- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,265,224
- Reaction score
- 59
It is not just the Final Four stars of college basketball coming to Indianapolis this week.
The stars of tomorrow are, too.
The Chipotle Nationals will return to Hamilton Southeastern for the second consecutive year and for third year to Central Indiana, starting on Wednesday and running through Saturday. The event will feature 16 teams – 10 boys and six girls – all ranked in the top 25 in the nation by ESPN.
“If you are a basketball fan and you come to the tournament, you are going to see the No. 1 team in the country,” said Rashid Ghazi, the president of Paragon Marketing Group, which created the season-ending tournament nearly two decades ago for the nation’s top high school teams. “We’ve got one through nine. And the great thing about Hamilton Southeastern is there is not a bad seat in the house. You are up close and personal and can see the players who will be playing in the NCAA Tournament next year.”
Last year, Cameron Boozer and Cayden Boozer led their Columbus High School (Fla.) team to the tournament championship. After a year at Duke, Cameron Boozer now has a chance to be one of the top three picks in the NBA draft. Darryn Peterson (Kansas) was another star of the tournament with his Prolific Prep team out of California.
This year’s tourney, which will begin on Wednesday night when No. 7 Wasatch Academy (Utah) plays No. 10 Link Academy (Mo.) at 6 p.m., followed by No. 8 Spire Academy (Ohio) vs. No. 9 Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) at 7:45 p.m., will conclude on Saturday with the girls’ championship at 10 a.m. on ESPN2 and the boys’ championship at noon on ESPN.
The tournament, which started in 2009, moved from Washington D.C. to New York and Florida before settling in Central Indiana two years ago at Brownsburg.
“When we looked at moving to Indianapolis, we were well aware the Final Four would be coming our third year in Indianapolis,” Ghazi said. “We wanted to come and build our reputation ahead of time and there would be a big buzz if I’m watching basketball in the NCAA Tournament. There are going to be athletes who played with us in Indianapolis who went on to play in the NCAA Tournament. The Boozers played with us, Darius Acuff played with us. We felt like there’s a connectivity with the players we’re featuring and those in the Final Four.”
Here is a closer look at the teams and schedule
No. 1 Arizona Compass (25-2)
Kaden House (Maryland) and Kalek House (Xavier) are 6-3 senior guard tandem. DeMarcus Henry is a 6-7 junior who is ranked No. 10 in the country in his class. Quincy Wadley is another highly-ranked guard in the 2026 class (No. 57).
No. 2 Dynamic Prep (16-1)
DaKari Spear (Texas Tech) is a 6-4 guard in the 2026 class who leads the this group, along with two-way guard Austin Goosby (Texas). Marcus Spear Jr. is a 6-10 forward and the top junior prospect in the country.
No. 3 CIA Bella Vista (23-4)
Miles Sadler (West Virginia) is a senior guard is ranked No. 27 in the 2026 class. Paul Osaruyi, a 6-8 forward, is ranked No. 3 in the 2027 class in the country. Vaughn Karvala, an Indiana recruit, is of local interest on this team. He is ranked No. 41 in the 2026 class.
No. 4 Prolific Prep (37-3)
Arizona commit Caleb Holt, a 6-5 guard, is ranked No. 4 in the class and Bruce Branch, a 6-7 BYU commit, is ranked No. 6 overall. Nasir Anderson, a 6-2 point guard, is ranked No. 6 in the 2027 class.
No. 5 Montverde (21-6)
Montverde is led by 6-3 guard Dhani Miller, 6-10 Michigan commit Lincoln Cosby and 6-10 UCLA commit Joe Philon.
No. 6 Paul VI (33-2)
Jordan Smith, a 6-2 guard, is an Arkansas commit who is ranked No. 2 in the 2026 class. Brian Mitchell, a 6-4 shooting guard, and 6-1 point guard Lawrence Brown III, a Florida Gulf Coast commit, are the top players.
No. 7 Wasatch Academy (24-6)
Mariano Manciel, a 6-3 shooting guard, and 6-4 UConn commit Junior County are the top threats for Wasatch, along with 6-5 Creighton commit Katrelle Harmon.
No. 8 Spire Academy (27-2)
King Gibson, a 6-5 point guard, is ranked No. 11 in the country in the 2027 class. Other standouts are 5-10 guard Darrell Davis, 6-6 wing Tarris Bouie, 6-8 wing Alex Constanza (Georgetown) and 6-6 guard Aiden Derkack (Dayton).
No. 9 Archbishop Stepinac (26-4)
The Crusaders (26-4) are led by three McDonald’s All-Americans in Jasiah Jervis, a 6-5 shooting guard committed to Michigan State, and twin towers Adonis Ratliff and Darius Ratliff, who are both committed to USC.
