Several tri-state area teams are scheduled to play in outstanding tournaments in other parts of the country during the 2012-13 season. This list will be updated as more information becomes available, so check back over the next several weeks. Unless otherwise noted, these events are played to a championship.
December 7-9: 24th Annual Gonzaga D. C. Classic 12/7 and 12/8 @ Gonzaga College (Washington) and 12/9 @ George Washington U. Archbishop Molloy (Queens), Germantown Academy (Ft. Washington, PA), and Roman Catholic (Philadelphia) compete in a eight team field with top squads from Washington and Maryland. In the first round, Molloy will play the host team, Germantown Academy will face Sidwell Friends (Washington), and Roman is against Bullis (Potomac, MD).
Results: In the first round, Sidwell Friends defeated Germantown Academy, 63-57; Gonzaga College defeated Archbishop Molloy, 78-66; and Bullis defeated Roman Catholic, 61-49.
In the second round, Archbishop Molloy defeated Germantown Academy, 82-61, and Roman Catholic defeated Archbishop Carroll (Washington) 49-38.
In the third round, Archbishop Molloy defeated Roman Catholic, 54-52, and Germantown Academy defeated Archbishop Carroll (Washington), 51-49.
December 18-22: 40th Annual State Farm City of Palms Classic @ Bishop Verot (Ft. Myers, FL) On paper, this looks to be the outstanding Christmas season high school basketball tournament in the country this year. Two time defending Penssylvania PIAA Class AAAA state champion Chester (Chester, PA) will compete in a 16 team field that includes Montverde Academy (Montverde, FL), Prestonwood Christian (Plano, TX), Whitney M. Young (Chicago), defending champion of the excellent Washington Catholic league Paul VI Catholic (Fairfax, VA), Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, CA), and three time defending Nebraska state champion Omaha Central (Omaha, NE). Of the teams in the field, only Chester and Omaha Central (winners of six state championships in the past seven seasons) were undefeated last season.
Results: Chester finished in 6th place in the main section of the tournament, with two wins and two losses. In their opening game, Chester defeated Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, FL), 85-68, then lost to Lone Peak (Highland, UT), 73-50. Chester then defeated Lake Wales (Lake Wales, FL), 78-64 before losing to Whitney M. Young (Chicago), 67-56.
Montverde Academy won the tournament, defeating Lone Peak in the championship game.
December 19-22: Chick-fil-A Classic @ Richland Northeast (Columbia, SC) Roberts Vaux (Philadelphia) and Christ the King Regional (Queens) will compete in a 16 team field, which includes such perennial powers as Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach, FL), Miller (Charlottesville, VA), St. John Bosco (Bellflower, CA), and Wheeler (Marietta, GA).
Results: Roberts Vaux lost all three of the games that they played in this event, being defeated by Deerfield Beach (Deerfield Beach, FL), 68-67; Spring Valley (Columbia, SC), 86-74; and Miller (Charlottesville, VA), 80-76.
Christ the King Regional lost in the first round, 56-54, to Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach, FL), then beat W. J. Keenan (Columbia, SC), 74-63, and defeated Wesleyan Christian (High Point, NC), 58-54.
December 19-23: 32nd Canfield Development King of the Bluegrass Holiday Classic @ Fairdale (Louisville, KY) Philadelphia Electrical and Technology Charter (Philadelphia) and South Shore (Brooklyn) will compete in a 16 team field comprised primarily of squads from the host state.
Results: In the first round, Philadelphia Electrical and Technology Charter was defeated, 72-49, by defending Tennessee Class AA state champion Christ Presbyterian Academy (Nashville), and South Shore lost to Pleasure Ridge Park (Louisville), 89-78.
In the second round, Philadelphia Electrical and Technology Charter defeated Mountain Pointe (Phoenix), 54-52, and South Shore beat Bowling Green (Bowling Green, KY), 53-44.
In the third round, South Shore defeated Philadelphia Electrical and Technology Charter, 55-37.
In the final of the consolation round, South Shore beat Martha Layne Collins (Shelbyville, KY), 64-47.
December 20-22: 14th Annual Mission Prep Christmas Classic @ Mission Prep (San Luis Obispo, CA). Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia) competes in an eight team segment of this event, with a first round game against ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch, CO). Imhotep's bracket includes teams from California, Colorado, Florida, Utah, and Washington state.
Results: In the first round, Imhotep Charter defeated ThunderRidge, 54-50. Imhotep Charter lost in the second round, 44-41, to Seattle Prep (Seattle). Having been eliminated from championship contention, Imhotep Charter played an additional game, defeating Brighton (Cottonwood Heights, UT), 55-52.
