5 MLK holiday high school boys and girls basketball tournaments to attend in Washington

On the third Monday of every January is Martin Luther King Jr. Day - a federal holiday to pay tribute to the civil-rights leader's legacy in America.

It's also a popular day for high school basketball showcases around the country.

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Here are the five MLK holiday basketball tournaments you should consider visiting in Washington to see some of the best programs go at it:

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KING SHOWCASE

Jan. 15 at ShoWare Arena, Kent

Format: Boys and girls tournament.

Schedule: 9 a.m. - Kent-Meridian vs. Enumclaw boys; 10:30 a.m. - Puyallup vs. Auburn Mountainview boys; Noon - White River vs. King's girls; 2 p.m. - King's vs. Lynden boys; 3:30 p.m. - Bonney Lake vs. Clackamas (Ore.) girls; 5 p.m. - Mount Si vs. Tualatin (Ore.) boys; 7 p.m. - Tahoma vs. Olympia boys; 8:30 p.m. - Tahoma vs. Liberty of Issaquah girls.

Premier matchup(s): It's rare in any state to get both defending Class 6A champions from Oregon in your building - but that is what is going on in Kent on Monday. First up, top class-of-2025 national recruit Jazzy Davidson and Clackamas girls play Bonney Lake (a replacement for Bellarmine Prep) in a speed-vs-size matchup. Then, the injury-depleted-but-still-dangerous Tualatin boys meet Mount Si, the No. 1 team in Class 4A with top senior backcourt of Blake Forrest and Trevor Hennig.

Quotable: "I just sent out an invite to the state champs for both (from Oregon) and they wanted to come up and play. I got them good games as well to play in. They are coming up Sunday night and I am giving them a pizza feed, too." - event organizer Steve Turcotte.

Tickets: $10 for adults, $5 for students and senior citizens.

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MLK 'THE DREAM' SHOWCASE

Jan. 15 at Federal Way High School

Format: Boys and girls tournament.

Schedule: 8 a.m. - Annie Wright vs. Federal Way girls; 9:30 a.m. - Franklin vs. Rogers of Puyallup boys; 11 a.m. - Davis of Yakima vs. Lincoln of Tacoma girls; 12:30 p.m. - Davis of Yakima vs Seattle Prep boys; 2 p.m. - Richland vs. Eastside Catholic boys; 3:30 p.m. - Camas vs. Annie Wright boys; 5 p.m. - Lake Washington vs. Sumner girls; 6:30 p.m. - Eastlake vs. Emerald Ridge girls; 8 p.m. - North Kitsap vs. Federal Way boys.

Premier matchup: In just its second year, this nine-game tournament, from top to bottom, boasts the strongest set of games. And if you like skyscraping height, look no further than the 2 p.m. showdown between No. 1 (3A) Eastside Catholic, led by 6-foot-10 Virginia signee Jacob Cofie, and No. 4 (4A) Richland boys, who has 6-11 Lucas Westerfield in the middle.

Quotable: "This is why I call is a showcase - we get to see teams come to the gym and put on a show." - event organizer Yattah Reed.

Tickets: $12.

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PUGET SOUND HOLIDAY CLASSIC

Jan. 15 at UPS Memorial Fieldhouse, Tacoma

Format: Girls tournament.

Schedule: 11 a.m. - Bothell vs. Caruthers (Calif.); 12:30 p.m. - Lakeside of Seattle vs. Mead; 2 p.m. - Bethel vs. Roosevelt; 3:30 p.m. - Nooksack Valley vs. Union; 5 p.m. - Camas vs. Garfield; 6:30 p.m. - Peninsula vs. Woodinville.

Premier matchup: UPS is in a unique spot for an event such as this, especially since many of these state-bound squads utilize Memorial Fieldhouse for away-from-Tacoma-Dome shootarounds. And in Year 4, the premier girls matchup for the entire season is here - No. 1 Camas (4A) vs. No. 1 Garfield (3A), the three-time defending WIAA champion. You won't find two better passing point guards in Washington than Camas junior Keirra Thompson and Garfield senior (and Oregon signee) Katie Fiso.

Quotable: "This is 100 percent the strong field we've had. ... Now it is a matter of keeping the thing going. It has created its own momentum in a lot of ways." - event organizer Casey Kushiyama.

Tickets: $15 for adults, $10 for students and senior citizens.

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MLK INVITATIONAL

Jan. 15 at Renton High School

Format: Boys tournament.

Schedule: 10 a.m. - Eastlake vs. Lynnwood; 11:30 a.m. - Skyline vs. Silas; 1 p.m. - Kamiak vs. Mount Rainier; 2:30 p.m. - West Valley of Yakima vs. Skyview; 4 p.m. - Jackson vs. Mercer Island; 5:30 p.m. - BFL Prep vs. Elite Prep; 7 p.m. - Renton vs. Bellevue.

Premier matchup: A lot goes on in Rashaad Powell's gymnasium over the year - a competitive summer league, a jamboree and a growing MLK tournament in its third year of existence. And this year, he will match up the two area's top prep-school programs right before the marquee game - Renton vs. Bellevue, two guard-featured teams that were in the WIAA playoffs a year ago.

Quotable: "I try to create a platform for programs to participate ... and we've tried to make good matchups and get good games." - event organizer Rashaad Powell.

Tickets: $10.

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MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. BASKETBALL TRIBUTE

Jan. 15 at Lower Columbia College, Longview

Format: Boys and girls tournament.

Schedule: 1 p.m. - Castle Rock vs. Kalama boys; 2:30 p.m. - Stevenson vs. Wahkiakum boys; 4 p.m. - Tumwater vs. Adna boys; 5:30 p.m. - Tumwater vs. Kelso girls; 7 p.m. - W.F. West vs. Kelso boys.

Premier matchup: This event has traditionally given the smaller-school programs a big holiday-tournament stage. And the nightcap features two district contenders from difference classifications - 3A GSHL's Kelso vs. 2A EvCo's W.F. West. And even though the tempos might be different, the game features senior-guard playmaking, led by W.F. West's Tyler Klatush (18.4 ppg) and Kelso's Hayden Yore (16.5 ppg).

Tickets: $10 for adults, $7 for senior citizens and children 12-and-under.

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(Featured file photo by Vince Miller)