This year’s edition of the Santa Barbara Holiday Classic boys basketball tournament is going to be a star-studded event.
Hosted by Santa Barbara High from Wednesday, Dec. 27 through Saturday, Dec. 30, some of the state’s top teams and players will be in action at JR Richards Gym.
Along with Santa Barbara High and Dos Pueblos, visiting teams to compete in the classic are Newbury Park, Santa Paula, Righetti, Lompoc, Oak Park, Burroughs, Chatsworth and Sierra Canyon.
“This is the first time running it for me and I’m really pleased with the quality of teams that we’re getting,” Dons coach Greg Zuffelato said. “It’s going to be fun with a lot of really good basketball.”
The team that grabs the headlines is Sierra Canyon (10-1), which currently boasts a No. 11 state ranking and are the 72nd-best team in the nation, according to MaxPreps.
The Sierra Canyon squad has plenty of star power, including Bryce James, son of NBA great LeBron James, and Justin Pippen, whose father is NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen.
However, the most highly-touted prospect for the Trailblazers is senior Isaiah Elohim, the 53rd-ranked player in his class and a four-star Arkansas commit.
While Sierra Canyon has the highest-rated squad, the top prospect to play will be Chatsworth’s Alijah Arenas, the son of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas.
Alijah Arenas is a five-star recruit and is the No. 4 player in the Class of 2026. He is currently averaging 33.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game through 12 games played.
With all this star power, don’t count out the host of the Holiday Classic, as Santa Barbara High has been on a roll as of late.
Led by the dominant scoring attack by Luke Zuffelato, the Dons have won three straight games with quality victories over Agoura High and Corona Del Mar.
They will look to continue their hot stretch with four games throughout the week.
“I’m really excited and it’s going to be challenging,” Greg Zuffelato said. “There’s going to be a lot of people and a lot of media.”
Full SB Holiday Classic Schedule (All Games at SBHS)
Wednesday, December 27
1:00 PM Newbury Park vs. Santa Paula
2:30 PM Righetti vs. Dos Pueblos
4:00 PM Lompoc vs. Santa Barbara
5:30 PM Oak Park vs. Chatsworth
7:00 PM Burroughs vs. Sierra Canyon
Thursday, December 28
1:00 PM Lompoc vs. Oak Park
2:30 PM Dos Pueblos vs. Sierra Pacific
4:00 PM Newbury Park vs. Righetti
5:30 PM Chatsworth vs. Burroughs
7:00 PM Sierra Canyon vs. Santa Barbara
Friday, December 29
11:30 AM Sierra Pacific vs. Lompoc
1:00 PM Dos Pueblos vs. Newbury Park
2:30 PM Burroughs vs. Righetti
4:00 PM Chatsworth vs. Sierra Pacific
5:30 PM Santa Paula vs. Santa Barbara
7:00 PM Oak Park vs. Sierra Canyon
Saturday, December 30
10:00 AM Righetti vs. Santa Paula
11:30 AM Lompoc vs. Dos Pueblos
1:00 PM Sierra Pacific vs. Oak Park
2:30 PM Santa Paula vs. Burroughs
4:00 PM Sierra Canyon vs. Newbury Park
5:30 PM Chatsworth vs. Santa Barbara