December 26-29: MaxPreps Holiday Classic @ Cathedral City (Palm Springs, CA) Cardinal Hayes (Bronx) will compete in an exceptional event with such outstanding teams as Miller Grove (Lithonia, GA), Westchester (Los Angeles), Ranier Beach (Seattle), and Fort Bend Travis (Richmond, TX).
Results: After flying across the country on the first day of the event, Cardinal Hayes lost in the first round to Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, CA), 71-69.
Playing in the consolation bracket, Cardinal Hayes defeated Dorsey (Los Angeles), 70-49. In the third round, Cardinal Hayes lost to Leuzinger (Lawnsdale, CA), 76-60. Cardinal Hayes took 11th place in the event by defeating A. B. Miller (Fontana, CA), 49-37.
December 26-29: HighSchoolOT.com Holiday Invitational @ Broughton (Raleigh, NC) St. Joseph (Metuchen, NJ), with Karl Towns, regarded by some experts as the outstanding sophomore in the nation, will compete in a segment of a huge field that includes New Hampton (New Hampton, NH), Dudley (Greenboro, NC), Word of God Academy (Raleigh, NC), and Miller (Charlottesville, VA), among others. (Note: this event was formerly known as the GlaxoSmithKline Holiday Invitational.)
Results: Due to some bad weather, St. Joseph was unable to reach the tournament site in time to play on December 26, so their first round game was cancelled. However, they were advanced to the winners' bracket of the Summit Hospitality segment of the event for their second round game. In the second round, St. Joseph defeated host Broughton (Raleigh, NC), 58-50. DeSoto (DeSoto, TX) defeated St. Joseph for the segment championship, 45-42.
December 26-31: Beach Ball Classic @ Myrtle Beach Convention Center (Myrtle Beach, SC) Hudson Catholic (Jersey City) will play in an amazing 16 team field with such teams as Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), Whitney M. Young (Chicago), St. Rita of Cascia (Chicago), Rufus King (Milwaukee), and Wheeler (Marietta, GA).
Results: In the first round, Hudson Catholic defeated Socastee (Myrtle Beach, SC), 75-48. In the second round, Hudson Catholic defeated Wheeler (Marietta, GA), 50-42. In the semifinals, Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, VA) defeated Hudson Catholic, 60-39. Hudson Catholic won third place honors in the event by defeating Scott County (Georgetown, KY), 56-51. Whitney M. Young won the tournament, defeating Bishop O'Connell in the championship game, 58-37.
December 27-28: Shooting Touch Shootout @ Emmanual College (Boston) This event is a series of games over two days and is not played to a championship. St. Anthony (Jersey City) will play Winter Park (Winter Park, FL) on December 27 and Central Catholic (Lawrence, MA) on December 28. Central Catholic was 21-2 last season, and they have won Massachusetts MIAA state championships in two of the past five seasons. Christ the King Regional (Queens) will play New Mission (Roxbury, MA) on December 27 and Iolani (Honolulu) on December 28. New Mission has won Massachusetts MIAA state championships in two of the past four seasons.
Results: In the first round, Christ the King Regional crushed New Mission, 80-58, and St. Anthony blasted Brighton (Brighton, MA), 78-42. Also in the first round, Wings Academy (Bronx) defeated Iolani, 55-35. Winter Park is not participating in the event, contrary to information previously provided to this site by the tournament's sponsor, and Wings Academy was not originally scheduled to participate.
In the second round, Christ the King Regional defeated Iolani, 65-43; St. Anthony defeated Central Catholic, 54-50; and Wings Academy defeated Amityville Memorial (Amityville, NY), 63-55.
December 27-29: Les Schwab Invitational @ Liberty (Hillsboro, OR) Three time defending Pennsylvania PIAA Class AAA state champion Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) joins a 16 team field that includes Archbishop Mitty (San Jose), Gonzaga College (Washington), Jesuit (Portland), and Jefferson (Portland). Neumann-Goretti has an excellent chance to win this event.
Results: In the first round, Neumann-Goretti defeated Tigard (Tigard, OR), 87-58. In the second round, Neumann-Goretti defeated West Linn (West Linn, OR), 96-74. In the semifinal round, Lake Oswego (Lake Oswego, OR) defeated Neumann-Goretti, 63-59. Neumann-Goretti finished fourth in the tournament, losing to Gonzaga College (Washington), 82-71.
December 27-30: 21st Annual Mirabito STOP-DWI Holiday Classic @ Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena (Binghamton, NY) The eight team National Division of this well-regarded event includes Brooklyn Collegiate (Brooklyn), Bishop Loughlin Memorial (Brooklyn), Philadelphia Electrical and Technology Charter (Philadelphia), and St. Raymond Boys (Bronx). Interestingly, the field also includes two teams from Toronto, Canada's high school basketball hotbed.
