2023 Governors Challenge: Everything to know about country's largest basketball tourney
The 2023-24 high school basketball season officially kicked off a few weeks ago, with local teams in Delaware and Maryland now having about two weeks worth of games under their belts. And as the last few weeks of December approach, the famous Governors Challenge gets ready to close out 2023 and the first month of the winter sports season.
This will be the Governors Challenge's 41st year, as they celebrated their 40th anniversary last year after the COVID-19 pandemic forced a multi-year hiatus. And it looks like the tournament is back and in full swing as a staple of high school basketball on the east coast, with the country's largest holiday basketball tournament set to feature 114 teams on Maryland's Eastern Shore this year.
Whether it be some of the top high school basketball programs in the country facing off or fan favorite local teams that always draw big crowds at the Wicomico Civic Center, this year's Governors Challenge should be an exciting one for fans of great high school basketball.
Here is what you need to know about the 2023 Governors Challenge:
When is the 2023 Governors Challenge?
This year's Governors Challenge is set to take place from Dec. 26-30. Games begin at 10 a.m. each day at the Wicomico Civic Center, with Wicomico High School and University of Maryland Eastern Shore also hosting games throughout the week.
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How the tournament works
Games throughout the week are split into five divisions: Elite Showcase, Boys Shore Showcase, Girls Shore Showcase, Boys Brackets and the Girls Brackets.
The Elite Showcase brings in some of the top high school basketball teams in the country, with Philadelphia's Roman Catholic, Maryland's DeMatha Catholic, Arizona's Compass Prep and more playing each other at the Civic Center. Last year's elite showcase featured a five-overtime game between Archbishop Ryan (PA) and Bishop McNamara (MD), the longest game in tournament history, showcasing the type of competitiveness that comes with having some of the top talent in the country facing off on a neutral court.
The Boys and Girls Shore Showcase games are always a fan favorite during Governors Challenge week, as the best local teams from the Bayside and Henlopen conferences in Maryland and Delaware get to face off against each other. With only a few games under their belts coming into the tournament, the best talent on Delmarva fighting for bragging rights on the Shore will also serve as an early season litmus test for these teams.
In the Boys and Girls Brackets, teams compete in two-round tournaments for the chance to claim a championship at the Governors Challenge.
When is this year's All-Star Experience?
One of the most popular parts of the Governors Challenge each year is the All-Star Experience. On Friday, Dec. 29, players will compete in the Skills Challenge, Three-point Challenge and Dunk Contest at the civic Ccnter.
This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Everything to know about the epic 2023 Governors Challenge
