William Jewell tournament set to begin

For Kansas City area high school basketball fans, the Christmas day routine is familiar. Open presents, gather with family, stuff your face with food and get up the next morning and head to the William Jewell Holiday Basketball Tournament.

This year is no different and Friday marks the start of the 33-game, 24-team, four-day (Sunday is an off day), three-division extravaganza. No. 1 seeded teams are Lee's Summit in the Nelson Division, Blue Springs in the Patterson Division and Blue Springs South in the Cardinal Division.

The tournament will showcase some of the city's high-profile players, such as Landry Shamet of Park Hill, Drew Lock of Lee's Summit, Kevin Puryear of Blue Springs South and Jarred Dixon of Lee's Summit West. If seeds prove true, Lock and Shamet would square off in the Nelson Division title game and Pur-year and Dixon would meet in the Cardinal Division finale.

There will be day and night session each day and the Mabee Center will be cleared following the final day session game. On Tuesday, the championship games are scheduled for 5:30, 7:15 and 9 p.m. Admission to each session will be be $8 for adults and $5 for students and seniors 60 and older.

This story was originally published December 25, 2014 at 9:20 PM with the headline "William Jewell tournament set to begin."