High School

National Powers Collide at Tournament of Champions as Calvary Christian Breaks Through

Calvary Christian capped a nationally loaded weekend in Springfield, Missouri, as elite programs, standout performances and packed crowds defined the Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions

Levi Payton

Calvary Christian Academy made a statement at the Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions in Springfield, Missouri over the weekend.
Calvary Christian Academy made a statement at the Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions in Springfield, Missouri over the weekend. / Jeff Klein

Calvary Christian Academy pulled off a decisive 78-64 victory over Paul VI to capture the championship of the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions at JQH Arena in Springfield, Missouri over the weekend.

The Tournament of Champions, billed as the highest attended boys basketball tournament in the country, was full of surprises.

With about 12 minutes to play in the title game, it looked like the nationally ranked showdown between then No. 14 Calvary Christian (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) and then-No. 5 Paul VI (Chantilly, Virginia) might come down to the wire.

A strong third-quarter run by Paul VI made things interesting, but Calvary Christian found its spark again in the fourth and rolled to victory behind scorching shooting and dominance around the basket.

The Eagles shot 63.3% from the field, knocking down 31 of 49 shots, and outscored Paul VI 40-22 in the paint.

Calvary Christian built an early advantage, leading 18-13 after the first quarter and 39-27 at halftime. Though Paul VI, which shot 43.1% overall, had its best quarter in the third, Calvary Christian closed the game on a 10-of-13 clip from the field in the fourth and sank 8 of 10 free throws down the stretch.

Cayden Daughtry, a four-star junior who is rated the No. 2 point guard prospect for the 2027 class, led the Eagles with 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Guards Jacob Zhu and Kenneth Francis added 18 and 15 points, respectively, while forward Aiden Bolden posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

For Paul VI, guard Lawrence Brown paced the Panthers with 14 points and 6 assists. Forward Matthew Mena added 13 points, guard Dylan Harsanyi 11 points, and forward Ryan Bahr scored 10.

The championship was the first in Tournament of Champions history for Calvary Christian.

Bracket Highlights

Paul VI (17-2) began the tournament with a 64-58 win over Logan-Rogersville and followed with a 74-51 win against Bartlett. After the championship loss to Calvary Christian, the Panthers traveled on Sunday and rebounded Monday with a 75-69 road win at St. Mary’s (Phoenix, Arizona).

Principia (14-2) finished third with a 2-1 record. The Panthers opened with a 70-55 win over Springfield Kickapoo, fell to Calvary Christian 62-56, and closed with a 64-57 victory over Bartlett (Tennessee).

Bartlett (17-4) went 1-2, starting with a 58-50 win against Wheeler before back-to-back losses to Paul VI (74-51) and Principia.

“An unbelievable experience for our players playing in one of the best tournaments in all of high school basketball,” the Bartlett boys said in a statement on X following their exit.

Missouri’s Logan-Rogersville (10-2) went 1-3 in the tournament. After opening with a 64-58 loss to Paul VI, the Wildcats rebounded with a 66-64 win over Wheeler, then fell 58-53 to St. John Bosco. Chase Branham led the way for Logan-Rogersville, scoring 74 points in three games and winning the tournament’s 3-point contest.

Wheeler (15-5) went 1-2, falling 58-50 to Bartlett and 66-64 to Logan-Rogersville before defeating Kickapoo 71-55.

Springfield Kickapoo (9-4) finished 0-3 with losses to Principia, St. John Bosco (57-48), and Wheeler (71-55). The Braves of St. John Bosco (15-5) went 2-1, losing their opener to Calvary Christian 71-60 before beating Kickapoo and Logan-Rogersville.

Dunks, 3-Pointers, 1,000 points and Calipari

Beyond the games, the tournament featured special events that drew attention. The Slam Dunk Contest saw Principia’s Gassim Toure battle Paul VI’s Farrell Djossinou in a dunk-off in the finals, with Toure ultimately taking the crown.

Logan-Rogersville four-star junior guard Chase Branham, an Indiana pledge, captured the 3-Point Shootout, adding to an impressive weekend that saw him average 24.6 points spanning three games in the tourney.

Legendary college coach and Arkansas head coach John Calipari was courtside on Thursday, watching Paul VI’s Jordan Smith, the No. 2 recruit in the 2027 class and one of Cal’s targets for the Razorbacks. It didn't take long for the crowd, or the cameras, to spot the 2012 NCAA National Championship coach.

His Tournament of Champions appearance came one day after Calipari's No. 20 Hogs beat South Carolina 108-74 in Fayetteville and two days before a 90-76 loss to No. 21 Georgia in Athens.

A milestone was also achieved at the tournament. Paul VI four-star senior point guard Lawrence Brown III reached 1,000 career points during the championship game on Saturday.

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Levi Payton
LEVI PAYTON

Levi’s sports journalism career began in 2005. A Missouri native, he’s won multiple Press Association awards for feature writing and has served as a writer and editor covering high school sports as well as working beats in professional baseball, NCAA football, basketball, baseball and soccer. If you have a good story, he’d love to tell it.

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