What: Dale’s Sporting Goods Sam Moir Christmas Classic

When: Dec. 28-30. 8 games Thursday and Friday, 4 games Saturday

Where: Catawba College’s Goodman Gym

Cost: $10 daily, $25 for 3-day tournament pass

 

Boys teams

Salisbury (8-3): While they are seeded second by record, the Hornets, under the direction of first-year coach Albert Perkins, are the clear favorite. They played a vicious pre-Christmas schedule and they survived it, even with three players participating in football postseason all-star games. Salisbury has the marquee player in the event, Wake Forest recruit Juke Harris, a 6-foot-6 guard who averages 30.7 points per game. They aren’t real tall, other than Harris, but they are athletic.

West Rowan (5-2): The third-seeded defending champs play sound team defense, and they still have 2022 Moir MVP Kayvone Norman running the show. He’s playing despite tearing an ACL at the outset of the football season. Uncommitted senior Will Givens Jr. averages 20.3 points. He can shoot the 3, and so can sophomore Brant Graham. West’s draw wasn’t favorable.Coach Dadrian Cuthbertson’s Falcons will have to win three difficult games to defend their championship.

Central Davidson (11-0): Seeded first, The Spartans are in what appears to be the friendlier half of the bracket, and they have a good chance to get to the final. They aren’t amazingly quick, but they move the ball, they don’t take many bad shots and they make a high percentage of their 3-point attempts. Most of them are 6 feet tall, so Devin Sigmon, a 6-foot-5 shooter, stands out. So does Luke Staten, a 1,000-point scorer, who averages 15 points. Eli Tysinger, the point guard, is the head coach’s son, and averages 6.6 assists per game.

Carson (3-4): Seeded sixth by record, Carson is better than the sixth-best team, and the Cougars’ scrap with West Rowan on Thursday morning could be the best game of the first day. West and Carson already played a South Piedmont Conference game that came down to the final seconds. Carson has endured a wicked pre-Christmas schedule, but the Cougars, who have three key freshmen, are going to be a handful by the end of this season — and for the next three. Freshmen CP Perry, the coach’s son, and Jacob Mills are among the county’s top six scorers.

A.L. Brown (4-2): The fourth-seeded Wonders haven’t played since Dec. 8. Their first-round game with North Rowan will be intriguing. The Wonders have good size and good athletes. They won at Concord, and Concord has won tight games against Carson and West Rowan. On the other hand, the Wonders got blown out at Carson. The standout for the Wonders is 6-foot-6 senior Nazir Reaves, the leading scorer and rebounder.

North Rowan (4-3): The fifth-seeded Cavaliers lost by 28 to Central Davidson and by 30 to West Rowan, but it’s a talented group of individuals and they’re about 10 deep. Veteran coach Jason Causby continues to search for the best combination. Amir Alexander, who is getting offers as a football receiver, has scored in double figures in every game, while George Maxwell, who had a 42-point game last season, is always capable of an explosion.

East Rowan (1-7): The seventh-seeded Mustangs’ only win came against South Rowan to conclude their pre-Christmas action. East lost by 22 to North Rowan and by 29 to West Rowan, so it’s unlikely the Mustangs can seriously challenge Salisbury, their first-round opponent. Jonathan Wembolua has been a steady double-double guy for the Mustangs. Drake Jones can shoot. He put up 33 points against Lake Norman Charter.

South Rowan (0-7): Eight-seeded South plays Central Davidson in the first round, and the Raiders actually will match up better physically with the No. 1 seed than they do against most of their South Piedmont Conference opponents. Point guard Dalton Young is the primary scoring threat as well as the ball-handler for South. Aaron Jones scored a career-high 20 in South’s last game before Christmas.

 

Thursday, Dec. 28

9 a.m. — Girls,  (3) Central Davidson vs. (6) East Rowan

10:30 a.m. — Boys,  (3) West Rowan vs. (6) Carson

Noon — Girls, (2) West Rowan vs. (7) South Rowan

1:30 p.m. — Boys, (2) Salisbury vs (7) East Rowan

3 p.m. — Girls, (1) A.L. Brown vs. (8) Carson

4:30 p.m. — Boys, (1) Central Davidson vs. (8) South Rowan

6 p.m. — Girls, (4) North Rowan vs. (5) Salisbury

7:30 p.m. — Boys, (4) A.L. Brown vs (5) North Rowan

Friday. Dec. 29

9 a.m. — Girls, losers of Games 1 and 3

10:30 a.m. — Boys, losers of Games 2 and 4

Noon — Girls, losers of Games 5 and 7

1:30 p.m. — Boys, losers of Games 6 and 8

3 p.m — Girls semifinal, winners 1 and 3

4:30 p.m. — Boys semifinal, winners 2 and 4

6 p.m. — Girls semifinal, winners 5 and 7

7:30 p.m. — Boys semifinal, winners 6 and 8

Saturday, Dec. 30

3 p.m — Girls, 3rd place

4:30 p.m. — Boys, 3rd place

6 p.m. — Girls championship

7:30 p.m. — Boys semifinal, winners 6 and 8