Results: This event was reconfigured as a result of a couple of developments. First, due to labor action in Ontario, the teams from Toronto that were to participate in this tournament could not travel to Binghamton. (Canadian unions engage in traditional labor activities, as opposed to so many United States unions that have absurdly abandoned that orientation in favor of joining a political party.) Second, the planned Gulf Shore Invitational collapsed, providing open dates for Abraham Lincoln (Brooklyn) and Trinity (Louisville).
In the first round, Trinity (Louisville) defeated Abraham Lincoln (Brooklyn), 56-52; Philadelphia Electrical and Technology Charter defeated St. Raymond Boys, 62-54; Bishop Loughlin defeated I. C. Norcom (Portsmouth, VA), 76-60; and Paul Laurence Dunbar (Lexington, KY) defeated Brooklyn Collegiate, 72-53.
In the second round, Abraham Lincoln defeated St. Raymond Boys, 55-42; Brooklyn Collegiate defeated I. C. Norcom, 59-43; Bishop Loughlin defeated Paul Laurence Dunbar, 58-33; and Trinity defeated Philadelphia Electrical and Technology Charter, 46-40.
In consolation games, St. Raymond Boys defeated I. C. Norcom, 65-53; Abraham Lincoln defeated Brooklyn Collegiate, 71-43; and Paul Laurence Dunbar defeated Philadelphia Electrical and Technology Charter, 71-48. Bishop Loughlin won the tournament championship by defeating Trinity, 75-68.
January 4-5: 6th Cancer Research Classic @ Wheeling Jesuit U. (Wheeling, WV). This event is a series of games, rather than a tournament played to a championship. Six tri-state area teams are scheduled to participate. On January 4, Lower Merion (Ardmore, PA) will play St. Raymond Boys (Bronx). On January 5, St. Benedict's Prep (Newark) will meet Gonzaga College (Washington), three time defending Pennsylvania PIAA Class AAA state champion Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) will play Salesian (Richmond, CA), Gill St. Bernard's (Gladstone, NJ) is matched against DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, MD), and St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia) will play Wheeling Park (Wheeling, WV). In the feature game of the event, to be played on January 5, Simeon Career Academy (Chicago) will play Montverde Academy (Montverde, FL).
Results: The schedule for this event was reconfigured. St. Benedict's Prep did not participate. Instead of playing Salesian, Neumann-Goretti played Whitney M. Young (Chicago). Lower Merion defeated St. Raymond Boys, 71-44; Whitney M. Young defeated Neumann-Goretti, 78-49; DeMatha Catholic defeated Gill St. Bernard's, 83-64; and St. Joseph's Prep defeated Wheeling Park, 70-43.
January 17-21: 12th Annual Spaulding Hoophall Classic Invitational Tournament @ Blake Arena (Springfield, MA) The details of this event have not been made public, but some press reports have indicated that 49 teams will participate in what promises to be one of the greatest high school basketball tournaments ever held in this country. On January 19, two time defending Pennsylvania PIAA Class AAAA state champion Chester (Chester, PA) will face Whitney M. Young (Chicago), and three time defending Pennsylvania PIAA Class AAA state champion Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) will play Orlando Christian Prep (Orlando, FL). On January 20, St. Benedict's Prep (Newark) will play a fellow perennial power, Montrose Christian (Rockville, MD). On January 21, two time defending New Jersey NJSIAA Non-Public B and Tournament of Champions champion St. Anthony (Jersey City) will face Lone Peak (West Highland, UT), and Hudson Catholic (Jersey City) will play DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, MD). Other teams playing during the weekend include Findlay College Prep (Henderson, NV), Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, CA), Prestonwood Christian (Plano, TX), and Huntington Prep (Huntington, WV). It what may prove to be the marquee game of the weekend, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA) will play Simeon Career Academy (Chicago). Some of the games at this tournament will be televised.
January 18-19: Burger King Classic @ Hammermill Center (Erie, PA) This is always an outstanding event in which four teams play to a championship, with doubleheaders on both days. In the first round, Lower Merion (Ardmore, PA) faces Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, VA) and Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia) plays Cathedral Prep (Erie, PA). The second round is winners v winners and losers v losers.
January 18-21: Good Samaritan Flyin' to the Hoop Invitational @ Trent Arena (Kettering, OH) This event is a series of games, rather than a tournament played to a championship. On January 20, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, NJ) will play Walnut Hills (Cincinnati). Some of the top teams in the nation will participate in this event, including Findlay College Prep (Henderson, NV), Huntington Prep (Huntington, WV), Quality Education Academy (Winston-Salem, NC), and Wheeler (Marietta, GA). Our Savior New American (Centerreach, NY) will play three games in the event.
