By Bobby Narang
The third wave of high school basketball tournaments is set to kick off in the coming days.
Two weeks after the change of the calendar year, several local teams embark on another round of highly-competitive tournaments, including several one-day shootouts.
On the boys side, the Wheaton Warrenville South MLK Showcase is a two-day tournament with a number of talented teams that kicks off this Saturday and will concludes Monday, Jan. 20. Downers Grove North is one of the headliners, while Stevenson, Waubonsie Valley (17-0) will be among the teams playing in two gyms for a total of 20 games.
Coach Kipp’s Hoopsfest is always one of the top girls basketball tournaments. The first day of the two-day tournament will start Saturday, with games played at Nazareth and Benet. The Roadrunners and Redwings (17-1) joins Libertyville (15-4), Loyola (16-2), Maine South (16-4), Lyons (19-1), and Montini (12-6).
Batavia’s MLK Showdown is one of the top tournaments and there will be several of the elite girls basketball teams. January 20, the Bulldogs’ girls team will entertain 22 games on four courts along three different levels. The Bulldogs (13-5) enter the tourney with some momentum but have a challenging tournament that will feature Lyons (19-1), Lake Zurich (10-6), St. Charles East (14-4), and St. Charles North (16-3).
Later in the month, January 25, the boys’ When Sides Collide is a must-event that has featured several elite players, including Los Angeles Lakers guard Max Christie.
The four games will feature Marist taking on Waubonsie Valley, Bolingbrook battling Warren, DePaul Prep versus Homewood-Flossmoor, and Benet going against Rich Township.