No. 10 Link Academy (23-4)
Michigan State commit Carlos Medlock is the Link Academy lead guard. Davion Thompson, a 5-11 guard, is ranked No. 24 in the 2027 class. Trent Perry is a 6-5 wing who is signed with Kansas. Ethan Taylor is committed to Michigan State and Luca Foster to Gonzaga.
Schedule
At Hamilton Southeastern
Wednesday
Wasatch Academy vs. Link Academy, 6 p.m.
Spire Academy vs. Archbishop Stepinac, 7:45 p.m.
Thursday
Prolific Prep vs. Montverde Academy, 2 p.m. (ESPN2)
CIA Bella Vista vs. Paul VI, 4 p.m. (ESPNU)
Arizona Compass vs. Spire-Stepinac winner, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
Dynamic Prep vs. Wasatch-Link winner, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)
Friday
Semifinals, 2 and 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
Saturday
Championship, noon (ESPN)
Girls schedule
Thursday
Long Island Lutheran vs. DME Academy, 10 a.m.
Bullis School vs. Bishop Gorman, noon
Friday
The St. James Academy vs. Long Island Lutheran vs. DME Academy, 10 a.m. (ESPN2)
Westtown School vs. Bullis School vs. Bishop Gorman, noon (ESPN2)
Saturday
Championship, 10 a.m. (ESPN2)
Players to watch
Class of 2026 (ESPN rankings)
7. Jordyn Jackson, The St. James Academy (Maryland)
14. Olivia Jones, Long Island Lutheran (Vanderbilt)
19. Savvy Swords, Long Island Lutheran (Kentucky)
20. Aaliah Spaight, Bishop Gorman (Texas)
23. Emily McDonald, Long Island Lutheran (Kentucky)
25 Sanai Green, Long Island Lutheran (Duke)
32 Gigi Battle, DME Academy (Indiana)
Class of 2027
2. Ivanna Wilson-Manyacka, Bullis School
4. Jezelle Banks, The St. James Academy
6. Jordyn Palmer, Westtown
22 Cece Arico, Long Island Lutheran
33 Taylor Brown, Long Island Lutheran
46 Ashley MacCalla, The St. James Academy
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.Get IndyStar's high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Chipotle Nationals brings top high school basketball talent to Central Indiana
Continue reading...
The stars of tomorrow are, too.
The Chipotle Nationals will return to Hamilton Southeastern for the second consecutive year and for third year to Central Indiana, starting on Wednesday and running through Saturday. The event will feature 16 teams – 10 boys and six girls – all ranked in the top 25 in the nation by ESPN.
“If you are a basketball fan and you come to the tournament, you are going to see the No. 1 team in the country,” said Rashid Ghazi, the president of Paragon Marketing Group, which created the season-ending tournament nearly two decades ago for the nation’s top high school teams. “We’ve got one through nine. And the great thing about Hamilton Southeastern is there is not a bad seat in the house. You are up close and personal and can see the players who will be playing in the NCAA Tournament next year.”
You must be registered for see images
Last year, Cameron Boozer and Cayden Boozer led their Columbus High School (Fla.) team to the tournament championship. After a year at Duke, Cameron Boozer now has a chance to be one of the top three picks in the NBA draft. Darryn Peterson (Kansas) was another star of the tournament with his Prolific Prep team out of California.
This year’s tourney, which will begin on Wednesday night when No. 7 Wasatch Academy (Utah) plays No. 10 Link Academy (Mo.) at 6 p.m., followed by No. 8 Spire Academy (Ohio) vs. No. 9 Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) at 7:45 p.m., will conclude on Saturday with the girls’ championship at 10 a.m. on ESPN2 and the boys’ championship at noon on ESPN.
The tournament, which started in 2009, moved from Washington D.C. to New York and Florida before settling in Central Indiana two years ago at Brownsburg.
“When we looked at moving to Indianapolis, we were well aware the Final Four would be coming our third year in Indianapolis,” Ghazi said. “We wanted to come and build our reputation ahead of time and there would be a big buzz if I’m watching basketball in the NCAA Tournament. There are going to be athletes who played with us in Indianapolis who went on to play in the NCAA Tournament. The Boozers played with us, Darius Acuff played with us. We felt like there’s a connectivity with the players we’re featuring and those in the Final Four.”
Here is a closer look at the teams and schedule
No. 1 Arizona Compass (25-2)
Kaden House (Maryland) and Kalek House (Xavier) are 6-3 senior guard tandem. DeMarcus Henry is a 6-7 junior who is ranked No. 10 in the country in his class. Quincy Wadley is another highly-ranked guard in the 2026 class (No. 57).
