5 MLK holiday high school boys and girls basketball tournaments to attend in Washington
On the third Monday of every January is Martin Luther King Jr. Day - a federal holiday to pay tribute to the civil-rights leader's legacy in America.
It's also a popular day for high school basketball showcases around the country.
Here are the five MLK holiday basketball tournaments you should consider visiting in Washington to see some of the best programs go at it:
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KING SHOWCASE
Photo by Taylor Balkom
Jan. 15 at ShoWare Arena, Kent
Format: Boys and girls tournament.
Schedule: 9 a.m. - Kent-Meridian vs. Enumclaw boys; 10:30 a.m. - Puyallup vs. Auburn Mountainview boys; Noon - White River vs. King's girls; 2 p.m. - King's vs. Lynden boys; 3:30 p.m. - Bonney Lake vs. Clackamas (Ore.) girls; 5 p.m. - Mount Si vs. Tualatin (Ore.) boys; 7 p.m. - Tahoma vs. Olympia boys; 8:30 p.m. - Tahoma vs. Liberty of Issaquah girls.
Premier matchup(s): It's rare in any state to get both defending Class 6A champions from Oregon in your building - but that is what is going on in Kent on Monday. First up, top class-of-2025 national recruit Jazzy Davidson and Clackamas girls play Bonney Lake (a replacement for Bellarmine Prep) in a speed-vs-size matchup. Then, the injury-depleted-but-still-dangerous Tualatin boys meet Mount Si, the No. 1 team in Class 4A with top senior backcourt of Blake Forrest and Trevor Hennig.
Quotable: "I just sent out an invite to the state champs for both (from Oregon) and they wanted to come up and play. I got them good games as well to play in. They are coming up Sunday night and I am giving them a pizza feed, too." - event organizer Steve Turcotte.
Tickets: $10 for adults, $5 for students and senior citizens.
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MLK 'THE DREAM' SHOWCASE
Photo by Steve Faber
Jan. 15 at Federal Way High School
Format: Boys and girls tournament.
Schedule: 8 a.m. - Annie Wright vs. Federal Way girls; 9:30 a.m. - Franklin vs. Rogers of Puyallup boys; 11 a.m. - Davis of Yakima vs. Lincoln of Tacoma girls; 12:30 p.m. - Davis of Yakima vs Seattle Prep boys; 2 p.m. - Richland vs. Eastside Catholic boys; 3:30 p.m. - Camas vs. Annie Wright boys; 5 p.m. - Lake Washington vs. Sumner girls; 6:30 p.m. - Eastlake vs. Emerald Ridge girls; 8 p.m. - North Kitsap vs. Federal Way boys.
Premier matchup: In just its second year, this nine-game tournament, from top to bottom, boasts the strongest set of games. And if you like skyscraping height, look no further than the 2 p.m. showdown between No. 1 (3A) Eastside Catholic, led by 6-foot-10 Virginia signee Jacob Cofie, and No. 4 (4A) Richland boys, who has 6-11 Lucas Westerfield in the middle.
Quotable: "This is why I call is a showcase - we get to see teams come to the gym and put on a show." - event organizer Yattah Reed.
Tickets: $12.
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PUGET SOUND HOLIDAY CLASSIC
Photo by Steve Faber
Jan. 15 at UPS Memorial Fieldhouse, Tacoma
Format: Girls tournament.
Schedule: 11 a.m. - Bothell vs. Caruthers (Calif.); 12:30 p.m. - Lakeside of Seattle vs. Mead; 2 p.m. - Bethel vs. Roosevelt; 3:30 p.m. - Nooksack Valley vs. Union; 5 p.m. - Camas vs. Garfield; 6:30 p.m. - Peninsula vs. Woodinville.
Premier matchup: UPS is in a unique spot for an event such as this, especially since many of these state-bound squads utilize Memorial Fieldhouse for away-from-Tacoma-Dome shootarounds. And in Year 4, the premier girls matchup for the entire season is here - No. 1 Camas (4A) vs. No. 1 Garfield (3A), the three-time defending WIAA champion. You won't find two better passing point guards in Washington than Camas junior Keirra Thompson and Garfield senior (and Oregon signee) Katie Fiso.
Quotable: "This is 100 percent the strong field we've had. ... Now it is a matter of keeping the thing going. It has created its own momentum in a lot of ways." - event organizer Casey Kushiyama.
Tickets: $15 for adults, $10 for students and senior citizens.
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MLK INVITATIONAL
Photo by Vince Miller
Jan. 15 at Renton High School
Format: Boys tournament.
Schedule: 10 a.m. - Eastlake vs. Lynnwood; 11:30 a.m. - Skyline vs. Silas; 1 p.m. - Kamiak vs. Mount Rainier; 2:30 p.m. - West Valley of Yakima vs. Skyview; 4 p.m. - Jackson vs. Mercer Island; 5:30 p.m. - BFL Prep vs. Elite Prep; 7 p.m. - Renton vs. Bellevue.
Premier matchup: A lot goes on in Rashaad Powell's gymnasium over the year - a competitive summer league, a jamboree and a growing MLK tournament in its third year of existence. And this year, he will match up the two area's top prep-school programs right before the marquee game - Renton vs. Bellevue, two guard-featured teams that were in the WIAA playoffs a year ago.
Quotable: "I try to create a platform for programs to participate ... and we've tried to make good matchups and get good games." - event organizer Rashaad Powell.
Tickets: $10.
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MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. BASKETBALL TRIBUTE
Photo courtesy of WF West athletics
Jan. 15 at Lower Columbia College, Longview
Format: Boys and girls tournament.
Schedule: 1 p.m. - Castle Rock vs. Kalama boys; 2:30 p.m. - Stevenson vs. Wahkiakum boys; 4 p.m. - Tumwater vs. Adna boys; 5:30 p.m. - Tumwater vs. Kelso girls; 7 p.m. - W.F. West vs. Kelso boys.
Premier matchup: This event has traditionally given the smaller-school programs a big holiday-tournament stage. And the nightcap features two district contenders from difference classifications - 3A GSHL's Kelso vs. 2A EvCo's W.F. West. And even though the tempos might be different, the game features senior-guard playmaking, led by W.F. West's Tyler Klatush (18.4 ppg) and Kelso's Hayden Yore (16.5 ppg).
Tickets: $10 for adults, $7 for senior citizens and children 12-and-under.
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(Featured file photo by Vince Miller)
