westview.
Other National Division games Friday at Torrey Pines are Pasadena-Eisenhower (11:35 a.m.), Foothill Christian-Newark Memorial (2:45 p.m.), Windward-Bellarmine Prep (San Jose) (4:20 p.m.), Bellarmine (Wash.)-Rocklin (5:55 p.m.), St. Anthony-Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland) (7:30 p.m.) and San Diego-Santa Rita (Ariz.).
Olive points out that the National division isn’t the only place where the frantic action is at.
“There were 29 teams that requested the National division,” he said. “We toyed with different national brackets but it didn’t make much sense.”
That means the second-tier American Division is also stacked with such formidable squads as Long Beach Poly, Simi Valley, Don Bosco Prep (N.J.), Long Beach Jordan, Woodlands (Texas) and Bingham (Utah).
Teams from nine different states and Canada give the tournament lots of flavor but with an arctic winter storm hitting throughout the land, air traffic has been a hassle this week and could delay some games.
“Every tournament is unique and offers different challenges,” Olive said. “Some run smoother than others.”
NOTES: Olive, whose team is 8-1 and plays in the Mayors Division and features one of the state’s most intriguing players, 6-4 wing Trevor Newquist, who plays basketball and soccer for Torrey Pines in the same season. The senior standout is a three-year starter on the basketball team for Torrey Pines and currently the leading scorer at 15 ppg. Newquist is a world class soccer player, according to Olive, who has always opted for club soccer. This year he’s playing for the school soccer team. “As long as he can keep his commitment to both I have no problem,” Olive said. “He’s always been a very good defender for us, but now he’s carrying the load on offense as well.” … Among those who have played in the tournament include Lamar Odom (Lakers), Erik Barkley (Trail Blazers), Speedy Claxton (Hornets), Scott Pollard (Pacers), Craig Smith (Timberwolves), Casey Jacobson (Grizzlies), Stephon Marbury (Knicks), C.J. Watson (Warriors), Marcus Williams (Warriors), Brook Lopez (Nets) and Robin Lopez Suns). The tournament will go for two days before taking Sunday off and then resuming with play Monday and championship games on Tuesday.
E-mail Mitch Stephens at mstephens@maxpreps.com.
