Basketball invites galore this week in S. Arizona, E. Valley

November 21, 2011 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


With five football games left and all of those on Saturday, high school sports fans can feast on basketball to fill the void this week.

Boys and girls basketball tournaments, some old and some new, begin Monday and throughout the rest of the week.

Heading the list of boys invitationals in southern Arizona and the East Valley:

The annual Salpointe Tipoff Classic  Nov. 21-26 at Chandler and Salpointe high schools. Teams entered are Salpointe, Santa Rita, Rincon, Moreau Catholic, Amphitheater (4A-II champs last year), Palo Verde, Sabino and Nogales (Salpointe pools) and Chandler, Kofa, Trevor Browne, Central, North, Saguaro, Red Mountain and Casa Grande (Chandler pools); Fear the Hop, hosted by Mesa High School Nov. 22, 23, and 26 with Agua Fria, Corona del Sol, Gilbert, Hamilton, Highland, Mesa, Mesquite and Mountain Ridge in the field; Catalina Hardwood Classic, hosted by Catalina HS and Dobson HS features Catalina, Cholla, Sahuaro, Ironwood Ridge, Dobson, Seton, Poston Butte and Cesar Chavez; Skyline Inviational, hosted by Skyline HS Nov. 21-23 has Apache Junction, Maricopa, Verrado and Skyline and Green Fields and St. Gregory host the small school Boyd Baker Classic.

Girls basketball invitationals are anchored by the 17th annual Highland Thanksgiving Classic, hosted by Highland HS and Mesquite HS on Nov. 21-26. The tournament features top teams such as defending 5A-II champ Tolleson; Highland, Hamilton, Dobson and Seton Catholic (4A-II champ last year) as well as Alhambra, Apollo, Basha, Fairfax, Chaparral, Cibola, Desert Ridge, Flowing Wells, Gilbert, Mesquite, Mountain Pointe and Mountain Ridge . New to the lineup is the Padre Classic, hosted by Marcos de Niza. Queen Creek HS hosts the 12-team Bulldog Classic and Green Fields and St. Gregory host the small school Boyd Baker Classic.