By Jason Hickman
MaxPreps.com
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College football bowl games aren't America's only tradition during the Holiday Season anymore.
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High school basketball tournaments are becoming a bigger part of the late-December sports landscape, as organizers from Florida to Oregon are bringing teams together from all over the country to form competitive, compelling fields.
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Here is a look at seven of the top Holiday hoopfests in the country.
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Nike Academy National Invitational
Location: Houston, Texas
Dates: Dec. 27-30
2006 Field: National Division - Alief Hastings, Texas; Christ the King, N.Y.; DeMatha, Md.; Kingwood, Texas; Norcross, Ga.; Rainier Beach, Wash.; Rice, N.Y.; St. Patrick, N.J. Texas Division: Aldine, Texas; Bellaire, Texas; Klein Collins, Texas; Houston Madison, Texas; Strake Jesuit, Texas; The Woodlands, Texas; Westbury Christian, Texas; Houston Yates, Texas.
Quick Facts: It would be tough to find a more impressive eight-team field than the Academy National Invitational's National Division.A Norcross vs. Rice, or Rainier Beach vs. DeMatha matchup would be an entertaining final at most tournaments, but in Houston, those are just first round matchups.There are at least a dozen Division I-bound players in the National Division alone, but keep an eye on Christ the King's "Little General," 5-6 junior point guard Erving Walker.Now in its sixth year, the ANI has hosted the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Michael Beasley, Ndudi Ebi, and Jawann McClellan post-Christmas in previous seasons.
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Beach Ball Classic
Location: Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Dates: Dec. 26-30
2006 Field: Arlington Country Day, Fla.; Bishop O'Connell, Va.; Chaminade-Madonna, Fla.; Father Henry Carr, Canada; Galena, Nev.; Latta, S.C.; Miami, Fla.; Mt. St. Edward, Ohio; St. Joseph's, Md.; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Pennsbury, Pa.; Pinewood Prep, S.C.; Scott County, Ky.; Socastee, S.C.; St. Johns, D.C.; Wilson, S.C.
Quick Facts: Myrtle Beach loves its Beach Ball Classic, and this year will be no exception with teams from eight states, the District of Columbia, and Canada filling out a heavyweight, 16-team field.Arlington Country Day is the headliner in this group and coming off back-to-back state titles in Florida.Galena's Luke Babbitt will be a crowd favorite - the 6-9 junior averaged 25.2 points per game as a sophomore and earned Northern Nevada Co-Player of the Year honors.Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Jason Kidd, Jermaine O'Neal, and Rasheed Wallace are just a few of the names that have participated in the Classic over the years.
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Great Florida Shootout
Location: Kissimmee, Fla.
Dates: Dec. 19-23
2006 Field: Cardinal Gibbons, Fla.; Champaign Central, Ill.; Cocoa, Fla.; Dillard, Fla.; Dr. Phillips, Fla.; Gateway, Fla.; Jacksonville Andrew Jackson, Fla.; Huntsville Lee, Ala.; Lexington Catholic, Ky.; Ocoee, Fla.; Osceola, Fla.; Oviedo, Fla.; Poinciana, Fla.; St. Cloud, Fla.; Spring Westfield, Texas.
Quick Facts: Several of the top teams in Florida are joined by talented out-of-state guests in the 26th installment of the Great Florida Shootout this year.Dillard highlights the list of Sunshine State participants while Spring Westfield will be a tough draw out of Texas after compiling a 35-1 record a year ago.A Bobby Hurley-led St. Anthony's, N.J., team won the 1988 tournament title, while in more recent seasons, names like Elton Brand, Chris Duhon, Travis Outlaw, and J.R. Smith have made appearances.
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adidas Kingdom of the Sun National Classic
Location: Ocala, Fla.
Dates: Dec. 27-30
2006 Field: Ballard, Ky.; Columbia, Ga.; Dr. Phillips, Fla.; Fresno Edison, Calif.; Ely, Fla.; Lakewood, Fla.; Monroe, Ga.; Keystone Heights, Fla.; LaSalle, Ohio; North Marion, Fla.; Pine Castle Christian, Fla.; Southeast, Fla.; White-Field Academy, Ga.; Williston, Fla.; The Rock, Fla.; Vanguard, Fla.
Quick Facts: This field probably lacks a little of the punch it has featured in previous seasons, but the Vanguard High-hosted event is consistently praised as one of the best organized and enjoyable tournaments in the country.Watch out for Williston's Jiwan James.30 former Kingdom of the Sun participants have gone on to play in the NBA, dating back as far as Derek Harper and Vernon Maxwell, and as recent as Dwight Howard.True hoops historians will remember the names David Rivers and Sherman Douglas - that duo took home MVP honors in 1983 and 1984, respectively.
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Les Schwab Invitational
Location: Hillsboro, Ore.