January 21: MLK Hoopfest Showcase @ Coolidge (Washington) This is a one-day event primarily featuring teams from in and around the District of Columbia. Math Civics and Sciences Charter (Philadelphia) will play Paul VI Catholic (Fairfax, VA), the defending champion of the outstanding Washington Catholic league. Paul VI Catholic was 35-5 last season and was ranked #8 in the United States by the website MaxPreps.
These events are typically little publicized, and, to the best of my knowledge, no other source attempts to gather this information in one place. As more complete information becomes available, the listing below will be updated, so check back often. Also, last minute schedule changes may occur, so it is best to try to check before you go.
January 2-3: Roselle Catholic Hoops for Troops Basketball Classic @ Roselle Catholic (350 Raritan Road, Roselle, NJ) 1/2 5 Plainfield v Rumson-Fair Haven, Patrick (formerly St. Patrick) v Eastside, St. Peter's Prep v Montverde Academy (Montverde, FL). 1/3 5 Governor Livingston v Westfield, a girls' game, Roselle Catholic v Montverde Academy (Montverde, FL).
January 4-6: 10th Annual The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children Basketball Festival @ Kean U. 1/4 7 St. Benedict's Prep v Life Center Academy, Hudson Catholic v Cardinal McCarrick. 1/5 7 Roselle Catholic v Seton Hall Prep, St. Anthony v Curtis (Staten Island). 1/6 1:45 Union Catholic v Bergen Catholic, St. Joseph (Metuchen, NJ) v St. Peter's Prep, Paramus Catholic v Marist. This event also includes there girls' games: one on 1/4 at 5:15, one on 1/6 at 12, and another one on 1/6 at 7.
January 5: Inter-Ac Tripleheader @ Neumann U.
January 6: Playaz Basketball Club The New Year's Jump-Off @ Hackensack (1st and Beech Streets, Hackensack, NJ) 3 Dwight Morrow v Hackensack, St. Anthony v East Side (Newark), Hudson Catholic v Pope John XXIII, Teaneck v Gill St. Bernard's.
January 12: Hoop Group Boardwalk Showcase @ Long Branch (404 Indiana Avenue, Long Branch, NJ) 12 Point Pleasant Beach v Manasquan, St. Anthony v Christian Brothers Academy (Lincroft, NJ), St. Joseph (Metuchen, NJ) v Neptune, Long Branch v Colts Neck.
January 13: Scholastic Play-by-Play Network Harrisburg Classic @ Central Dauphin (437 Piketown Road, Harrisburg, PA) 1:30 Berks Catholic v Communications Tech, Red Land v Philadelphia Electrical and Technology Charter, Susquehanna Township v Abington Heights, Central Dauphin East v Scranton, Central Dauphin v Liberty.
January 18-21: Planet Athlete MLK--I Have a Dream Showcase @ East Side (238 Van Buren Street, Newark) ?
January 19: 9th Annual Dan Finn Classic @ Jersey City Armory (678 Montgomery Street, Jersey City) 12:30 Snyder v Pascack Valley, Lawrenceville v Patrick (formerly St. Patrick), Linden v Blair Academy, St. Anthony v Atlantic City, Gill St. Bernard's v Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, NY).
January 19: Scholastic Play-by-Play Network 12th Annual Play-by-Play Classic (Note: games will be played simultaneously at two different locations.) @ Archbishop Carroll (211 Matsonford Road, Wayne--or Radnor--PA) 1 Friends' Central v Germantown Academy, Williamsport Area v Shipley, Roberts Vaux v Haverford (the private school), Archbishop Carroll v Sanford (Hockessin, DE), Plymouth-Whitemarsh v Malvern Prep. @ Harriton (600 North Ithan, Rosemont, PA) 12:30 Westtown v Life Center Academy (Burlington, NJ), William Tennent v Parkland, Math, Civics and Sciences Charter v Penn Wood, Harriton v Radnor.
January 19: Scholastic Play-by-Play Network Reading Classic: @ Reading (801 North 13th Street, Reading, PA) 12:30 Berks Catholic v Constitution, Simon Gratz v Communications Tech, Reading v Liberty.
