NIke TOC features 18 Arizona girls basketball teams

December 18, 2011 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Six brackets. A total of 96 teams from across the country, including 18 from Arizona. The Nike Tournament of Champions girls basketball tournament is back beginning Monday (Dec. 19) through Thursday (Dec. 22) at seven  high schools and junior highs in Chandler and Gilbert.

Sixteen schools will compete in each of the six divisions (brackets). The elite divisions are  the Joe Smith, which features one Arizona school, St. Mary's. and the John Anderson (no Arizona entries).  St. Mary's (6-0), last year's big-school state champ in Arizona, finished ninth in the Joe Smith Division in 2010. St. Mary's opens play Monday at 6 p.m. at Hamilton HS against Christ the King, (Queens, N.Y)., the team it defeated for ninth place last year.

The other 17 Arizona entries are competing in four of the other divisions. The Black Division features Seton Catholic, Westview, Flagstaff and Chandler. The Mike Desper Division welcomes Tolleson, Mesa Mountain View and Pinnacle. In the Gray Division are Desert Vista, Chaparral, Desert Mountain, Xavier and Hamilton. And the White Division is home to Betty Fairfax, Perry, Williams Field, Saguaro and Basha.

Schools hosting games over the four-day event are Basha HS, Chandler HS, Hamilton HS, Perry HS, San Tan Junior High, Williams Field HS and Willis Junior High.

The schedule Monday for Arizona teams is as follows:

BLACK DIVISION: 10:30 a.m. -- Seton (9-3) vs. Mission Bay, Calif. at San Tan Jr. High; Chandler (5-3) vs. Palisades Charter, Calif. at Chandler HS; 1:30 p.m. - Westview vs. St. Bernard at San Tan Jr. High; 6 p.m. - Huntington Beach, Calif. vs. Flagstaff at San Tan Jr. High. MIKE DESPER DIVISION: 10:30 a.m. - Tolleson (8-4) vs. Lynwood, Calif. at Basha HS; 6 p.m. - Indio, Calif. vs. Mesa Mtn. View (10-1) at Perry HS; Pinnacle (9-1) vs. Canyon Springs, Calif. at Basha HS. GRAY DIVISION: 10:30 a.m. - Horizon Christian, Calif. vs. Desert Vista at Willis Jr. High; 3 p.m. - The Bishop's School vs. Chaparral at Willis Jr. High; 4:30 p.m. - Xavier vs. Buchanan at Chandler HS; 6 p.m. - Desert Mountain vs. Cherry Creek, Calif. at Willis Jr. High; San Diego Mater Dei vs. Hamilton (9-2) at Chandler HS. WHITE DIVISION: 10:30 a.m. - Betty Fairfax vs. Clovis West, Calif. at Willams Field HS; Noon - Perry vs. Marymount at Williams Field; 1:30 p.m. - Basha vs. Chatsworth, Calif. at Chandler HS; 4:30 p.m. - Williams Field vs. South Torrance, Calif. at Williams Field HS;  6 p.m. - Saguaro vs. Bishop Alemany, Calif. at Williams Field.

For a complete listing of brackets, times and sites go to www.niketournamentofchampions.com and click on the appropriate prompt.