Saint Louis, Punahou host hoops tourneys

Advertiser Staff

Two more major boys basketball tournaments are on tap this week before regular season action begins.

The Walter Wong Holiday Classic — which has doubled in size to 16 teams — and the 4th Annual Punahou Holiday Classic, also with 16 teams, kick off today and will run through Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

The Walter Wong Classic, at Saint Louis School's McCabe Gym, actually is split into two eight-team tournaments: Crusader and Saints.

Similar to last week's Iolani Prep Classic, it will feature several top Mainland teams, along with a strong program from Japan.

Sutherlin (Ore.) is ranked No. 4 among Oregon's 3A (second-highest classification) teams. Edison (Huntington Beach) is a top-ranked team in California's highly competitive Southern Section.

Cresenta Valley (La Cresenta, Calif.) is expected to be one of the top 3A teams in California, and Holland Hall (Tulsa, Okla.) is considered a state title contender.

Three teams from Canada, including national title contender Assumption, also are in the field.

The Punahou Holiday Classic features 2002 champion Fullerton (Calif.) and six teams from the 2004 Hawai'i High School Athletic Association tournament, including three-time defending state champ Iolani.

Fullerton's Brett Hoerner, a 6-foot-10 center, received "High Honorable Mention" in Street & Smith's preseason All-America listings.