After hearing about this event for years, I finally made it in the gym on Friday and it absolutely lived up to the hype. The week-long tournament was stacked with elite national prospects and strong high-school programs from across the country. Victory Christian Prep (FL) validated their buzz by capturing the main championship, but the real story was the depth of star power and the high-level matchups across both days.
Below is a full breakdown from an entertaining Friday and Saturday slate.
Friday, November 28, 2025
Game 1: Eagle Academy (Bronx, NY) 56 vs. Clinton Grace Academy (Clinton, MD) 58
This matchup gave us a showdown between two high-level guards:
- 2026 PG Denim Trotman (Eagle Academy) – one of New York’s most underrated lead guards
- 2027 PG J’Lon Lyons (Clinton Grace) – one of the most electric young guards in the country
Lyons was nearly impossible to stay in front of. He lived in the paint, used elite end-to-end speed, and controlled the tempo late. Trotman answered with poise, timely shot-making, and big possessions that kept Eagle Academy afloat. But Lyons closed it—burying a step-back jumper at the buzzer to seal the victory.
Game 2: O’Fallon (IL) 64 v Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA) 69
Mater Dei grabbed a 10–8 lead and never gave it back.
They were led by:
- 2026 SG Luke Barnett (Kansas commit) – 29 points, 7 rebounds, despite an off shooting night
- 2027 G Richie Ramirez 31 points, 8 rebounds and the true difference-maker
Ramirez’s downhill aggression and shot-making kept Mater Dei steady throughout. O’Fallon leaned on 2026 6’8 F Ben Okoro (Milwaukee commit), one of the nation’s most overlooked forwards. His versatility and patience stood out, but O’Fallon didn’t have enough punch to close the gap.
Game 3: Houston Xavier (TX) 65 vs. Calvary Christian (Clearwater, FL) 66
One of the weekend’s wildest finishes.
Calvary led most of the way and controlled the rhythm, but Xavier stormed back behind a monster performance from 2026 6’8 F Macodou Diouf with 36 points, 7 rebounds, dominating inside and out.
Supporting Xavier’s push was 2027 6’7 F Amir Bryant, whose activity sparked a surge (15 pts, 15 rbs).
Calvary countered with:
- 2027 F Madden Geiger 6’8″ F – 18 pts, 10 rbs
- 2028 F Tyler Sabec 6’8″, Princeton commit – 16 pts, 15 rbs, and the game-winning drive at the horn
A heavyweight battle that delivered.
Game 4: Mt.Bethel Christian Academy 58 vs. Pasadena (CA) 61
Two elite bigs went right at each other:
- 2028 C Peter Julius (Mt. Bethel) – 18 points, 17 rebounds, total force in the paint
Peter Julius - 2026 C Josh Irving (Texas A&M commit, Pasadena) – 21 points, 5 rebounds, showing inside-out ability with multiple perimeter makes
Irving’s versatility was the separator as Pasadena held on late in a physical, high-stakes matchup.
Other Thursday Standouts
2026 C Cooper Knowles (West Hancock, IL) 25 pts, 13 rbs, 8 blks in a tight 3-point win over South Pointe. Dominant two-way performance.
Victory Christian Prep (FL)
- 2027 PG Christian Fuller – 12 pts, 5 ast, 4 rbs
- 2026 6’5″ F MJ McCalla – 14 pts, 9 rbsBoth helped deliver a convincing win over Morton.
2027 PG Reese Alston (Second Baptist) Smooth, controlled outing with 18 pts and 4 ast in a 27-point win over host Washington High.