January 19 and 21: 10th Annual Big Apple Invitational @ Baruch College 1/19 12 Bayside v Half Hollow Hills West (Dix Hills, NY), Wings Academy v East Boston (East Boston, MA), Curtis v St. Frances Academy (Baltimore), Thomas Jefferson Campus v Coolidge (Washington), South Shore v Princeton Day Academy (Greenbelt, MD). 1/21 12 Bayside v Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, NY), Curtis v Princeton Day (Princeton, NJ), Massanutten Military Academy (Woodstock, VA) v Vermont Academy (Saxtons River, VT), South Shore v Pope John XXIII (Sparta, NJ).
January 21: Playaz Basketball Club Freedom Fighters Hoop Challenge @ Eastside (150 Park Avenue, Paterson, NJ) 4 Teaneck v Passaic County Tech, John F. Kennedy (Paterson, NJ) v Medford Tech, Eastside (Paterson, NJ) v Newark Tech.
January 25-26: SNY Invitational @ City College of New York ? Format: four teams play to a championship, with doubleheaders on both evenings. Teams include: Boys and Girls, Cardinal Hayes, Long Island Lutheran, and St. Anthony (Jersey City). Games will be telecast on the SNY channel.
January 26: Geigle Classic Shootout @ Reading (801 North 13th Street, Reading, PA) ? Games include Reading v Harrisburg and William Penn (York, PA) v Penn Wood.
January 27: Hoop Group Lehigh Valley Showcase @ Parkland (2700 North Cedar Crest Boulevard, Allentown, PA) 12 Liberty v Council Rock North, Abington Heights v Gill St. Bernard's (Gladstone, NJ), Germantown Academy v St. Benedict's Prep (Newark), Parkland v Patrick (formerly St. Patrick) (Elizabeth, NJ), Freedom v Hudson Catholic (Jersey City).
Since this website's inception, December 27 has been the date for the publication of the site's prediction of the District 1 teams that will qualify for the PIAA state championship tournament.
For teams that belong to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), the regular basketball season is pretty short. While it seems that the season has just begun, many teams have played almost a third of their regular seasons schedule.
734 PIAA member schools are fielding boys' basketball teams this season. Based on male enrollment, these schools are arrayed into four classes, with Class AAAA being comprised of the schools with the largest male enrollments. There are a total of 184 PIAA Class AAAA boys' basketball teams this season, and 56 of them are in District 1, which is, basically, the area of Philadelphia's Pennsylvania suburbs. (Philadelphia schools are arrayed in PIAA District 12.)
This season, the District 1 Class AAAA tournament will begin on February 15, and 32 teams will participate, seeking nine spots in the state championship tournament. Seven of the past eight PIAA Class AAAA state champions have come from District 1, and I expect that a District 1 team will win the 2012-13 title.
So, this article is a prediction of which District 1 teams will qualify for the Class AAAA state championship tournament. While a lot can happen over the next couple of months, the predicted qualifiers are, in alphabetical order:
1. Abington (Abington, PA) (7-0) They have defeated Norristown Area, Wissahickon, Archbishop Wood, and Council Rock North. They qualified for the state championship tournament last season and were eliminated in the first round by Central Dauphin.
2. Chester (Chester, PA) (4-2) They have wins over Abraham Lincoln (Brooklyn) and J. P. McCaskey (Lancaster, PA) and are playing the most challenging schedule of any boys' team in Pennsylvania. They have won the past two Class AAAA state championships, and this site has predicted that they will capture their third consecutive title this season.
3. Council Rock North (Newtown, PA) (5-1) Their best wins are over Constitution and Holy Ghost Prep. They were eliminated from the 2011-12 state championship tournament by Delaware Valley in a play-in game.
4. Harriton (Rosemont, PA) (5-1) They have a win over Ridley, and their only loss is to sister school Lower Merion. Harriton did not qualify for the state championship tournament last season.
5. Hatboro-Horsham (Horsham, PA) (6-1) Their best wins were over Souderton Area and Central Bucks East. They did not qualify for the state championship tournament last season.
6. Lower Merion (Ardmore, PA) (5-1) Their wins have been by an average score of 70-39. They were defeated at home in the opening game for both squads by three time defending PIAA Class AAA state champion Neumann-Goretti. Last season, they were defeated in the Class AAAA state championship game by Chester.
7. Norristown Area (Norristown, PA) (5-1) Their best win is over Coatesville Area, and their only loss is to Abington. In last season's Class AAAA state championship tournament, they were eliminated in the second round by Chester.
8. Penn Wood (Lansdowne, PA) (6-0) They have beaten five teams from the Philadelphia Public League. They did not qualify for the state championship tournament last season.
9. Wissahickon (Ambler, PA) (4-2) While they have had a sluggish start to the season, the team has a quality win over W. C. Henderson. They were defeated in the first round of last season's state championship tournament by Easton Area.