The Burger King Basketball Classic, formerly known as the McDonald's Classic from 1983 to 2010, is a four-team boys high school basketball invitational tournament held each year since 1983 in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Since its inception in 1983, the Burger King Classic has been considered one of the best four-team high school tournaments in the country. Maxpreps.com and Eddie Oliver from Hoops USA called it "the best" and ESPN.com has called it one of the most impactful events of MLK weekend. Each year, nationally ranked teams with future NCAA Division-I and NBA players travel to Erie to battle for the championship and the opportunity to play against other top talent.
The Burger King Classic has hosted the nation's top-ranked team eight times, over 25 state champions and nearly two dozen All-Americans and future NBA players. Hosted by Cathedral Preparatory School, the tournament has drawn thousands of basketball fans from across the nation each year. Archbishop Wood (PA) is the defending Classic champions while Rice (NY) and St. Edward (OH) has won the tournament a record four times each.
The Classic
Classic history
The Burger King Classic has been played at three locations in its history. The Erie Insurance Arena was used to house the tournament in the 1980s. In 1989, the location was moved to Gannon University's Hammermill Center. In 2016, the tournament was moved to the JoAnn Mullen Gymnasium at the Hagerty Family Events Center. The Classic is held in mid-January over a Friday and Saturday.
Ron Sertz, former Cathedral Prep Athletic Director and Director of Operations for the Erie Otters, founded the tournament and ran it for its first 25 years of existence. In 1983, after a year as athletic director at Cathedral Prep, he decided to begin a top-level tip-off classic for the community.
This tip-off tournament became the McDonald's Classic in 1983 and brought in three strong teams (Beaver Falls of PA, Bishop Loughlin of Brooklyn, NY, and Roman Catholic of Philadelphia, PA). The tournament was considered a success with Bishop Loughlin being crowned as the first Classic Champion, defeating the host Cathedral Prep Ramblers 70–63. Sertz decided to move the tournament into even more prominence and began to work harder and harder on bringing even stronger and more recognized teams every year. During the 25th anniversary of the Classic in 2008, Sertz announced his retirement as classic director. He was replaced by current Cathedral Prep Athletic Director Bill Flanagan.
In 2010, Burger King signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with the Classic, taking the event's title away from rival McDonald's, who had held the moniker since 1983.
Event schedule
The tournament is composed of four teams in a round-robin format. Classic teams usually arrive on the Thursday before the tournament begins. Each team is assigned a host from Cathedral Prep who caters to them for the entire day, makes sure they get to meals, and finds places they wish to visit. Each team is given rooms at the Sheraton Erie Bay front Hotel.
Thursday is usually spent as a time to settle in for each team. On Friday, practices are scheduled by the host for each team to attend. Each practice is held at Cathedral Prep's gymnasium and is usually a shoot-around for the team. The first game normally tips off Friday night at 7:00.
On Saturday, teams may schedule a shoot-around at the Prep gymnasium if they wish or they may travel around Erie. The consolation match takes place at 7:00 between the two teams who lost the previous night and then the night is highlighted by the Classic Championship at 8:30. After the championship game, a presentation ceremony takes place and words are said from the winning coach on the tournament. Sunday morning the teams return to their respective schools.
The host Since its inception in 1983, the Classic has been hosted by Cathedral Prep of Erie, Pennsylvania. Cathedral Prep is a co-educational Roman Catholic high school in Erie, Pennsylvania, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie. Prep, as the school is commonly called in Erie, was established in 1921 by then Bishop John Mark Gannon. Bishop Gannon founded Prep as an all-male Catholic high school.
The Cathedral Prep basketball team has won two PIAA Basketball Championships (1980 and 1993) and four PCIAA (Pennsylvania Catholic Interscholastic Athletic Association) in 1953, 1954, 1968 and 1971. Cathedral Prep has turned out a total of 22 Division 1 basketball players in its 100+ years. In its role as the host team, Prep has always played the second, or 8:30, game of the first round. Various members of the school provide meals, direction and other services for the visiting teams as well as help out at the games themselves with things like photography, trophy presentation and security.
