January and February have traditionally been reserved for in-state and league play in high school basketball.
Thanks to enterprising event organizers and coaches eager to test their teams against elite national competition, that's no longer the case.
At least a dozen events featuring teams from multiple states are on the slate beginning today and running through Saturday. That comes on the heels of the biggest high school hoops weekend of the year.
DaJuan Coleman and Jamesville-DeWitt have a big weekend ahead at the PrimeTime Shootout.
Photo by Lonnie Webb
The largest gathering of ranked teams will be at the PrimeTime Shootout in Morgantown, W.Va. No. 10
Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville, Fla.), No. 11
Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.), No. 15
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) and No. 16
Quality Education Academy (Winston-Salem, N.C.) will all participate along with Top 25 hopefuls like
Jamesville-DeWitt (DeWitt, N.Y.) and
Columbia (Decatur, Ga.), who meet in the Friday nightcap.
The only matchup of ranked teams at the Shootout pits Arlington Country Day against Montrose Christian.
The Under Armour-backed Brandon Jennings Invitational will bring an intriguing pack of programs to Milwaukee, Wis. Four of the eight teams involved have been ranked at some point in the season, although none made the Xcellent 25 cut this week.
Austin Rivers and
Winter Park (Fla.) take on
Boys & Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.) in a battle of defending state champions.
Teams from Florida, South Carolina and Washington are headed to suburban Atlanta to take on some of Georgia's elite programs at the Marriott Invitational. No. 2
Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.) takes on
Dr. Krop (Miami, Fla.), while No. 7
Milton (Ga.) will tackle
Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.).
In Nevada, the Big City Showdown is all about
Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.)-
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) showdown. The game is becoming the highlight of the Las Vegas high school hoops slate each year. Gorman would love to put an agonizing run of losses in big games this season with a win against head coach Michael Peck's Pilots.
Brandon Jennings InvitationalJan. 22 – Marquette University / Milwaukee, Wis.Penn Wood (Lansdowne, Pa.) vs.
Crenshaw (Los Angeles, Calif.)St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) vs.
Orr (Chicago, Ill.)Menomonee Falls (Wis.) vs.
Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.)Boys & Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.) vs.
Winter Park (Fla.)PrimeTime ShootoutJan. 21-22 – University High School / Morgantown, W.Va.Friday5 p.m. –
Morgantown (W.Va.) vs.
Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.)6:30 p.m. –
Chester (Pa.) vs.
Huntington Prep (Huntington, W.Va.)8 p.m. – No. 10
Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville, Fla.) vs.
St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.)9:30 p.m. –
Jamesville-DeWitt (DeWitt, N.Y.) vs.
Columbia (Decatur, Ga.)SaturdayNoon – No. 16
Quality Education Academy (Winston-Salem, N.C.) vs.
Our Savior New American (Centereach, N.Y.)1:30 p.m. –
Huntington Prep (Huntington, W.Va.) vs.
St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.)3 p.m. –
South Atlanta (Atlanta, Ga.) vs.
Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.)4:30 p.m. –
Jamesville-DeWitt (DeWitt, N.Y.) vs.
Wheeling Park (Wheeling, W.Va.)6 p.m. –
Columbia (Decatur, Ga.) vs.
Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.)7:30 p.m. – No. 15
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) vs.
Preston (Kingwood, W.Va.)9 p.m. – No. 10
Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville, Fla.) vs. No. 11
Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.)Marriott InvitationalJan. 21-22 – Norcross High School / Norcross, Ga.Friday5:30 p.m. –
Meadowcreek (Norcross, Ga.) vs.
Sagemont (Weston, Fla.)7 p.m. –
Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.) vs.
Dr. Krop (Miami, Fla.)8:30 p.m. –
Walton (Marietta, Ga.) vs.
Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.)Saturday4 p.m. – No. 2
Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.) vs.
Dr. Krop (Miami, Fla.)5:30 p.m. –
Greater Atlanta Christian (Norcross, Ga.) vs.
Sagemont (Weston, Fla.)7 p.m. –
Norcross (Ga.) vs.
Sumter (S.C.)8:30 p.m. – No. 7
Milton (Ga.) vs.
Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.)Big City ShowdownJan. 21-22 – Cox Pavilion / Las Vegas, Nev.Friday7 p.m. – No. 13
Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) vs.
Macdonald Academy (Red Springs, N.C.)Saturday6:15 p.m. –
Army-Navy (Carlsbad, Calif.) vs.
St. Bernard (Playa del Rey, Calif.)8 p.m. – No. 13
Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) vs.
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)
15th Annual Basketball AcademyJan. 20-22 – Coppin State University / Baltimore, Md.Thursday (Boys only)6:30 p.m. –
Perry Hall (Baltimore, Md.) vs.
Archbishop Spalding (Severn, Md.)8 p.m. –
Edmondson-Westside (Baltimore, Md.) vs.
Parkville (Baltimore, Md.)9:30 p.m. –
Patterson (Baltimore, Md.) vs.
Milford Mill Academy (Baltimore, Md.)Friday2:15 p.m. –
Douglass (Baltimore, Md.) vs.
Archbishop Spalding (Severn, Md.)5:15 p.m. –
Perry Hall (Baltimore, Md.) vs.
Havre de Grace (Md.)6:45 p.m. –
Dunbar (Baltimore, Md.) vs.
Owings Mills (Md.)8:15 p.m. –
Lake Clifton (Baltimore, Md.) vs.
Aberdeen (Md.)9:45 p.m. –
City College (Baltimore, Md.) vs.
Rocky Mount Prep (Battleboro, N.C.)Saturday11 a.m. –
Havre de Grace (Md.) vs.
Douglass (Baltimore, Md.)3:30 p.m. –
Aberdeen (Md.) vs.
Edmondson-Westside (Baltimore, Md.)5 p.m. –
Owings Mills (Md.) vs.
Lake Clifton (Baltimore, Md.)6:30 p.m. –
Rocky Mount Prep (Battleboro, N.C.) vs.
Patterson (Baltimore, Md.)8 p.m. –
Parkville (Baltimore, Md.) vs.
Dunbar (Baltimore, Md.)9:30 p.m. –
Milford Mill Academy (Baltimore, Md.) vs.
City College (Baltimore, Md.)High School Hoops ShowdownJan. 22 – Sears Centre Arena / Hoffman Estates, Ill.4:30 p.m. –
Marmion Academy (Aurora, Ill.) vs.
Central Catholic (Bloomington, Ill.)6:30 p.m. –
Lockport Township (Lockport, Ill.) vs.
Schaumburg (Ill.)8:30 p.m. – No. 19
Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.) vs.
Glenbard East (Lombard, Ill.)