Dates: Dec. 27-30
2006 Field: Aloha, Ore.; Canby, Ore.; Portland Grant, Ore.; Portland Jefferson, Ore.; Jesuit, Ore.; Lake Oswego, Ore.; Mountain View, Ariz.; Mountain View, Ore.; Oak Hill Academy, Va.; Oregon City, Ore.; Prairie, Wash.; Sheldon, Ore.; South Medford, Ore.; Westview, Ore.; Wheeler, Ga.; White Rock Christian, Canada.
Quick Facts: Lake Oswego and Oak Hill Academy were placed on opposite sides of the brackets as organizers hope to pit local legend Kevin Love against the country's premier basketball factory in the final.Past MVP's in this event include Love (2003), Carmelo Anthony (2001), and Tyson Chandler (2000).Oak Hill is a regular in this tournament, and has captured the title three times - 1997, 2001, and 2004.Just three Oregon teams have won the tournament title in its 10-year existence - Beaverton (1996), Jefferson (1999), and Jesuit (2003).
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Proviso West Holiday Tournament
Location: Hillside, Ill.
Dates: Dec. 27-30
2006 Field: Evanston, Ill.; Fenwick, Ill.; Glenbrook North, Ill.; Hillcrest, Ill.; Homewood-Flossmoor, Ill.; Julian, Ill.; Morgan Park, Ill.; New Trier, Ill.; Peoria Central, Ill.; Proviso East, Ill.; Proviso West, Ill.; Saint Joseph, Ill.; Thornton Fractional North, Ill.; Von Steuben, Ill.; Whitney Young, Ill.
Quick Facts: If you are looking for big name, national-level teams, this probably isn't the place for you.The Proviso West Holiday Tournament is generally an Illinois-only shootout with a "who's who" of Chicago-area powerhouses filling out the 16-team field.The storyline this season will be Saint Joseph's bid to become the first team to win the PWHT three-straight seasons. The Chargers have the firepower to get it done with Ohio State commitment Evan Turner and guard Demetri McCamey returning to their lineup.Keep the name D.J. Richardson of Peoria Central in mind, as well. The sophomore guard is expected to be the next star to use the tournament as a launching pad to Land of Lincoln notoriety.Entering its 46th season, the Proviso West Holiday Tournament has an impressive alumni list, including Mark Aguirre, Michael Finley, Kevin Garnett, Hersey Hawkins, Jeff Hornacek, Juwan Howard, Marcus Liberty, Corey Maggette, and Isaiah Thomas.
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Torrey Pines Holiday Prep Classic
Location: San Diego, Calif. (Torrey Pines, La Costa Canyon, Rancho Bernardo, and Cathedral High Schools)
Dates: Dec. 26-30
2006 Field: Arroyo Valley, Calif.; Bakersfield, Calif.; Bend, Ore.; Bingham, Utah; Bishop O'Dowd, Calif.; Compton Dominguez, Calif.; Campolindo, Calif.; Cardinal Newman, Calif.; Carlsbad, Calif.; San Diego Cathedral, Calif., Christian Life Academy, La.; Claremont, Calif.; Clear Lake, Texas; Clovis West, Calif.; Compton, Calif.; Coronado, Nev.; Crespi, Calif.; Cross Roads, Calif.; Long Beach Jordan, Calif.; Eagle River, Alaska; Eastern Commerce, Canada; Escondido, Calif.; Franklin, Wash.; Granger, Utah; Granite Hills, Calif.; Green Valley, Nev.; Hollywood, Calif.; Jesuit, Calif.; La Costa Canyon, Calif.; Leuzinger, Calif.; Lodi, Calif.; Loyola, Calif;. Monte Vista, Calif.; Nevada Union, Calif.; Newark Memorial, Calif.; Northwood, Calif.; Otay, Calif.; Our Savior Lutheran, N.Y., Poway, Calif.; Rancho Bernardo, Calif.; Rancho Verde, Calif.; Rocklin, Calif.; Royal, Calif.; Santa Margarita, Calif.; San Diego Serra, Calif.; Simi Valley, Calif.; Southwood, Canada; St. Joseph, Calif.; St. Joseph of Notre Dame, Calif.; St. George's, Canada; Temecula Valley, Calif.; Temescal Canyon, Calif.; Thousand Oaks, Calif.; Torrey Pines, Calif.; Rancho Buena, Calif.
Quick Facts: Torrey Pines isn't just one of the biggest Holiday events in the country, it's also one of the best.The 2006 field features 58 teams from eight states outside of California and three teams from Canada, including Toronto power Eastern Commerce.The Classic is in its 17th season.Teams compete in four separate divisions, with the National Division being the marquee field. The grouping featured California powers Compton Centennial, Clovis West, De La Salle, Dominguez, and Villa Park, as well as out-of-state challengers Franklin, Wash., and St. Dominic, N.Y., a year ago.NBA stars like Stephon Marbury, Lamar Odom, and Luke Walton have participated in the TPHPC in past years, and St. Anthony's, N.J., head coach Bob Hurley won his 800th game at this event in 2003.
