- December 24, 2025
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'Tis the season for slam dunks, smooth layups and sick crossovers.
Festivities for local preps basketball players don't end with unwrapping the last gift under the Christmas tree or eating the final plate of food at Christmas dinner.
They also hit the holly-jolly hardwood to compete against some of the top teams in the state, and in some cases, the country.
Here's how area high school basketball teams will get in on the holiday hoops spirit:
The holidays can be a hectic time of year. Working, shopping and traveling are just some of the common stressors people deal with.
They'll be especially hectic for the Sailors, though not for any of those reasons.
Sarasota is scheduled to take the court immediately after Christmas Day for the Kingdom of the Sun tournament in Ocala. By then, it will already have competed in the City of Palms Classic from Dec. 18-23 over in Fort Myers.
Earning a spot in the latter — widely considered the country's premier holiday tournament — represents a major moment for the Sailors.
They were one of just 16 teams across the country to be selected to the bracket. Only four hail from in-state, including Calvary Christian, Columbus and The Villages.
Now in its fourth year under coach BJ Ivey, the program has compiled a dominant 81-12 record, as of Dec. 17, since he took the reins. The Sailors reached the 2025 FHSAA Class 7A state semifinals and finished at 28-3.
The team has rolled to an 8-0 start this campaign behind junior guard Johnny Lackaff and senior forward David Young. Lackaff produced a team-high 21.9 points per game as a sophomore, while Young was all over the boards with 7.0 rebounds per contest.
Sarasota will play Stranahan at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 26 to kick off its run in the Kingdom of the Sun tournament, looking to keep the victories flowing.
Only one holiday tournament drew the attention of three different schools in the Sarasota area.
Then again, there's no tournament quite like the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational.
It's a gargantuan annual event. This year, over 200 teams from 20-plus states are involved, as well as teams from Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. The invitational's schedule features two four-day sessions.
Cardinal Mooney, Sarasota and Booker will each compete in the latter session. As of Dec. 17, the Cougars are 4-5, Sailors are 5-5 and Tornadoes are 4-4. Mixed results have defined their respective seasons so far.
But that doesn't mean there isn't something worth watching in Wesley Chapel.
The Cougars are the reigning FHSAA Class 3A state champions and have reached five straight title games. They've become synonymous with the statewide stage.
After losing four of its top-five scorers from 2024-25, the team has turned to a one-two punch at the guard position. Junior transfers Jayla Griffin from Bloomingdale and Jadyn Watts from Sickles have combined for 29.3 points per game.
Paisley Binswanger — a Samford signee — steers the Sailors' ship. The 5-foot-8 senior guard owns a team-high 17.9 points per game, as of Dec. 17, in addition to 5.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 4.0 steals per contest.
For the Tornadoes, senior guards Yvette Brown and Kennedy Guy have done the heavy lifting, accounting for 23.9 points per game combined. The squad is also fresh off the FHSAA Class 4A state semifinals.
Action for all three squads gets underway Dec. 27 when Booker faces Spring-Ford (PA) at 12:45 p.m., Cardinal Mooney battles Galloway (GA) at 2:10 p.m. and Sarasota takes on Western at 5 p.m.
Indeed, several teams are leaving the comforts of Sarasota behind, and one is even headed beyond state lines.
Cardinal Mooney will take a metaphorical sleigh ride up north. Their journey won't quite reach the North Pole, but it will end four states away, up in Virginia.
Organized by the Benedictine Schools of Richmond, the 2025 running of the Capital City Classic marks the 59th in its history. This year's bracket features 12 schools on the boys side hailing from Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.
The Cougars are the sole representatives of Florida. If their record holds, they'll be bringing an undefeated resume with them.
As of Dec. 17, the squad stands at 7-0 this season, boasting a quartet of double-figure scorers. Jamaal George leads the pack with 15.0 points per game.
Accompanying the junior guard is senior guard Malakai Cuffy (12.4), junior forward Elijah Price (11.4) and junior guard Jakyrin Smith (10.4). Price has also proved to be a crucial defensive presence with team-best efforts in rebounding and blocking.
The last two seasons have featured plenty of regular-season success, but not much postseason excitement for Cardinal Mooney. It went 42-12 in that time yet failed to record a regionals win. In 2025, it didn't even make it past the district semifinals.
Cardinal Mooney will go toe-to-toe with St. Anne's-Belfield (VA) at 4 p.m. on Dec. 27 to commence a rare out-of-state run.
