Desert Vista to participate in State Champions Invitational basketball tournament

March 22, 2023 by Seth Polansky, AZPreps365


Fresh off winning the first-ever AIA girls basketball Open Division state tournament, Desert Vista will be heading to the nation's capital next month to compete in the State Champions Invitational hosted by Georgetown University, the District of Columbia State Athletic Association (DCSAA) and Paragon Marketing Group.

The Thunder will be one of six girls teams competing in the event. They square off against Morris Catholic (Denville Township, N.J.) in a first round game on Thursday, April 6 at 1 p.m. Arizona time on ESPNU. The winner will face Lone Peak (Highland, Utah) on Friday at 9 a.m. on ESPN+. The girls championship game will be played on Saturday at 7 a.m. on ESPNU.

Other girls teams competing are Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.), Centennial (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Sidwell Friends (Washington D.C.). On the boys side, the six teams are Curtis (University Place, Wash.), Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.), Yazoo City (Yazoo City, Miss.), Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah), Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.), and Sidwell Friends.

Teams must win their sanctioned 2023 state championship and be permitted to compete by their respective state association in order to be eligible to participate in the State Champions Invitational.

To access information on the tournament and teams click here for the official press release.