Holiday Preview: Central Illinois Tournaments
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It is that time of the year! Holiday basketball tournament season is upon us! Prep Hoops Illinois examines the top Central Illinois Tournaments that will be taking place after Christmas including Pontiac, Pekin, and State Farm. Holiday Preview: Central Illinois…
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Continue ReadingIt is that time of the year! Holiday basketball tournament season is upon us! Prep Hoops Illinois examines the top Central Illinois Tournaments that will be taking place after Christmas including Pontiac, Pekin, and State Farm. Holiday Preview: Central Illinois Tournaments we dive into the schedule, top prospects, best first round games, sleeper teams, and our picks for final four as well as the champion!
Pontiac
Dates: December 28-December 30
Location: Pontiac High School
First Round Schedule:
9:00 AM Oak Park River Forest vs St. Charles North
10:30 AM Benet vs Lockport
1:00 PM Simeon vs Plainfield North
2:30 PM Bloom vs Danville
4:00 PM West Aurora vs Peoria Manual
6:00 PM Curie vs St. Rita
7:30 PM Joliet West vs Pontiac
9:00 PM New Trier vs Bloomington
Top Prospects to Watch:
Max Johnson
Max
Johnson
5'10" | PG
Oak Park River Forest | 2024
State
IL
(OPRF – 2024)
Justin Bowen
Justin
Bowen
6'5" | SF
Lincoln Park | 2025
State
IL
(OPRF – 2025)
Alexander Vincent
Alexander
Vincent
6'8" | C
OPRF | 2025
State
IL
(OPRF – 2025)
Gabriel Sularski
Gabriel
Sularski
6'5" | SF
Lemont | 2026
State
IL
(Benet – 2026)
Daniel Pauliukonis
Daniel
Pauliukonis
6'8" | SF
Benet | 2025
State
IL
(Benet – 2025)
Colin Stack
Colin
Stack
6'9" | C
Benet | 2026
State
IL
(Benet – 2026)
Jayden Wright
Jayden
Wright
5'11" | PG
Benet | 2026
State
IL
(Benet – 2026)
RJ McKinnie
RJ
McKinnie
6'2" | SG
Simeon | 2024
State
IL
(Simeon – 2024)
Lorenzo Shields
Lorenzo
Shields
6'2" | PG
Simeon | 2025
State
IL
(Simeon – 2025)
Andre Tyler
Andre
Tyler
6'4" | SG
Simeon | 2026
State
IL
(Simeon – 2026)
Jeffrey Fleming
Jeffrey
Fleming
6'4" | SG
Plainfield North | 2024
State
IL
(Plainfield North – 2024)
Elijah Lovemore
Elijah
Lovemore
6'2" | PG
Bloom | 2025
State
#344
Nation
IL
(Bloom – 2025)
Elijah Allen
Elijah
Allen
6'7" | PF
Bloom | 2024
State
IL
(Bloom – 2024)
Santana Flowers
Santana
Flowers
6'4" | SF
Bloom | 2024
State
IL
(Bloom – 2024)
Terrence Smith
Terrence
Smith
6'5" | SF
West Aurora | 2025
State
#299
Nation
IL
(West Aurora – 2025)
Jordan Brooks
Jordan
Brooks
6'2" | SG
West Aurora | 2024
State
IL
(West Aurora – 2024)
Dietrich Richardson
Dietrich
Richardson
6'6" | PG
Peoria Manual | 2025
State
#177
Nation
IL
(Peoria Manual – 2025)
Gerron Trapps (Peoria Manual – 2024)
Carlos Harris
Carlos
Harris
6'1" | SG
Curie | 2024
State
#283
Nation
IL
(Curie – 2024 – UIC)
Will Gonzalez
Will
Gonzalez
6'5" | SF
Curie | 2024
State
IL
(Curie – 2024)
Justus McNair
Justus
McNair
6'3" | SG
Joliet West | 2024
State
IL
(Joliet West – 2024 – Valpo)
Drew King (Joliet West – 2024)
Zion Gross
Zion
Gross
6'3" | SG
Joliet West | 2025
State
IL
(Joliet West – 2025)
Colby Smith
Colby
Smith
6'3" | PG
New Trier | 2025
State
IL
(New Trier – 2025)
Christopher Kirkpatrick
Christopher
Kirkpatrick
6'3" | PG
New Trier | 2026
State
IL
(New Trier – 2026)
Best First Round Matchup:
Aurora West vs Peoria Manual
Sleeper Teams:
OPRF, Simeon, West Aurora, Manual
Final Four Predictions and Champion:
Benet (Champion)
Bloom
Curie
Joliet West
State Farm Holiday Classic Large School
Dates: December 27-December 30
Location: Illinois Wesleyan, Bloomington HS, Normal West HS
First Round Schedule: (Not in Bracket Order)
10:30 AM Bradley Bourbonnais vs Dunlap
