Local boys basketball teams get back on the hardwood Monday for the eight-team Santa Barbara Holiday Classic.
The host Dons will be joined by San Marcos and Bishop Diego in the four-day event that features pool-play games the first three days. The final day on Thursday starts with the seventh-place game at 2 p.m. followed by the consolation final at 3:30, third place at 5 and the championship game at 6:30 p.m.
Ocean View of Huntington Beach, Burroughs-Burbank, Leuzinger of Hawthorne, Clovis West and the Santa Barbara JVs fill out the tournament field.
Leuzinger figures to be the tournament favorite as it returns three starters from last year’s squad that won 17 games and finished second in the Bay League. Point guard Eric Childress, an all-league first team pick, leads the Olympians. Other key players are 6-2 Trey Anderson and 6-5 Khiree Johns.
The tournament features some solid guards.
Ocean View is led by 6-4 junior guard Josh Mishler and a talented freshman in Kendall Small.
Clovis West features the high-scoring guard tandem of Terrence Jackson and Charlie Thompson.
Senior guards Ty Bennett and Austyn Thompson are the spark plugs for Burbank-Burroughs.
Local standouts include Thayer White and Chad Ridenour of San Marcos, Elias Muñoz of Bishop Diego and Sam Cohen and Andy Busch of Santa Barbara.
Monday’s opening games: Burroughs against Santa Barbara’s JVs at 3 p.m.; Ocean View vs. Leuzinger at 4:30; San Marcos against Clovis West at 6 p.m. and Santa Barbara taking on Bishop Diego at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday’s games: Bishop Diego vs. Santa Barbar JV, 2 p.m. San Marcos vs. Ocean View, 3:30 p.m. Leuzinger vs. Clovis West, 5 p.m. Santa Barbara vs. Burroughs, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday’s games: Bishop Diego vs. Burroughs, 2 p.m. Clovis West vs. Ocean View, 3:30 p.m. San Marcos vs. Leuzinger, 5 p.m. Santa Barbara vs. SB JV, 6:30 p.m.
