The Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions is annually considered one of the premier high school basketball events in the nation. The 37th installment will be played Jan. 13-15 at the JQH Arena in Springfield, Mo.
Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) (14-1) is the headliner in this year's field as the Trailblazers enter the event ranked No. 4 in MaxPreps Top 25. The California powerhouse is finally expected to be at full strength with
Amari Bailey set to return on a minutes restriction after an ankle injury that has kept him out for the majority of the season.
Isaiah Elohim and
Jeremiah Nyarko are now eligible after sitting out until late December due to CIF transfer rules.
Bronny James is another player to watch as the 6-foot-3 guard has shown strong development in his junior year, averaging 10 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.4 steals on the season.
Whitney Young is one of the top teams out of the Midwest, featuring a strong lineup headlined by four-star Miami signee
A.J. Casey and Northern Illinois pledge
Xavier Amos in the frontcourt and under-the-radar juniors
Dalen Davis and
Marcus Pigram in the backcourt.
How to watch
When: Thursday, Jan. 13-Saturday, Jan. 15
Where: JHQ Arena/Springfield, Mo.
Milton is the defending Georgia Class 7A state champions but has struggled to find its footing so far this season against a challenging national schedule. Led by senior Ohio State signee
Bruce Thornton and five-star Stanford commit
Kanaan Carlyle along with 2020-21 MaxPreps National Athlete of the Year
Lebbeus Overton, the Eagles have the talent to capture the title this weekend.
Both semifinal games Friday along with the third-place and championship games Saturday will be streamed on ESPN+.
Stanford commit Kanaan Carlyle of Milton skies for the layup at the City of Palms Classic.
Photo by Pete Wright