Traditionally, the month of December is filled from coast-to-coast with countless holiday basketball tournaments, some of which feature outstanding high school teams, and many of the top-rated high school players. These primetime events provide college coaches and evaluators with a great opportunity to see highly regarded prospects from different regions matched against each other. And, it allows previously under rated or unknown players to emerge and gain deserved recognition. Such was the case this past December.

From a talent standpoint the top pre-Christmas tournament was the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. This event was absolutely loaded with talented teams and players. In the championship game nationally No. 1 rated, Santa Ana, CA/ Mater Dei defeated No. 2 rated, Elizabeth, NJ/ St. Patrick 52-45. Mater Dei was led by multi-talented 6-3 Jr. PG Gary Franklin (committed to Southern California) with 25 points, including five key three-pointers. 6-10 C/F Travis Wear (North Carolina), and 6-6 Jr. G/F Tyler Lamb (committed to UCLA) each scored 8 points. 6-3 2G Dexter Strickland (North Carolina) scored 19 points to pace St. Patrick, followed by 6-7 PF Paris Bennett (George Mason) with 16 points.

In the City of Palms third place contest one of the nation’s elite sophomores, 6-3 1/2G Austin Rivers (committed to Florida), the son of Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, poured in 46 points, drilling 8-13 three-point shots, to propel his Winter Park, FL/ H.S. team to a 91-87 win over Marietta, GA/ Wheeler. Other Winter Park High standouts were 6-4 Jr. G/F Robert Lovaglio with 18 points, and athletic 6-7 Jr. PF Adam Jones with 12 points and 7 rebounds. The leaders for Wheeler were unheralded 6-4 Sr. 2G Tahj Tate with 28 points, 6-8 PF Richard Howell (N.C. State), 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 6-7 WF Ari Stewart (Wake Forest), 18 points.

In an entertaining 5th Place game Los Angeles, CA/ Westchester, led by one of the nation’s best unsigned point guards, 5-10 Dominique O’Conner with 21 points, 6 assists, defeated Brooklyn, NY/ Abraham Lincoln 68-56. Highly touted 6-5 2G Lance Stephenson had 19 points for Lincoln before suffering a leg injury. 6-8 PF James Padgett (Maryland) added 15 points, hitting 7-7 field goals.

A long established pre-Christmas tournament that always attracts an outstanding field is Glenn Young’s Iolani Prep Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii. This year Mouth of Wilson, VA/ Oak Hill Academy claimed their fifth title in this event by outlasting arch-rival Rockville, MD/ Montrose Christian 74-62 in two overtimes. Oak Hill received an All-American performance from tournament MVP, 6-1 PG Lamont “MoMo” Jones (committed to Virginia Tech), who sizzled for 40 points, including 8-13 three-point shots. The top performer for Montrose Christian was 6-9 C Mouphtaou Yarou (Villanova), 26 points, 11 rebounds.

One of my favorite pre-Christmas tournaments is the Chick-Fil-A Classic in Columbia, SC. The Classic I championship game featured a intriguing matchup of two future ACC big men, 6-11 PF Mason Plumlee (Duke) of Arden, NC/ Christ School, and 6-9 PF Milton Jennings (Clemson) of Summerville, SC/ Pinewood Prep. Jennings won the “battle,” scoring 25 points, and grabbing 14 rebounds, while limiting Plumlee to 6 points, 7 rebounds. However, Christ School simply had too many other weapons and won the championship “war, 73-63. Christ School was led by tournament MVP, super athlete, 6-5 G/F Lakeem Jackson (South Carolina), who attacked the rim for 23 points, 6 rebounds; and talented 6-4 sophomore 2G Tony Kimbro, the son of former Louisville star, Tony Kimbro, Sr., who came off the bench to add 13 points. Playing well for Pinewood Prep was Wichita State signee, 6-4 1/2G Kenny Manigault with 20 points.

In an interesting opening round game Christ School simply had too much firepower for Raleigh Ravenscroft, as they rolled to a one-sided 76-45 victory. In the battle of future Duke Blue Devils, Christ School’s Mason Plumlee came out ahead, finishing with 23 points (10-13 FG), 8 rebounds, and three blocked. His future Duke teammate, Ravenscroft star, 6-9 PF Ryan Kelly had 15 points (7-16 FG), 8 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots. Both project as future standouts for Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s program. 

Future Louisville Cardinal, 6-0 PG Peyton Siva appropiately was the hit of the King of the Bluegrass Holiday Classic in Fairdale, KY, earning MVP honors with 29 points and 16 assists to help his Seattle, WA/ Franklin team to a 72-55 win over Jeffersontown, KY, in the championship game. Siva had 32 points and 10 assists in Franklin’s 91-88 semifinals victory over Miami, FL/ Coral Reef.