12:00 PM Rock Island vs Oswego
1:30 PM Joliet Central vs Harlem
3:00 PM Metea Valley vs Peoria
5:00 PM Normal Community vs North Chicago
6:30 PM North Lawndale vs Addison Trail
8:00 PM Romeoville vs Mahomet-Seymour
9:30 PM Wheaton Warrenville South vs Sacred Heart Griffin
Top Prospects to Watch:
Nick Allen
Nick
Allen
6'9" | C
Bradley Bourbonnais | 2025
State
IL
(Bradley Bourbonnais – 2025)
Dasean Patton
Dasean
Patton
6'4" | SG
Oswego | 2025
State
IL
(Oswego – 2025)
Will Ashford
Will
Ashford
6'5" | SF
Metea Valley | 2024
State
IL
(Metea Valley – 2024)
Jake Nosek
Jake
Nosek
6'8" | C
Metea Valley | 2025
State
#377
Nation
IL
(Metea Valley – 2025)
Lashawn Stowers (Peoria – 2025)
Jaheem Webber
Jaheem
Webber
6'9" | C
Normal Community | 2024
State
#300
Nation
IL
(Normal Community – 2024 – Wright State)
Braylon Roman
Braylon
Roman
6'3" | SG
Normal Community | 2024
State
IL
(Normal Community – 2024)
Niko Newsome
Niko
Newsome
6'6" | SG
Normal Community | 2024
State
IL
(Normal Community – 2024)
Noah Cleveland
Noah
Cleveland
6'8" | C
Normal Community | 2024
State
IL
(Normal Community – 2024)
EJ Mosley
EJ
Mosley
6'0" | PG
Romeoville | 2025
State
IL
(Romeoville – 2025)
Damion Porter
Damion
Porter
6'4" | SF
Romeoville | 2025
State
IL
(Romeoville – 2025)
Mickeis Johnson
Mickeis
Johnson
6'3" | SG
Romeoville | 2026
State
IL
(Romeoville – 2026)
Best First Round Matchup:
Metea Valley vs Peoria
Sleeper Teams:
Wheaton Warrenville South, Sacred Heart Griffin
Final Four Predictions and Champion:
Bradley Bourbonnias
Metea Valley
Normal Community (Champions)
Romeoville
Pekin Holiday Tournament
Dates: December 27-December 29
Location: Pekin High School
First Round Schedule:
9:00 AM Normal West vs Springfield Lanphier
10:30 AM Mt. Carmel vs Limestone
12:45 PM Moline vs Plainfield North
2:15 PM East St. Louis vs Washington
3:45 PM Lake Park vs Hersey
6:30 PM Pekin vs Rockford Boylan
8:00 PM Morton vs Intrinsic Downtown
9:30 PM Peoria Notre Dame vs Perspectives MSA
Top Prospects to Watch:
Camron Dunson-Riggs
Camron
Dunson-Riggs
6'5" | SF
Normal West | 2027
IL
(Normal West – 2027)
Shaunasey Hatchett (Springfield Lanphier – 2025)
JaiQuan Holman
JaiQuan
Holman
5'10" | PG
Springfield Lanphier | 2025
State
IL
(Springfield Lanphier – 2025)
Angelo Ciaravino
Angelo
Ciaravino
6'6" | SF
Mt. Carmel | 2024
State
#160
Nation
IL
(Mt. Carmel – 2024 – Northwestern)
Lee Marks
Lee
Marks
6'6" | SF
Mt. Carmel | 2024
State
IL
(Mt. Carmel – 2024)
Cameron Thomas
Cameron
Thomas
6'3" | PG
Mount Carmel | 2025
State
IL
(Mt. Carmel – 2025)
Braden Freeman
Braden
Freeman
6'6" | SF
Moline | 2025
State
IL
(Moline – 2025)
Treyvon Taylor
Treyvon
Taylor
6'4" | PF
Moline | 2025
State
IL
(Moline – 2025)
Vinablo Adjahoungbeta
Vinablo
Adjahoungbeta
6'4" | SF
Moline | 2024
State
IL
(Moline – 2024)
Davis Bynum
Davis
Bynum
6'7" | PF
East St. Louis | 2024
State
IL
(East St. Louis – 2024 – Cal State Fullerton)
Taylor Powell
Taylor
Powell
6'6" | SF
East St. Louis | 2024
State
IL
(East St. Louis – 2024 – Northern Illinois FB)
Arlandis Brown
Arlandis
Brown
6'4" | SF
East St. Louis | 2025
State
IL
(East St. Louis – 2025)
Camden Cerese
Camden
Cerese
6'2" | PG
Lake Park | 2024
State
IL
(Lake Park – 2024)
Matthew Jurgens
Matthew
Jurgens
6'3" | SG
Pekin | 2024
State
IL
(Pekin – 2024)
Wes Gudeman
Wes
Gudeman
6'3" | SF
Morton | 2025
State
IL
(Morton – 2025)
Eoin Dillon
Eoin
Dillon
6'8" | C
Peoria Notre Dame | 2024
State
#294
Nation
IL
(Peoria Notre Dame – 2024 – Belmont)
Best First Round Matchup:
Normal West vs Springfield Lanphier
Sleeper Teams:
Pekin, Peoria Notre Dame
Final Four Predictions and Champion:
Mt. Carmel (Champion)
East St. Louis
Lake Park
Morton