No. 2 Dynamic Prep (16-1)
DaKari Spear (Texas Tech) is a 6-4 guard in the 2026 class who leads the this group, along with two-way guard Austin Goosby (Texas). Marcus Spear Jr. is a 6-10 forward and the top junior prospect in the country.
No. 3 CIA Bella Vista (23-4)
Miles Sadler (West Virginia) is a senior guard is ranked No. 27 in the 2026 class. Paul Osaruyi, a 6-8 forward, is ranked No. 3 in the 2027 class in the country. Vaughn Karvala, an Indiana recruit, is of local interest on this team. He is ranked No. 41 in the 2026 class.
No. 4 Prolific Prep (37-3)
Arizona commit Caleb Holt, a 6-5 guard, is ranked No. 4 in the class and Bruce Branch, a 6-7 BYU commit, is ranked No. 6 overall. Nasir Anderson, a 6-2 point guard, is ranked No. 6 in the 2027 class.
No. 5 Montverde (21-6)
Montverde is led by 6-3 guard Dhani Miller, 6-10 Michigan commit Lincoln Cosby and 6-10 UCLA commit Joe Philon.
No. 6 Paul VI (33-2)
Jordan Smith, a 6-2 guard, is an Arkansas commit who is ranked No. 2 in the 2026 class. Brian Mitchell, a 6-4 shooting guard, and 6-1 point guard Lawrence Brown III, a Florida Gulf Coast commit, are the top players.
No. 7 Wasatch Academy (24-6)
Mariano Manciel, a 6-3 shooting guard, and 6-4 UConn commit Junior County are the top threats for Wasatch, along with 6-5 Creighton commit Katrelle Harmon.
No. 8 Spire Academy (27-2)
King Gibson, a 6-5 point guard, is ranked No. 11 in the country in the 2027 class. Other standouts are 5-10 guard Darrell Davis, 6-6 wing Tarris Bouie, 6-8 wing Alex Constanza (Georgetown) and 6-6 guard Aiden Derkack (Dayton).
No. 9 Archbishop Stepinac (26-4)
The Crusaders (26-4) are led by three McDonald’s All-Americans in Jasiah Jervis, a 6-5 shooting guard committed to Michigan State, and twin towers Adonis Ratliff and Darius Ratliff, who are both committed to USC.
No. 10 Link Academy (23-4)
Michigan State commit Carlos Medlock is the Link Academy lead guard. Davion Thompson, a 5-11 guard, is ranked No. 24 in the 2027 class. Trent Perry is a 6-5 wing who is signed with Kansas. Ethan Taylor is committed to Michigan State and Luca Foster to Gonzaga.
Schedule
At Hamilton Southeastern
Wednesday
Wasatch Academy vs. Link Academy, 6 p.m.
Spire Academy vs. Archbishop Stepinac, 7:45 p.m.
Thursday
Prolific Prep vs. Montverde Academy, 2 p.m. (ESPN2)
CIA Bella Vista vs. Paul VI, 4 p.m. (ESPNU)
Arizona Compass vs. Spire-Stepinac winner, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
Dynamic Prep vs. Wasatch-Link winner, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)
Friday
Semifinals, 2 and 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
Saturday
Championship, noon (ESPN)
Girls schedule
Thursday
Long Island Lutheran vs. DME Academy, 10 a.m.
Bullis School vs. Bishop Gorman, noon
Friday
The St. James Academy vs. Long Island Lutheran vs. DME Academy, 10 a.m. (ESPN2)
Westtown School vs. Bullis School vs. Bishop Gorman, noon (ESPN2)
Saturday
Championship, 10 a.m. (ESPN2)
Players to watch
Class of 2026 (ESPN rankings)
7. Jordyn Jackson, The St. James Academy (Maryland)
14. Olivia Jones, Long Island Lutheran (Vanderbilt)
19. Savvy Swords, Long Island Lutheran (Kentucky)
20. Aaliah Spaight, Bishop Gorman (Texas)
23. Emily McDonald, Long Island Lutheran (Kentucky)
25 Sanai Green, Long Island Lutheran (Duke)
32 Gigi Battle, DME Academy (Indiana)
Class of 2027
2. Ivanna Wilson-Manyacka, Bullis School
4. Jezelle Banks, The St. James Academy
6. Jordyn Palmer, Westtown
22 Cece Arico, Long Island Lutheran
33 Taylor Brown, Long Island Lutheran
46 Ashley MacCalla, The St. James Academy
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.Get IndyStar's high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Chipotle Nationals brings top high school basketball talent to Central Indiana
Continue reading...
