The girls and boys high school basketball regular seasons don’t get underway until next week.

But there are two big preseason tournaments taking place this week.

Eastside High School will host a six-team boys tournament today and Thursday.

The action begins at 5 p.m. as Hawthorne takes on Santa Fe (Alachua) in a matchup of state playoff hopefuls.

The Hornets (16-5), who were upset by Fort White in last year’s FHSAA Class 1A regional semifinals, will be playing without University of Florida commit C.J. Ingram, who recently transferred to Montverde Academy.

However, transfers Demetrius Brown (Ocala West Port) and Chasion Wilson (Lake Worth) hope to fill the void, along with returning starters Dacarion Debose (10 ppg, 2.4 spg) and Leland Johnson (7 ppg).

It will mostly be JV players participating this week for Hawthorne as most of the team is still playing football. The high school football playoffs begin this Friday.

Santa Fe (10-14), which lost to North Marion (Citra) in last year’s 4A-District 5 Semifinals and missed the postseason, should be much improved. The Raiders were young last season and inexperienced but will play at a faster tempo this season.

At 6:30 p.m., Newberry takes on Buchholz in a matchup of Alachua County teams who made the postseason last year.

The Panthers (15-9), who lost to Hawthorne, 76-74, in last year’s 1A-District 6 title game, make the jump to Class 3A this season. Juwan Scippio (14 ppg), Henry Mathias (14 ppg) and Logan McCloud (5 rpg) return from last year’s team which lost in the first round of the 1A state playoffs in overtime to eventual state runner-up Hilliard, 68-67.

“Juwan and Henry have become 3-level scorers who can also pose a problem for other teams defensively,” said Newberry coach Patrick Green. “They are two of the hardest workers on our basketball team.”

Buchholz, which moves to 6A-District 3, finished 18-11 last year in head coach Elliot Harris’ first season. The Bobcats won a playoff game for the first time in 15 years last year.

“We made the playoffs and got to the second round, so we were pretty happy (with last season),” Harris said at Friday’s high school basketball media day. “We lost six seniors and will have some guys who played on junior varsity, but they were able to watch the guys last season and will be counted on this year.”

Then at 8 p.m., Eastside will host St. Francis Catholic Academy.

The Rams are coached by Herman “Pop” Williams, who enters his 28th season with the Rams. They look to improve on last year’s 7-17 finish, which included a 55-48 loss to eventual district champion Palatka in the 4A-District 5 Semifinals.

The visiting Wolves finished 16-8 under coach Larry Walker, and leading scorer and rebounder William Collett (12 ppg & 7 rpg) returns.

“My expectation is to win a district championship and advance to the state playoffs,” Walker said. “My expected challenge is developing quality bench players who are capable of stepping up and performing well when called upon. We have to stay healthy, stay connected defensively and play hard for a full 32 minutes.”

On Thursday, Santa Fe will play St. Francis Catholic at 5 p.m., followed by Buchholz and Hawthorne (6:30 p.m.) and Eastside vs. Newberry (8 p.m.).

This Friday, 399 Sports is hosting the first annual Crafty Gemini Tip-Off Classic girls basketball tournament at Legacy Park in Alachua.

The event is set to bring together 11 outstanding teams from Jacksonville to The Villages. The tournament will showcase talent from across the region and provide an exciting opportunity for athletes to kick off their season with fierce competition.

Participating teams include Jacksonville schools Bishop Kenny and Bolles, along with area schools Eastside, GHS, Hawthorne, Santa Fe and P.K. Yonge. Ocala schools Forest and Vanguard will also participate, along with Hope Academy (Orlando)

According to Brandon “Coach B” Wilson, President of 399 Sports, fans can expect high-energy games and an incredible display of skill and sportsmanship as these teams battle for victory over the two-day event.

“The Crafty Gemini Tip-Off Classic is more than just a basketball tournament, it’s an opportunity to bring our community together and celebrate young female athletes who are dedicated to excellence on and off the court,” Wilson said. “We’re excited to provide these teams with a platform to compete and grow, and we look forward to an exciting start to the season.”

The tournament will begin this Friday at 6 p.m. and continue on Saturday at 10:45 a.m.

Legacy Park is located at 15400 Peggy Road in Alachua. Tickets are available at the door for $10 for adults and $7 for students.

Boys Basketball 

Preseason tournament at Eastside High School

Tuesday, Nov. 12
5 p.m. – Hawthorne vs. Santa Fe (Alachua)
6:30 p.m. – Newberry vs. Buchholz
8 p.m. – Eastside vs. St. Francis Catholic Academy

Thursday – Nov. 14
5 p.m. – Santa Fe (Alachua) vs. St. Francis Catholic Academy
6:30 p.m. – Buchholz vs. Hawthorne
8 p.m. – Eastside vs. Newberry

Girls Basketball

1st Annual Crafty Gemini Tip Off Classic Girls High School Basketball Tournament at Legacy Park (Alachua)

Home team listed first

Friday, Nov. 15
Forest (Ocala) vs. Santa Fe (Alachua), 6 p.m. (Court 1)
Vanguard (Ocala) vs. Eastside, 6 p.m. (Court 2)
Columbia (Lake City) vs. P.K. Yonge, 7:15 p.m. (Court 1)
The Villages vs. GHS, 7:15 p.m. (Court 2)

Saturday, Nov. 16
Eastside vs. Hope Academy (Orlando), 10:45 a.m. (Court 1)
Hawthorne vs. Forest (Ocala), 10:45 a.m. (Court 2)
Santa Fe (Alachua) vs. P.K. Yonge, Noon (Court 1)