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Summary
Hosted by the Lehi boys program at the high school — Quincy Lewis built it into a national showcase. Recent fields have pulled teams from Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, New York, Virginia, Missouri, Colorado, California, Idaho, and Oregon to play Utah's best. KSL streams every varsity game.
What makes this tournament distinct
In its 6th year, this is one of the few mid-December national-pull tournaments west of the Rockies. Tight two-day window means high game density without burning a full week off school.
Who it fits
Best for: National-level programs looking for a Utah swing without committing to a full holiday tournament; Utah programs wanting one weekend of out-of-state competition.
Tradeoffs: Mid-December date bumps against academic calendars in some districts. Small venue compared to bigger national events — sightlines and seating get crowded for marquee games. Pre-Christmas slot means some top programs save their travel dates for late-December events.
6A and 5A title weekends play at the Huntsman Center on the Utah campus. 4A goes to America First Event Center (SUU); 3A plays at the UCCU Center (Utah Valley University). Utah's 6A is loaded — Lone Peak, Corner Canyon, Herriman, Westlake, Riverton — and the Huntsman gives the title game a real college-arena setting.
Mobile, Alabama — 32 teams from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana across two college venues over three days at the back end of Christmas week. Roster-heavy on D1 prospects, which keeps college-coach traffic strong on the sidelines.
Juneau, three days between Christmas and New Year's. Hosted at JDHS since 1991, Princess Cruises is the title sponsor. The largest high school holiday tournament in Alaska. Brings teams from across Alaska plus a few Lower 48 invites willing to make the ferry/flight to Southeast.
Mobile, Alabama — 32 teams from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana across two college venues over three days at the back end of Christmas week. Roster-heavy on D1 prospects, which keeps college-coach traffic strong on the sidelines.
Juneau, three days between Christmas and New Year's. Hosted at JDHS since 1991, Princess Cruises is the title sponsor. The largest high school holiday tournament in Alaska. Brings teams from across Alaska plus a few Lower 48 invites willing to make the ferry/flight to Southeast.
Pine Bluff. Founded 1982 by banker Travis Creed and revived in 2018 after a long gap. Roughly half the field is Arkansas schools, half national invitees. Hosted the first regular-season high school basketball game on national prime-time ESPN (1987).
Rancho Mirage and Shadow Hills HS, the week between Christmas and New Year's. 117 teams across 11 divisions — the 16-team Open is the national-draw bracket, and the lower divisions are how regional programs actually get a competitive holiday tournament. Slam dunk and 3-point contests run during semifinal play.
Hosted at Damien High School in La Verne, CA. 9th edition in 2025. Massive field — 144 teams across 9 divisions, played at Damien plus other area gyms over five days. SoCal basketball density makes it a go-to for both California and visiting programs.
San Diego, last week of December. Five brackets played across six county high schools — National at Torrey Pines, American at St. Augustine, Senator's at Carlsbad, Governor's at Rancho Buena Vista, Mayor's at El Camino. Teams from 12 states fill the field. National Division is the showcase; lower brackets give SoCal mid-tier programs a real holiday event without being overmatched.
National Prep Tournament in Fort Walton Beach, Florida takes both high school and post-grad programs. Applications stay open through October 31. If you want a competitive early-March slot without invitation-only barriers, this is the one to apply for.