Champions are made at the Mavs Fall Classic.
At least, that’s what the record books reflect, with three former tournament champions going on to win state championships last season.
“We started the Mavs Fall Classic high school tournament in 2018 through a great partnership with Frisco ISD,” said Brad Freeman, Senior Director of Mavs Academy. “And the amazing thing for us is that we’ve already established ourselves as the tournament that state champions come through.”
In the 2024 tournament presented by Sprite, a combined 80 teams competed across four divisions— 48 teams in the girls’ blue and green divisions and 32 teams in the boys’ division.
The tournament’s 165 games were played at eight Frisco-area venues throughout two weekends.
In the girls’ blue division championship game, Lincoln High School squeaked out the 47-42 win over Ray Braswell High School, and in the green division, Summit High School left no room for doubt, defeating El Paso’s Franklin High School in their championship game.
The boys closed out play during weekend two, which included a storybook rematch between reigning Mavs Fall Classic Champion Plano East High School and Round Rock’s Stony Point High School. It was the first time the teams have faced one another since Plano East beat the Stony Point Tigers 53-41 for the 2023-24 6A State Championship.
Plano East reigned supreme yet again, capturing the 72-65 win after staving off a late comeback attempt from the Tigers.
In the green division, Poteet High School battled down to the wire, ultimately losing 63-61, which earned Centennial High School the Mavs Fall Classic Championship.
While the weekend’s best walked away with trophies, championship rings, and all-tournament team awards, the most valuable aspect of the annual Mavs Fall Classic lies in its off-court opportunities.
“For us, it’s more than basketball,” said Freeman. “We have a team event where we bring all teams together…It’s not just about having the best teams. It’s about bringing the players and coaches to that team event so we can talk to them about nutrition and health and the struggles they’ll go through, and hopefully, that message spreads.
“And that’s what the NBA wants, too. There’s a lot of misinformation and programs doing it wrong, and we want to make sure these teams understand they have a relationship with the Mavericks so we can pass along that NBA knowledge and research.”
This year’s off-court enrichment event united the participating teams for two engaging panel discussions led by MavsTV’s Mark Followill and Dana Larson.
Guest speakers included Dr. Sophia Ulman, Division Director of Movement Science Laboratory at Scottish Rite for Children, UT Dallas Director of Athletics Angela Marin, and Mechelle Freeman, former Olympian and U.S. National Team track and field coach.
Headlining the panels were Mavs legend Rolando Blackman and Guylaine Prosper, former star of the Canadian Women’s National Basketball Team, and the mother of up-and-coming Maverick Olivier-Maxence Prosper.
The panelists shared their expertise while emphasizing the importance of maintaining healthy habits and best practices for navigating the struggles and triumphs that come with sports.
For more information on the Mavs Fall Classic, visit mavs.com/fallcalssic.
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