McDonald’s TX Invitational brings top teams

McDonald’s Texas Invitational Basketball Tournament brings top Texas teams to town for season tip off
Posted on 11/07/2018
This is the image for the news article titled McDonald’s Texas Invitational Basketball Tournament brings  top Texas teams to town for season tip offBy: Jade Wise
Pasadena ISD Communications



Eighty teams, featuring some of the state’s top ranked athletes, will start their season on the “road to state” by competing in the 2018 McDonald’s Texas Invitational Basketball Tournament -- one of the nation’s premiere early season championship tournaments.

The tournament tips off on Thursday, Nov. 15 and is a launching pad for potential state champions and state tournament contenders and will feature show stopping action at 10 venues in the Pasadena and Deer Park area.

The Invitational format will consist of 48 boys’ teams and 32 girls’ teams competing in the event.

On the boys’ side, 48 teams have been divided into two 24-team divisions. Each division has been divided into eight three-team pools. After two pool-play games on Thursday, the teams are divided by record into Gold, Silver and Bronze brackets, each bracket working toward a champion in bracket play on Friday and Saturday. 

On the girls’ side, 32 teams are divided into two 16-team divisions, and each division is divided into four four-team pools. Three pool games area held Thursday and Friday. After pool play, teams are placed by record into Gold, Silver and Bronze brackets. All bracket games are played on Saturday. 

Returning to the tournament this year are both the 2017 boys and girls division 1 gold champions, the Katy Tompkins Falcons and the Duncanville Pantherettes. 

On the boys’ side, seven of the top 25 class 6A teams in Texas, as ranked by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC), will be challenging the Falcons for basketball supremacy.

Ranked third in the state, Morton Ranch is a favorite to steal the crown from the Falcons but will face a tough challenge with ninth ranked North Crowley, tenth ranked Houston Sam Houston, twelfth ranked Richardson Pearce and thirteenth ranked Dickinson all being featured in the tournament. 

Joining the girls’ class 6A top ranked Duncanville will be eight of the top 25 ranked teams by TABC, including four of the top five in Texas.  

Duncanville is again ranked no. 1 in the state by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. Under the guidance of Coach Cathy Self-Morgan has won division 1 gold in the Texas Invitational in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2017. 

Second ranked Converse Judson, fourth ranked Summer Creek, fifth ranked Cibole Steele, and tenth ranked Cy-Creek highlight the long list of challengers with their eye on the coveted championship trophy and a leg up on the road to state. 

Since its inception in 1999, the Texas Invitational has continued to highlight the state’s top players and teams while also raising funds for Pasadena and Deer Park ISDs education foundations.

The tournament is sponsored by the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce in partnership with both district’s education foundations. The tournament receives financial support from more than 125 businesses and organizations. All proceeds are returned to both foundations. 

The event annually draws more than 400 community volunteers, including students across Pasadena ISD who are given an opportunity to showcase their culinary, hospitality and videography skills while helping patrons. 

For the first time in tournament history, games will be exclusively live streamed by students in the AV (audio visual) program at all five PISD traditional high schools, the Lewis Career and Technology High School and Tegler Career Center. In addition to trimming costs for the tournament, the partnership will allow students in the program to receive valuable learning opportunities in the world of AV production as well as boost their portfolio for college or career. 

Live streaming of all boys and girls championship games, as well as select pool and bracket games will be available for viewing from multiple locations on www.texasinvitational.com/streaming during the tournament. 

To keep up with all the latest news, stats, photos, videos and updates throughout the tournament, visit www.texasinvitational.com or by following the social media handle @TexasInvitational on Facebook or @TXInvitational on Twitter.