Nike Tournament of Champions I girls hoops tips off Dec. 18

December 15, 2010 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


The annual Nike Tournament of Champions I gets a weekend start this year with opening-round games in the six-bracket tourney starting Saturday morning at 11 at sites in Chandler and Tempe.

Teams from across the country, including 18 Arizona schools, are competing this year. in the 92-team field. The tournament resumes Monday Dec. 20 and continues through the finals on Wednesday Dec. 22. Every team entered will play four games. Sites of games of the Nike Tournament of Champions I are Chandler, Basha, Hamilton and Perry high schools, Willis Junior High and Court One Complex in Tempe.

The six brackets are: John Anderson Division; Blue Division; Mike Desper Division; Red Division; White Division and Joe Smith Division. The Joe Smith Division contains most of the elite teams who are entered, including Arizona's St. Mary's High School.

Five of the top 10 teams in the country in the latest USA Today rankings are competing in the Joe Smith Division, led by top-ranked Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA).

For a complete listing of all brackets, sites and times go to  www.niketournamentofchampions.com.

Here is the Saturday schedule of games involving Arizona schools:

11 a.m. - Dillard (Fort Lauderdale, FL) vs. Xavier at Perry HS; Regis Jesuit (Highlands Ranch, CO) vs. Chandler at Willis JHS; Sacramento High CA vs. Horizon at Perry; 12:30 p.m. - Mojave (North Las Vegas, NV) vs. Chaparral at Court 1; Williams Field vs. Maranatha (Pasadena, CA) at Court 2; 2 p.m. - Seton Catholic vs. Villa Park, CA at Basha HS; Perry vs. Chatsworth, CA at Court 2; 3:30 p.m. - Tolleson vs. Country Day (La Jolla, CA) at Willis JHS; Flagstaff vs. Lynwood, CA at Court 2; McClintock vs. TBA at Perry HS; Mesa Mountain View vs. Harvard Westlake (North Hollywood, CA) at Court 1; Hamilton vs. St. Francis (Sacramento, CA) at Chandler HS; 5 p.m. - Gilbert vs. Vanden (Fairfield, CA) at Chandler HS; Campolindo (Moraga, CA) vs. Basha at Court 1; Mesquite vs. Huntington Beach, CA at Perry HS; Monarch (Louisville, CO) vs. St. Mary's at Perry HS; Pinnacle vs. Canyon Springs (Moreno Valley, CA) at Court 2; 6:30 p.m. - Desert Vista vs. The Bishop's School (La Jolla, CA) at Perry HS.