Previewing the high school basketball holiday tournaments

Jack Tosh Holiday Tournament at York, Dec. 26-Dec. 31.

Trying to sort out the massive, one-of-a-kind holiday tournament at York is no small task. It runs Friday through New Year’s Eve.

With 32 teams it’s unique. And with 17 teams with winning records and 12 with at least seven wins on the season — but no dominant team in the field — it represents a bit of a five-day basketball quagmire.

But a team that can get through five days of play without a loss is piling up wins and building real momentum heading into the second half of the season.

Team to beat: St. Ignatius.

Coach Matt Monroe’s Wolfpack (9-2) have already been through a four-week grind with matchups against four highly-ranked teams. They’ve held their own and then some, thanks to the presence of senior standout Chris Bolte and the emergence of sophomore Amir Tucker.

Top contenders: St. Patrick, Lyons, Glenbard East, Palatine.

With size and the experience of a state semifinal last season, St. Pat’s, led by 6-7 RJ McPartlin and 6-7 Omar Ajanovic, jumped out of the gate quickly this season with a perfect 9-0 start.

There are few teams in this tournament with as much talent as Lyons (7-2), though some of it remains young and untested.

Glenbard East’s Michael Nee is an elite shooter and one of the tournament’s best players. He’s one of four key seniors leading a 9-1 team ready to make a statement.

And no one wants to play Palatine (9-1), a well-coached, systematic team with a ton of experience and the rare impactful big man in Tony Balanganayi. The 6-4, 280-pound Illinois football recruit is a force while averaging more than 17 points a game.

Sleepers: Take your pick.

There are a plethora of teams capable of surprising and making a deep run.

Highlighted by so many talented underclassmen, Metamora is extremely young but very dangerous. A potential quarterfinal matchup with St. Ignatius would be a fun one.

Lemont and Glenbard North, who should meet in the second round, have weapons. Lemont has a bonafide scorer in 6-4 junior Zane Schneider while Glenbard North counters with a talented 1-2 punch of Lamari Carpenter and Oturo Redento.

Riverside-Brookfield has a productive veteran guard in Cam Mercer, and the host school, York, is off to a sneaky solid start. Those two should meet in the second round with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals.

Keep an eye on: Star sophomore attractions.

There is a cluster of talented, young players in the Class of 2028 worth checking out at York, starting with Ethan Vahl of Oswego. The 6-3 sophomore guard is a fun one while putting up significant numbers: 23.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.5 steals a game.

Yorkville’s two sophomores, 6-7 Joey Jakstys and 6-4 Braydon Porter, are already on college radars. St. Ignatius guard Amir Tucker is in the midst of a breakout season, while 6-5 Grant Smith of Lyons is a rising prospect in the Class of 2028.

Then there is Metamora’s loaded sophomore class with 6-6 Brady Jones, 6-3 Sam Koch and 6-6 Cam Beekman.

Pontiac Holiday Tournament, Dec. 29-31

There weren’t sweeping changes at Pontiac, but there was one big one.

No team has made a bigger imprint or impact over the years at Pontiac than Simeon. But after playing in 19 championship games and winning 16 titles in the last 29 years, Simeon has departed for Pekin.

While Simeon has left the state’s toughest and most-talked-about holiday tournament, Pontiac will still welcome five teams currently ranked among the top 12 in the Sun-Times Super 25.

Team to beat: DePaul Prep

DePaul broke the recent stranglehold Simeon and Curie had on this tournament last year with its first tournament title. The three-time defending state champs are favored again. Big man Rashaun Porter took a giant step a year ago at Pontiac. Now the Toledo recruit is even better and the top player in the tournament.

Top contenders: Curie, Benet and Homewood-Flossmoor

Curie has the look of being the best team in the city and a state title contender. With senior guard Justin Oliver, the Condors have been impressive to start the season and seek their sixth Pontiac title.

Is this the year Benet gets over the hump at Pontiac? The Redwings won a Class 4A title last year but have lost in the Pontiac Tournament final five times since 2014, including the last three seasons to three different teams.

Senior shooter Jayden Wright and 7-footer Colin Stack are a pair of seasoned veterans with a ton of big-game experience to help them get over the top at Pontiac.

H-F offers a fresh face and vibe to an established tournament field. And with a perfect 10-0 record, this is an awfully nice replacement for Simeon. The Vikings feature a wise, beyond-his-years point guard in sophomore Darrius Hawkins and complementary players who have bought into their roles.

