Second Annual Houston Private School Classic

SBS is a proud host and founder of the Houston Private School Classic. As one of the largest high school basketball tournaments in the country, the HPSC is a prestigious tournament for high-performing teams. In the second year of the tournament, the field expanded to 24 varsity teams and a junior varsity tournament with 8 teams. Competing from December 28-30, the three-day tournament took place at Second Baptist School and added a second host, St. Francis Episcopal School. 

“The 2021 Houston Private School Classic was a huge success!” said Second Baptist School Director of Athletics Mike Walker. “There was no shortage of high-level basketball all week long.” Most of the teams were from Houston area schools, but some traveled from as far as Dallas and San Antonio to compete against top talent from UIL, TAPPS, SPC and SWAIC.

SBS parent and tournament director Danny Evans said, “The best part of the tournament was seeing how much all the coaches and players really enjoyed the 3-day event. I was impressed with the level of talent on the courts, including several future Division I players.” 

Tournament volunteer and SBS parent Brittany King ‘94 gushed, “The HPSC tournament was impressive from start to finish. It was clear that SBS put a lot of thought into every aspect, which is no small feat when hosting 32 basketball teams from all over Texas.” She went on, “The success of the tournament showcases the caliber of programs run at SBS; everything was top-notch and there was an outpouring of community involvement, which is the heart of our school. As an SBS parent, I was extremely proud we could host such a large, successful tournament.”

Brittany also described the experience for her son Nate King ‘25, saying, “The HPSC was a great experience for my son and all of his teammates. Playing multiple games for three days straight was beneficial for many reasons, but I think the exposure to so many different teams, game styles and players was the best takeaway.”

Cole Satterwhite ‘22 shared, “The highlight of the tournament for me and our SBS varsity team would probably be the St. Francis game because as a team we matured tremendously being able to close out that game with a win after trailing in the fourth.” He added, “It was a phenomenal tournament with a great atmosphere for athletes to display their talents on a pretty big platform.”

Finally, Mike Walker expressed gratitude “to the many volunteers and staff who worked in one of our three gyms. This tournament would not have been possible without these men and women." The Houston Private School Classic is sure to continue its new legacy and expansion year after year, thanks to our hard-working athletics department, coaches and volunteers.