Cal-Hi Sports preseason boys basketball state No. 1 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) will make 15 overall appearances on ESPN family of networks during the 2019-20 regular season, as part of the 2019-2020 GEICO High School Basketball Showcase. Sierra Canyon, the two-time defending CIF open division state champs, opens at No. 6 in the preseason FAB 50 national rankings.
RELATED: CIF Large Hoop Crowds | Preseason Hoops FAB 50 Rankings | Cal-Hi Sports Preseason Hoops Rankings | Cal-Hi Sports Major Tourney/Showcase Schedules
The Trailblazers will play FAB 50 No. 15 Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) on January 3 on ESPN2 at 6 pm (PT), take on No. 4 Paul VI (Fairfax, VA.) at The Spaulding Hoophall Classic in Massachusetts on MLK Monday, January 20 on ESPNU at 8am (PT), and make another 13 appearances on ESPN3 throughout the 2019-20 season.
ESPN first televised a live high school basketball game on December 8, 1987 between Flint Hill Prep (Roanoke, Va.) and Pine Bluff, Ark. from the King Cotton Tournament in Arkansas. ESPN also televised another game from the King Cotton Tournament in 1990-91 that involved two-time Mr. Basketball Jason Kidd of St. Joseph of Alameda and has featured a host of other California teams over the years since first getting involved in regularly televising live games in 2002-03. That season ESPN featured current Los Angeles Laker star LeBron James twice while a senior at St. Vincent-St. Mary’s (Akron, Ohio.). That season James’ club defeated eventual CIF D2 champ Mater Dei (Santa Ana) on ESPN2 at the Pangos Dream Classic at UCLA before 12,819 fans (largest announced crowd in state regular season history) and also defeated eventual D1 state champ Westchester (Los Angeles) on its way to an unbeaten season at FAB 50 No. 1 finish.
The sports media giant has never made as big commitment to high school basketball games, or a particular team, over the years as it is to Sierra Canyon this season. Ironically, the Trailblazers feature freshman Bronny James, the son of LeBron James, and the team will take on LeBron’s alma mater on December 14 on ESPN3 (5:30 pm PT).
Below is the schedule of games involving Sierra Canyon and other California teams as part of the 2019-2020 GEICO High School Basketball Showcase.
ESPN 2019-2020 GEICO High School Basketball Showcase
(Games involving CA teams listed by preseason FAB 50 ranking)
November 21 (8 pm PT, ESPN3): No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) vs. Montgomery (San Diego)
November 22 (8 pm PT, ESPN3): No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) vs. St. Augustine (San Diego)
November 23 (8 pm PT, ESPN3): No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) vs. Cathedral Catholic (San Diego)
December 7 (4 pm PT, ESPN3): No. 18 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) vs. Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.)
December 7 (5:30 pm PT, ESPN3): No. 21 Rancho Christian (Temecula) vs. Christ The King (Middle Village, N.Y.)
December 7 (5:30 pm PT, ESPN3): No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) vs. 45 Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.)
December 14 (5:30 pm PT, ESPN3): No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) vs. St. Vincent & St. Mary (Akron, Ohio)
January 3 (6 pm PT, ESPN2): No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) vs. 15 Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.)
January 4 (5 pm PT, ESPN3): No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) vs. 14 Minnehaha Academy (Minnetonka, Minn.)
January 11 (7:30 pm PT, ESPN3): No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) vs. No. 21 Rancho Christian (Temecula)
January 18 (1:30 pm PT, ESPN3): No. 21 Rancho Christian (Temecula) vs. Camden (N.J.)
January 18 (5 pm PT, ESPN3): No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) vs. Dominican (Whitefish Bay, Wis.)
January 20 (8 am PT, ESPNU): No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) vs. 4 Paul VI (Fairfax, VA.)
January 20 (10 am PT, ESPNU): No. 21 Rancho Christian (Temecula) vs. 3 DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.)
January 28 (7 pm PT, ESPN3): No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) vs. Campbell Hall (North Hollywood)
January 31 (7:30 pm PT, ESPN3): No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) vs. Brentwood (Los Angeles)
February 4 (7 pm PT, ESPN3): No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) vs. Paraclete (Lancaster)
February 7 (5:30 pm PT, ESPN3): No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) vs. Gill St. Bernard’s (Gladstone, N.J.)
February 8 (6 pm PT, ESPN3): No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) vs. 20 Long Island Lutheran (Heampstead, N.Y.)
Note: For complete 2019-2020 GEICO High School Basketball Showcase, CLICK HERE.
2 Comments
There is a conflict in the schedule above. The paragraph says there is a game on ESPN2 on January 4th at 6pm but the schedule below the paragraph has the game on January 3rd
From Paragraph
The Trailblazers will play FAB 50 No. 15 Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) on January 4 on ESPN2 at 6 pm (PT)
Schedule on top
January 3 (6 pm PT, ESPN2): No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) vs. 15 Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.)
January 4 (5 pm PT, ESPN3): No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) vs. 14 Minnehaha Academy (Minnetonka, Minn.)
Thanks for catching that Joe.
The Patrick School game is on January 3. It’s corrected now. Plenty of opportunity to see the state’s No. 1 ranked team.
-Ronnie