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Summary
Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association runs four divisions of state basketball, drawing the state's private and prep programs into a defined postseason. Hargrave Military Academy played into the 2026 Division 2 semifinal — typical of how prep programs slot in alongside traditional independents.
What makes this tournament distinct
The only state-title pathway for Virginia private and prep schools, with brackets that include post-grad-eligible programs in the mix.
Who it fits
Best for: Following VA private-school competition and prep-program seeding.
Tradeoffs: Class lines and eligibility splits mean the brackets aren't always cleanly comparable to public-school playoffs.
Four-team prep/post-grad invitational hosted by Hargrave at Walter Davis Gym since the 2003-04 season. Title sponsor First Piedmont Corp. is a Davenport-family business out of Chatham. The bracket is small but the talent is dense — most years it draws 20+ D1 prospects from Hargrave, Fork Union, Massanutten, Combine, and Mt. Zion. Hargrave has won it 15+ times.
Virginia public-school state finals across six classes (1 through 6). The 2025 brackets produced John Marshall over Graham 107-81 (Class 2) and other class champions in mid-March. The Siegel Center has been a frequent host for finals weekend.
Arlington, Virginia — 23 years running, started by Wakefield head coach Tony Bentley in 2003-04 and named for George Long, who died of ALS in 2010. Eight-team field, three days, late December, drawing programs from Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William and Tidewater. Colonial Forge took the 2025 title over Forest Park.
Birmingham, Alabama — all seven classifications, boys and girls, play semifinals and finals at Legacy Arena at the BJCC over a single week (February 24 through March 1 in 2025). Alabama was the first state to consolidate the championship into one venue this way. Hoover went 35-0 to take its third straight 7A title.
Indiana's girls' state series. Four classes, single-elimination through Sectionals, Regionals, and Semi-States to State Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Runs about a week ahead of the boys' bracket each season.
Maine's three-venue model: Northern regionals at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Southern regionals at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, then state finals at the Augusta Civic Center. The Augusta Civic Center is part of Maine's basketball identity — 'Tourney Time' is one of the better-attended state tournaments in the country relative to population.
Clinton, Mississippi — the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools (formerly MAIS / MPSA) crowns its overall basketball champions at Mississippi College. The 2025 tournament ran February 17-18 and 24-26. Jackson Prep took the boys overall over Jackson Academy 53-51; Parklane Academy beat MRA for the girls title 45-42.
Mississippi public-school state finals at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson. Seven classifications played over multiple days — Germantown took 7A boys 69-52 over Madison Central in 2025; Coffeeville won 1A; Booneville and Canton claimed 3A and 5A respectively. Brackets seed off region tournaments.
Nevada's largest classification (5A) is functionally Bishop Gorman versus the rest of Las Vegas. Gorman beat Mojave 71-59 for the 2025 title. Lower classifications — 4A through 1A — play their finals separately. Title weekend rotates between Las Vegas-area venues.
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.