It's tournament time! Here's what you need to know for this weekend's top basketball games
It's that time of the year when high school basketball is in full force and teams are tuning up for district play, which is set to begin in a few weeks.
A good way for teams to get some extra reps is to play in tournaments against stiff competition and teams they're not accustomed to seeing — in hopes of improving their game.
The Corpus Christi Coaches Association Tournament, Rockport's Toast of the Coast, the first Calallen ISD Battle of the Bay and Aransas Pass' Best of the Bay are some of the major tournaments scheduled Thursday through Saturday.
Here's what to know ahead of this weekend's games.
A long time coming
Calallen girls basketball coach Andrew Spencer had a vision of hosting a major basketball tournament since becoming head coach of the Wildcats last season.
Spencer's plan was to utilize some of the top teams in the area with the hope of putting the Coastal Bend back in the basketball conversation. His goal came to fruition when local teams such as West Oso and Beeville joined in to make the tournament a reality.
"My biggest inspiration to have a tournament was watching my dad (Mark Spencer) run the Wildcat Classic at Gregory-Portland," Spencer said. "There were teams coming from all over the place. Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio — high level programs. I got to see that and it changed my perspective."
Calallen's Battle of the Bay tournament will also feature some of the top teams in the state in Alvin, Killeen, Bastrop, The Village School, C.E. King, La Joya, Stephenville, Austin High, Grand Oaks, Columbus, Plano East, La Vernia, San Angelo Central, Klein Forest, Cy Springs, Marble Falls, Beaumont West Brook, Elkins and Kaufman.
The tournament begins Thursday and ends Saturday at the Calallen High School Gymnasium.
Spencer said there will not be an overall champion, but pool champions instead. There will also be an all-tournament team and an MVP of each pool, plus 15 all-tournament selections.
The tournament will also feature multiple state-ranked teams with Division I caliber players.
"It's been something I've wanted to bring to the area," Spencer said. "Not just for our student-athletes and our coaches, but the community as well to see the brighter scope of Texas basketball and the level it's played at. It's a great opportunity to showcase the high-level of women's basketball in the area."
Honoring a legend
Former Calallen girls coach Leta Andrews was scheduled to have the high school's gymnasium named after her on Thursday, but the ceremony will be rescheduled because of unforeseen circumstances, Spencer said.
Andrews, who coached at Calallen from 1980 to 1992 and won a state championship in 1990, has won a record 1,416 games during her career. She led her teams to the state tournament 16 times and is also a member of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
The ceremony to name the gymnasium after Andrews will be rescheduled at a later date and time, Spencer said.
"When I got here I knew coach Andrews was very successful, but I didn't realize the impact she had on basketball and the community," Spencer said. "I didn't realize Calallen had been to state 15 times and I started learning about her being the winningest coach of all-time in every sport, men and women. She has more wins than Gregg Popovich, coach Mike Krzyzewski... I wanted to find a way to honor her and her legacy."
CCISD to face familiar and unknown competition
The Corpus Christi Coaches Association features CCISD teams such as Ray, Miller, Veterans Memorial, Carroll, King and Moody at multiple venues throughout Corpus Christi.
Joining the CCISD circle this season will be Annapolis Christian Academy, Rockport-Fulton, Falfurrias, Kingsville and John Paul II.
Other teams playing in the tournament will be Elgin, San Antonio Stephens, Mission Sharyland, New Braunfels, Santa Maria, San Antonio Sotomayor, Sharyland Pioneer, Pearsall, San Antonio Brackenridge, Santa Rosa, San Antonio Lee, San Antonio Highlands and McAllen Memorial.
Other tournaments to watch
Rockport-Fulton's Toast of the Coast features some of the top girls teams in the Corpus Christi region in Rockport-Fulton, state-ranked Flour Bluff, Aransas Pass and Kingsville, which advanced to the fourth round last season.
The 53rd annual Aransas Pass' Best of the Bay boys tournament begins Thursday with Aransas Pass, Calallen, West Oso, Gregory-Portland, Sinton and Robstown taking center stage.
Three girls teams to watch
Flour Bluff
The Hornets are off to a solid start at 10-1. Flour Bluff, who advanced to the regional tournament last season, will look to make noise at the Toast of the Coast with district play around the corner.
Calallen
The Wildcats will be the team to keep an eye on at the Leta Andrews Battle of the Bay Tournament. Calallen is 9-4 as it continues to build during a tough non-district schedule.
Beeville
The state-ranked Trojans will look to rebound during tournament play after a loss to Flour Bluff last week.
Three boys teams to watch
King
Head coach Evan Hartlaub and his Mustangs have began to find their stride as district play approaches. The 7-2 Mustangs recently won an overtime thriller against Ray.
Miller
The Bucs haven't had as many games as other competition, but are still off to a solid start. Miller has won two straight games against Harlingen South and Carroll.
Carroll
The Tigers started the season 4-0 and will look to build on their early success as they serve as one of the host for the CCCA Tournament.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Here's what you need to know for this weekend's basketball tournaments
