Kaneland last year became the first school to win five Plano Christmas Classic titles.

Can the Knights make more history in the coming week?

It is a strong possibility.

Undefeated Kaneland (8-0), two-time defending tournament champion, is the No. 1 seed for the 62nd Plano Christmas Classic that tips off Friday morning. The championship game is slated for 8 p.m. Dec. 30.

Kaneland will be vying to become just the second school to win three straight Classic titles. Seneca did it from 2004-06.

The Knights have come out on top in two scintillating finals the last two years.

In 2023 they scored the last nine points to deny host Plano its first Classic title on Troyer Carlson’s 3-pointer with 3.3 seconds left.

Last year, Kaneland overcame a 39-point performance from Yorkville Christian guard Jayden Riley to take a 91-85 barnburner in the final.

A rematch next Tuesday could be in the cards.

Yorkville Christian (7-2) has earned the second seed. The Mustangs are coming off a thriller of a championship at the 60Eight Basketball Tournament in Madison, Wisc. Tray Alford hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer and Riley scored 40 points in the championship game.

Several of the principles are back from last year’s Plano final.

Riley, an SIU-Edwardsville commit, and Alford lead Yorkville Christian, whose only losses came to Class 4A schools St. Ignatius and Niles North. The Mustangs have won five straight since, averaging over 80 points per game.

Kaneland is led by All-State guard Marshawn Cocroft, a Grand Valley State commit, and 6-foot-9 junior and Division I prospect Jeffrey Hassan. The Knights have already beaten five teams in the field at Plano, the closest call a 66-50 win over No. 3 seed Marmion on Dec. 17.

First-round matchups, in order, on Dec. 26, will include tournament newcomer Timothy Christian against Newark, Kaneland against Parkview Christian, Ottawa against Northridge Prep, La Salle-Peru against Bremen, Yorkville Christian against Morris, Mendota against Hinckley-Big Rock, Streator against Plano and Marmion against Sandwich.

Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic

Oswego East is back at the Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic for the seventh time.

The Wolves, who open against St. Charles East at 7 p.m. Friday, won the consolation championship at Hinsdale last year. They have taken second at the tournament twice and third two other times, but never won it.

Oswego East, led by DePaul recruit Mason Lockett and juniors Dshaun Bolden and Jacsen Tucker, is coming off a big win over Waukegan at a shootout at Hope Academy.

The Wolves appear to be one of the favorites at Hinsdale along with St. Laurence (10-1), which is on the opposite end of the bracket. The Vikings have what could be a tricky first-round matchup with Wheaton Academy, which features Hayden Schroeder, one of the state’s top juniors.

Oswego East could get an interesting second-round matchup with Waubonsie Valley (6-3), with last year’s runner-up Brother Rice (7-3) potentially waiting in the semifinals.

The championship game is slated for 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Jack Tosh Holiday Classic

Oswego joins Yorkville at the monster 32-team event hosted by York that runs from Friday through Dec. 31. Oswego most recently was at the State Farm Holiday Classic in Bloomington-Normal and before that at DeKalb.

Oswego (5-4), which has won its last two games, starts at the Tosh with what looks like a dandy of a matchup between high-scoring guards at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Elmhurst.

For the Panthers, that is sophomore Ethan Vahl. Downers Grove South (4-2) counters with senior guard Adam Flowers, who recently scored 29 points in a game that he tallied his 1,000th career point.

Yorkville (5-4), meanwhile, opens at 4:30 p.m. Friday with Glenbard West (3-6). The Foxes enter tournament play on a week layoff which came at an opportune time. Sophomore Joey Jakstys missed the last two games with an ankle injury, with fellow sophomore Braydon Porter among Yorkville players battling the flu. They’ll get a Glenbard West team led by 6-foot-5 senior Josh Abushanab that is in a rebuilding mode coming off a sectional championship.

The tournament looks to be somewhat wide open with defending champion Bolingbrook opting to go to Hawaii for a tournament at Christmas.

St. Ignatius (9-2), which beat defending state champion Benet earlier this season and is led by 6-foot-6 Yale commit Chris Bolte, looks like a potential favorite.

Other contenders are Palatine (9-1), Glenbard East (9-1), Lyons (7-2) and host York (8-1).

The championship game is at 3 p.m. Dec. 31.