State champions, Midlands top programs highlight first day of Chick-fil-A Classic
This year’s Chick-fil-A Classic begins with a bang.
Class 4A champion Lower Richland takes on SCISA 3A champion Porter-Gaud and Class 2A powerhouses Keenan and Gray Collegiate face off in the night cap on the opening day of the Chick-fil-A Classic on Dec. 20 at Richland Northeast High School.
Keenan and Gray Collegiate played three times last season, including in the Class 2A Lower State championship. Gray Collegiate won the two regular season games with the Keenan winning in the playoffs and advancing to the state title game. Keenan begins the season ranked No. 1 in Class 2A and Gray Collegiate is No. 3.
The Lower Richland and Porter-Gaud matchup features Division I prospects Christian Brown of LR and P-G’s Jake Lanford, Aaron Nesmith and Josiah James. Lanford signed with Yale and Nesmith with Vanderbilt.
The four teams are part of the American Division with Providence Day (NC), Westside (Ga.) Cox Mill (NC) and Corner Cannon (Utah).
The rest of the American Division and the complete National Division begins Dec. 21. The National Division has six teams ranked in the top 11 of the USA Today Super 25 preseason poll including No. 1 Findlay Prep. The top-ranked team recently added Oregon commit Bol Bol, the No. 3 ranked prospect in Class of 2018 and son of former NBA player Manute Bol, to its roster. Findlay Prep faces 11th-ranked St. Paul VI and No. 5 Huntington Prep (WV) goes against No. 10 IMG Academy (Fla.) in the first round.
Other matchups include No. 4 Oak Hill vs. Cannon School (NC) and No. 6 Prolific Prep against Westtown (Pa.) and Duke commit Cam Reddish.
The first full day of action will wrap up with a slam dunk and 3-point contest at the end of action Dec. 21.
Chick-fil-A Classic
DEC. 20
TIME | LOCATION | OPPONENTS |
x-(1) 6:30 PM | Aux Gym | A.C. Flora (SC) vs York (SC) |
(2) 7:00 PM | Main Gym | Lower Richland (SC) vs Porter Gaud (SC) |
x-(3) 8:00 PM | Aux Gym | Blythewood (SC) vs Richland Northeast (SC) |
(4) 8:30 PM | Main Gym | Gray Collegiate (SC) vs W.J. Keenan (SC) |
DEC. 21
TIME | LOCATION | OPPONENTS |
(5) 12:00 PM | Main Gym | Providence Day (NC) vs Westside (GA) |
(6) 1:30 PM | Main Gym | Cox Mill (NC) vs Corner Canyon (UT) |
(7) 3:00 PM | Main Gym | Huntington Prep (WV) vs IMG Academy (FL) |
x-(8) 4:30 PM | Aux Gym | United Faith Academy (NC) vs Blythewood (SC) |
(9) 4:40 PM | Main Gym | Findlay Prep (NV) vs Paul VI (VA) |
x-(10) 6:00 PM | Aux Gym | York Prep (SC) vs Thomasville (GA) |
(11) 6:10 PM | Main Gym | Cannon (NC) vs Oak Hill (VA) |
x-(12) 7:30 PM | Aux Gym | Hammond (SC) vs A.C. Flora (SC) |
(13) 7:40 PM | Main Gym | Prolific Prep (CA) vs Westtown (PA) |
9:00 PM | Main Gym | 3 PT & Slam Dunk Contests |
DEC. 22
TIME | LOCATION | OPPONENT |
(14) 1:50 PM | Aux Gym | Loser Game 5 vs Loser Game 6 |
x-(15) 2:20 PM | Main Gym | Thomasville (GA) vs Hammond (SC) |
(16) 3:20 PM | Aux Gym | Loser of Game 11 vs Loser of Game 13 |
(17) 3:50 PM | Main Gym | Winner of Game 5 vs Winner of Game 6 |
(18) 4:55 PM | Aux Gym | Loser of Game 7 vs Loser of Game 9 |
(19) 5:25 PM | Main Gym | Winner of Game 7 vs Winner of Game 9 |
x-(20) 6:25 PM | Aux Gym | Richland Northeast (SC) vs United Faith Academy (NC) |
(21) 7:00 PM | Main Gym | Winner of Game 11 vs Winner of Game 13 |
(22) 8:00 PM | Aux Gym | Loser of Game 2 vs Loser of Game 4 |
(23) 8:30 PM | Main Gym | Winner of Game 2 vs Winner of Game 4 |
DEC. 23
TIME | LOCATION | OPPONENT |
(24) 12:30 PM | Aux Gym | Loser of Game 18 vs Loser of Game 16 |
(25) 12:30 PM | Main Gym | Loser of Game 14 vs Loser of Game 22 |
(26) 2:00 PM | Aux Gym | Winner of Game 14 vs Winner of Game 22 |
(27) 2:00 PM | Main Gym | Winner of Game 18 vs Winner of Game 16 |
(28) 3:40 PM | Main Gym | Loser of Game 17 vs Loser of Game 23 |
(29) 5:10 PM | Main Gym | Loser of Game 19 vs Loser of Game 21 |
(30) 6:45 PM | Main Gym | National Division Championship Game |
(31) 8:30 PM | Main Gym | American Division Championship Game |
x-Carolina Challenge games
This story was originally published November 21, 2017 at 10:28 AM with the headline "State champions, Midlands top programs highlight first day of Chick-fil-A Classic."