Thanks to a reverse layup with only 9.2 seconds remaining by 6-4 Jr. 2G Aaron Brown, Newark, NJ, St. Benedict’s barely edged Ft. Lauderdale, FL/ Dillard, 53-52, for the Championship of the Kreul Classic Tournament in Coral Springs, FL. Highly rated junior, 6-9 PF Tristan Thompson (committed to Texas) had 12 points, 10 rebounds, and was named the tournament MVP. Unsigned 6-0 1/2G Robert Burger had 20 points for the defending Florida 5A state champion Dillard High team.

I attended one of the nation’s premier post-Christmas tournaments, the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, SC. This event featured sixteen outstanding teams, all loaded with talented prospects. In the championship game, superb sophomore, 6-7 WF Michael Gilchrist earned MVP honors by hitting for 31 points (11-16 FG), and grabbing 14 rebounds as Newark, NJ, St. Patrick rolled over Marietta, GA/Wheeler, 72-53. 6-3 guard Dexter Strickland (North Carolina) had a fine all-around game with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 steals. Strickland played shutdown defense and was received the Best Defender Award. Wheeler had to play without their top big man, N.C. State signee, 6-8 PF Richard Howell, who suffered a back injury in the semi-finals. Their leaders were 6-7 WF Ari Stewart (Wake Forest) 18 points, 9 boards; and 6-4 2G Tahj Tate, 16 points.

In the Beach Ball third place contest, Riverside, CA/Martin Luther King led by San Diego State signee, 6-8 forward Kawhi Leonard with 24 points, 9 rebounds, defeated Fairless Hills, PA/ Pennsbury 52-48. Court warrior, 6-5 G/F Dalton Pepper (West Virginia) led Pennsbury with 27 points.

In a hard-fought 5th place battle, Jacksonville, FL/Arlington Country Day barely beat Cedar Hill, Texas, 66-63. Leading the victors were two Kansas State Signees, 6-8 PF Wally Judge, 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 6-4 2G Rodney McGruder, 19 points. Promosing junior 6-2 2G Anthony Wilson scored 16 points, and Utah signee, 6-6 G/F Shawn Glover had 15 points, 9 rebounds for Cedar Hill.

Another player of note who made the Beach Ball All-Tournament team was Wyoming signee, 6-6 WF Quinton Thomas, a versatile athlete from Greenville, SC/Southside.

In a first year post-Christmas tournament, the Rock Holiday Classic at Henderson, Nevada, Henderson International School, undefeated, and highly ranked Henderson Findlay Prep easily won the inaugural championship with an 84-64 rout of New York, NY/Rice. One of the nation’s top still available players, California native, 6-8 P/WF Victor Rudd was the tournament MVP leading Findlay Prep with 16 points, 12 rebounds. National Top six rated 6-3 2G Avery Bradley (Texas) also scored 16 points for Findlay; followed by 6-4 2G D.J. Richardson (Illinois) with 15 points; 6-10 C/F Carlos Lopez (UNLV), 13 points, 7 rebounds; and gifted junior, 6-3 PF Cory Joseph, with 13 points, 6 assists. 6-5 2G Durand Scott (Miami, FL) had 15 points for Rice High.

Despite a magnificent performance by the nation’s best point guard, 6-3 John Wall, who finished with 28 points, Arden, NC, Christ School came from behind to edge Raleigh, NC, Word of God 76-73 in the championship game of the 37th Annual GlaxoSmithKline Holiday Invitational at Broughton High School in Raleigh. One of the top unsigned players, Wall is being heavily recruited by Baylor, Memphis, N.C. State, Duke, Kansas, Oregon and others. Duke signee, 6-11 PF Mason Plumlee led Christ School with 20 points and earned MVP honors. 6-8 Jr. forward C. J. Leslie (committed to N.C. State) contributed 18 points for Word of God.

In the Holiday Invitational Summit Bracket championship game Roswell, GA/ Centennial, led by under-rated 6-5 guard Lorenzo Brown (N.C. State), whipped Raleigh, NC/Ravenscroft 72-53. Brown, the event’s MVP, had 27 points on 10-15 shooting. Chosen as the Most Outstanding Player was Ravenscroft’s 6-9 PF Ryan Kelly (Duke), who finished with 26 points, 9 rebounds.

Finally, the nation’s No. 1 player, 6-9 C/F Derrick Favors, Atlanta, GA/South Atlanta put on a show at the T-Mobile Invitational Tournament in Muncie, Indiana.In the semifinals Favors destroyed Duncanville, Texas, scoring 30 points on 12-12 shooting, and controlling the boards with 21 rebounds, and 12 blocks, as South Atlanta won 67-53. However, in the championship game a tall, deep Indianapolis, IN/Lawrence North team used their multitude of talented big men to literally surrond Favors, and keep him in check. Lawrence North has six quality players 6-8 or taller, and they “ganged up” on Favors to limit him to 10 points and 12 rebounds before he fouled out. Lawrence North beat South Atlanta 58-44. However, Favors definitely proved that he deserves the top rating in the Class of 2009.