Four days until MaxPreps Holiday Classic: Four days of competition

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — The four days leading up to Christmas tend to a little hectic. Last-minute shopping, wrapping, jamming five days of work into three.

But the four days until the MaxPreps Holiday Classic matches the amount of days high school basketball fans get to enjoy one of the nation's largest and best tournaments.

Rancho Mirage (Calif.) will serve as the primary host, but games will be played in seven others venues around the Coachella Valley from Dec. 26-30. The tourney features 148 teams and 15 divisions, topped off by the Open Division.

In addition to defending national champion Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), which went 35-0 en route to its fourth consecutive state title last season, other headliners from the Open Division 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 (Chatsworth, Calif.) is another program to watch after going 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.

Here is the schedule of the four days.

Day 1: Friday, Dec. 26 (First-round games).

Day 2: Saturday, Dec. 27 (Slam dunk contest after final game at Rancho Mirage).

Day 3: Monday, Dec. 29 (Three-point shooting contest at halftime of the semifinal Open Division games at Rancho Mirage).  

Day 4: Tuesday, Dec. 30 (Championship games).

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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
Veer Singh (6-6, F), St. Peter's Prep
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
Nate Pierre-Louis (6-0, G), St. Peter's Prep
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