Sleeper: New Trier

Pontiac has been a bit of a bugaboo for New Trier since its return to the tournament in 2018. Despite some outstanding New Trier teams, the Trevians have lost in the second round in three of the last four years and have yet to reach a title game in that span.

But with Christopher Kirkpatrick, who has signed with Princeton, as a potent offensive force in the backcourt, along with shooter Danny Houlihan, New Trier could make a run.

New Trier and H-F are expected to collide in what will arguably be the best second-round matchup in any holiday tournament in the state.

Team to watch: Lockport

It’s been 24 years since Lockport last made a Pontiac final. While no one expects the Porters to duplicate that in this top-heavy field, it’s a fun, talented team to watch with three juniors — Nedas Venckus, Nojus Venckus and Nathan Munson — leading the way.

But a tricky first-round opener with the host school awaits; Pontiac jumped out to a perfect 8-0 start this season.

Keep an eye on: Tournament’s young talent

In addition to the aforementioned Hawkins from H-F, the tournament has several young, rising prospects who will continue opening eyes.

Bloomington’s Dallas Marshall is one of the best young talents in the state and hasn’t disappointed. The super skilled 6-4 freshman is putting up an eye-opening 19.3 points and seven rebounds a game.

Bloom freshman guard Kewon Guilley has stirred some excitement into the program by averaging 12 points and four assists a game, while Danville’s Amir Beasley is a super intriguing 6-8 sophomore and DePaul Prep sophomore Blake Choice is already making an impact for the state’s best team.

Big Dipper Holiday Tournament, Dec. 26, 27, 29, 30

This venerable tournament is in the midst of a renaissance in the south suburbs. The addition of Warren and Young, two highly-ranked teams with bonafide stars leading their teams, will do that for a tournament.

Team to beat: Warren

The state’s best player, junior point guard Jaxson Davis, is a must-see attraction this holiday basketball season. While dazzling from an individual standpoint, he also elevates those around him and has rejuvenated the Warren program.

Top contenders: Lincoln Park, Kenwood and Young

Can any of the three city teams take down Davis and the Blue Devils?

Tennessee recruit Marquis Clark is capable of carrying a team and fuels Young, a team with four out-of-state losses.

Lincoln Park has just one loss but is badly in need of a signature moment. A Big Dipper title would provide just that for the Lions.

The verdict is still out as to how good this Kenwood team is this year. The junior tandem of Osiris Bell and Damari Stephens, though, certainly makes them dangerous.

Sleepers: Rich, Thornwood and Hillcrest

Unless one of these three step up and pull off an upset in the quarterfinals, the Big Dipper, a south suburban hoops staple, will be without a south suburban team in the semifinals. The good news is all three have shown they are capable.

Thornwood’s fast start has been one of the early-season storylines. Hillcrest has just three losses — to Evanston, Thornwood and Bloom — by a combined 11 points. Rich is on its home floor, has the look of a competitive, gritty team, and has played ranked teams Benet and St. Laurence very tough in defeat.

Other tournaments to keep an eye on

Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic

At first glance it would appear St. Laurence and Oswego East are favored and on a collision course to meet in the final.

St. Laurence is very young. But it’s a talented and balanced group that has spearheaded an impressive 9-1 start to the season.

Oswego East’s Mason Lockett, a highly-versatile guard headed to DePaul, and athletic 6-5 junior DShaun Bolden form a terrific tandem. The Wolfpack are 8-2 and fresh off an impressive win over Waukegan.

A surplus of sleepers at Hinsdale Central include Brother Rice, Niles North, Plainfield East and Rockford Auburn.

Centralia Holiday Tournament

A couple of local teams, Marist and Evanston, make the 250-mile or so trek to one of the most tradition-rich tournaments in the state.

Marist, which lost in the title game two years ago, is primed and ready to make a run at its first Centralia title since 2016. Evanston has enjoyed a whole lot of recent success at Centralia, winning it all in 2019 and finishing second in 2021, 2022 and 2024.

The two could actually meet in the semifinals, but overall it’s an impressive field with unbeaten Centralia (10-0) the team to beat. Alton, which boasts two Division I talents in Semaj Stampley and junior Ryan Howard, Belleville West and Miller Career Academy out of Missouri add to the depth.