Classic in the Country

MLK weekend boys' basketball event in Dayton, founded in 2003 by Eric Horstman. The 2026 edition drew 29 teams from eight states with 100+ college coaches and national media on-site. More than 90 alums have reached the NBA, NFL, or MLB.

OHSAA crowns champions across seven divisions. The Final Fours moved back to UD Arena in Dayton for the 2025-26 season after experimenting with split sites. Sectional, district, regional, and regional final games run February into early March; the state semifinals and finals fill the second and third weekends of March.

Ohio's girls' state series mirrors the boys' format with seven divisions. Final Four weekends moved back to UD Arena in Dayton for 2025-26 alongside the boys'. The girls' field finishes one week ahead of the boys' bracket.

Naismith Hall of Fame's western showcase — runs the first weekend of January at Skyline High in Mesa. National-tier field built around the 8-team main bracket plus a 6-team round-robin and four Nike EYBL Scholastic games. Pairs with Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix the same week, so the Valley becomes a one-week recruiting hub.

Mater Dei hosts a two-day January slate at the Meruelo Athletic Center. Format is showcase, not bracket — teams come in for one marquee game. Mater Dei's boys play twice over the weekend; the rest of the field is California's top programs (Orange Lutheran, Servite, Sierra Canyon, etc.) with a few national invites mixed in.

Atlanta, Georgia — girls-only showcase, part of a six-market national series that also runs in Charlotte, Dallas, Jersey Shore, Nashville, and DC. Atlanta event runs the first weekend of January, drawing perennial powerhouse programs (Legion Collegiate, Valor Christian and others). Operated by The St. James organization.

Topeka. Three-school city tournament (Topeka High, Topeka West, Highland Park) plus invited regional opponents like Wichita Northwest and Lansing. Played at Highland Park in mid-January as a midseason marquee for Shawnee County.

Founded in 1947, Kentucky's oldest regular-season high school basketball tournament. Run as Louisville's biggest in-season showcase, with both boys' and girls' brackets. Has occasionally been delayed by weather (snow pushed the boys' bracket back in recent years).

Hoophall's regional event that runs the weekend immediately before the Hoophall Classic. 2026 expanded the field after a 2025 debut — 56 boys teams, 20 girls teams across 8 Springfield-area gyms over Saturday and Sunday. Targets New England and surrounding-state programs that aren't in the Classic itself.