Grace to host Champions of Character Classic on Dec. 19

WINONA LAKE, Ind. – The fourth annual boys’ basketball Champions of Character Classic is coming to Grace College on Dec. 19.

Twelve elite high school teams will converge at the six-game classic, held at Grace’s Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center.

The classic features a number of highly recruited students, including: J.R. Konieczny (SB St. Joseph/Notre Dame commit), Blake Wesley (SB Riley/Notre Dame commit), Luke Goode (Homestead/Illinois commit), Fletcher Loyer (Homestead/Purdue commit), Blake Davidson (Leo/Indiana Tech commit), Connor Essegian (Central Noble) and Aidan Lambert (Snider).

Among ranked teams from last year’s final AP poll are: No. 1 Shenandoah (2A), No. 5 South Bend St. Joseph (3A) and No. 8 Central Noble (2A). South Bend Washington (3A) was receiving votes.

Additionally, Homestead is currently ranked No. 8 in the state in the latest Indiana Basketball Coaches Association Top 20 Poll.

Attendance will be limited to comply with social distancing guidelines. A limited number of presale tickets will be sold by each school. Tickets will not be sold at the door.

Detailed attendance policy and ticket information will be shared by each school. Each game will also be livestreamed (HD) online as a pay-per-view option.

The tournament is named the Champions of Character Classic in order to help promote the IHSAA’s initiatives of sportsmanship and character building among high school teams. Each team will also select a Champion of Character Award winner, who will be honored prior to tipoff before every matchup.

Below is the complete game schedule for the 2020 Champions of Character Classic:

11:00 AM – East Noble vs South Bend Washington

12:45 PM – South Bend Riley vs Snider

2:30 PM – Leo vs Shenandoah

4:15 PM – DeKalb vs Central Noble

6 PM – Warsaw vs Portage

7:45 PM – South Bend St. Joseph vs Homestead