High Tournaments for the 2018-19 Season
- Thread starter aveli
- Start date
First one that should be mentioned is the Gridley Invitational, held in early December... I believe next year will be the 66th renewal of this great tradition.
Gridley hosts, invites seven top-class (mostly) NorCal teams, such as this year's winner Salesian.
Only preseason HS basketball tournament I've ever heard of that even has a Tournament Queen... Great hoops, great tradition, great camaraderie.
I live three hours away from Gridley, yet I make the roadie up there every year I can. Nuthin' like it!
Gridley hosts, invites seven top-class (mostly) NorCal teams, such as this year's winner Salesian.
Only preseason HS basketball tournament I've ever heard of that even has a Tournament Queen... Great hoops, great tradition, great camaraderie.
I live three hours away from Gridley, yet I make the roadie up there every year I can. Nuthin' like it!
Have to agree with Kiddman32. The Gridley Invitational year in and year out seems to put together the best crop of Norcal teams available in the area. Gridley is a little far from my big city of San Francisco, but I hope one day my alma mater plays in it so I can make the trek with the team.
The Damian Lillard Classic seems to be improving every year.
Also I know Marin Catholic hosts a pretty impressive tournmant every year. Is it the Baumbauer Tournament or something like that?
I don't know if they still do it, but when I was in college I got a chance to see Kyrie Irving play at the MaxPreps Invitational Down in San Diego, CA. I think that tournament if still around has to be the No. 1 tourney in all of California, since Nationally ranked teams participate.
The Damian Lillard Classic seems to be improving every year.
Also I know Marin Catholic hosts a pretty impressive tournmant every year. Is it the Baumbauer Tournament or something like that?
I don't know if they still do it, but when I was in college I got a chance to see Kyrie Irving play at the MaxPreps Invitational Down in San Diego, CA. I think that tournament if still around has to be the No. 1 tourney in all of California, since Nationally ranked teams participate.
Yes, Marin Catholic's tournament's pretty solid. You were close, and I can't blame anyone for missing by a little on the name "Bambauer Classic". That tourney is held between Xmas and New Year.
That same week is also the time for the Modesto Christian Holiday Hoops Classic. Both are four-round, 16-team events. The Modesto tournament usually has a higher level of teams overall, most years the 2nd-best to Gridley. But Marin's tourney is strong, too. More evidence of my hoops addiction: Two years ago, I drove from Concord to Modesto for the first round, drove home, went to Marin for the 2nd round and back home... Then Modesto for the semi's and home... Then Marin for the finals. Nuts, huh?
Another good tourney is the Jesuit tournament, held the same weekend as Gridley... As one might guess by now, I have gone to some games at both of those tourneys in the same year, too... Twice. After hitting the first round at De La Salle both years... (btw, De La Salle's tourney doesn't suck either...)
That same week is also the time for the Modesto Christian Holiday Hoops Classic. Both are four-round, 16-team events. The Modesto tournament usually has a higher level of teams overall, most years the 2nd-best to Gridley. But Marin's tourney is strong, too. More evidence of my hoops addiction: Two years ago, I drove from Concord to Modesto for the first round, drove home, went to Marin for the 2nd round and back home... Then Modesto for the semi's and home... Then Marin for the finals. Nuts, huh?
Another good tourney is the Jesuit tournament, held the same weekend as Gridley... As one might guess by now, I have gone to some games at both of those tourneys in the same year, too... Twice. After hitting the first round at De La Salle both years...
(btw, De La Salle's tourney doesn't suck either...)A fun small school tournament, The Redwood Classic, with over 60 years of history up in Boonville the first weekend of December is always entertaining. 16 teams over 4 days. Last year there were a bunch of D4-D6 playoff teams in it. Branson, Stuart Hall, Argonaut, Woodside Priory, Pinewood, Clear Lake, Laytonville, Cloverdale, and a few others. Branson beat Stuart Hall in the finals. A lot of history and a fun tournament to attend.
Yes, Marin Catholic's tournament's pretty solid. You were close, and I can't blame anyone for missing by a little on the name "Bambauer Classic". That tourney is held between Xmas and New Year.
That same week is also the time for the Modesto Christian Holiday Hoops Classic. Both are four-round, 16-team events. The Modesto tournament usually has a higher level of teams overall, most years the 2nd-best to Gridley. But Marin's tourney is strong, too. More evidence of my hoops addiction: Two years ago, I drove from Concord to Modesto for the first round, drove home, went to Marin for the 2nd round and back home... Then Modesto for the semi's and home... Then Marin for the finals. Nuts, huh?
Another good tourney is the Jesuit tournament, held the same weekend as Gridley... As one might guess by now, I have gone to some games at both of those tourneys in the same year, too... Twice. After hitting the first round at De La Salle both years...
That's extremely impressive.
This leaves the second weekend of December to fill... For some reason there aren't that many tournaments (that I know of, anyway) on that weekend...
Still, there's the El Cerrito tournament... I ended up going all three days this year. Campolindo lost to league rival Acalanes in the final there... TBH, though, I probably would have looked further if personal fave Campolindo hadn't been playing there... Maybe the Southbay or the peninsula...
Anyway, we can't leave one-day showcases out of this... The big one at Newark Memorial is etched in stone on my calendar for the Saturday after Thanksgiving, for example... And there are MLK showcases all over, the biggest being the one De La Salle hosts, typically at St. Mary's College. And Sheldon has a biggie that following Saturday... So, yeah, I get to a lotta games
Still, there's the El Cerrito tournament... I ended up going all three days this year. Campolindo lost to league rival Acalanes in the final there... TBH, though, I probably would have looked further if personal fave Campolindo hadn't been playing there... Maybe the Southbay or the peninsula...
Anyway, we can't leave one-day showcases out of this... The big one at Newark Memorial is etched in stone on my calendar for the Saturday after Thanksgiving, for example... And there are MLK showcases all over, the biggest being the one De La Salle hosts, typically at St. Mary's College. And Sheldon has a biggie that following Saturday... So, yeah, I get to a lotta games
Hey, cool... I see Punahou played there last year... I had a GF who had been raised in Hawaii and know Obama went to Punahou... So I've kinda always wanted to see the Buff 'n Blue play.
Anyway... To the original poster... are you a coach looking to find an appropriate spot for your team, or a fan looking for top tourneys?
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