Classic history
1983
Champions: Bishop Loughlin, Brooklyn, NY
Bishop Loughlin 93, Beaver Falls 66
Cathedral Prep 54, Roman Catholic 52 (OT)
Consolation: Roman Catholic 57, Beaver Falls 46
Championship: Bishop Loughlin 70, Cathedral Prep 63
The first Classic runs as a tip-off tournament as Cathedral Prep stuns Philadelphia Roman Catholic in overtime on opening night. The host Ramblers would go on to lose to New York powerhouse Bishop Loughlin, 70-63. Prep would go on to the state finals.
1984
Champions: Christ the King, NY
Christ the King 64, VA Benedictine 52
Williamsport 51, Cathedral Prep 50
Consolation: Cathedral Prep 63, Benedictine 48
Championship: Christ the King 61, Williamsport 53
New York state champion Christ the King hands defending Pennsylvania champ Williamsport a loss in the finals. Prep loses 51-50 to the Millionaires on the first night of action but would bounce back with a consolation-game win over Benedictine.
1985
Champions: Hopkinsville HS, KY
DeMatha Catholic 58, Canton McKinley 41
Hopkinsville 61, Cathedral Prep 50
Consolation: Cathedral Prep 46, Canton McKinley 41
Championship: Hopkinsville 74, DeMatha 69
DeMatha Catholic enters the Classic as the #1 ranked team in the nation, but leaves a unhappy victim to Hopkinsville High, the Kentucky state champs, 74-69. Meanwhile the host Ramblers get a confenient win in the consolation game versus Ohio power Canton McKinley.
1986
Champions: St. Joseph HS, Cleveland, OH
Cleveland St. Joseph 79, Roman Catholic 64
Meadville (PA) 60, Cathedral Prep 44
Consolation: Cathedral Prep 59, Roman Catholic 58
Championship: St. Joseph 65, Meadville 58
Cleveland St. Joseph comes to Erie featuring the tallest front line in America. Superstar Treg Lee leads the Vikings to a 65-58 victory in the finals over Meadville, a team that would make it all the way to the PA State AAAA championship game.
1987
Champions: Cathedral Prep
Oak Hill Academy 86, NY St. Anthony 52
Cathedral Prep 56, McDowell (Erie) 54
Consolation: St. Anthony 62, McDowell 60
Championship: Cathedral Prep 58, Oak Hill 48
Coach Marcel Arribi makes his coaching debut at Prep and sneaks past archrival McDowell, 56-54, on opening night. Then the Ramblers pull off one of the most stunning upsets in Prep history in the finals by handing top-ranked national power Oak Hill Academy.
1988
No tournament played. Tournament moved from a season tip-off into January and from the Civic Center to Gannon University.
1989
Champions: St. Anthony, NJ
St. Anthony 69, Admiral King 50
Cleveland St. Joseph 61, Cathedral Prep 38
Consolation: Admiral King 51, Cathedral Prep 50
Championship: St. Anthony 65, St. Joseph 47
National Champion New Jersey St. Anthony, led by Bobby Hurley, Terry Dehere and Jerry Walker, make easy pickings of Admiral King and Cleveland St. Joseph en route to an undefeated season.
1990
Champions: Oak Hill Academy, VA
Oak Hill 86, Meadville (PA) 49
Cathedral Prep 68, Baltimore Dunbar 62
Consolation: Baltimore Dunbar 72, Meadville 48
Championship: Oak Hill 76, Cathedral Prep 63
Oak Hill Academy, led by Anthony Cade, returns to the Classic as America's top-rated team and gains a measure of revenge for their loss in 1987 by handling Prep in the title tilt.
1991
Champions: Cathedral Prep
Bishop Loughlin 71, Detroit Country Day 69
Cathedral Prep 82, Connecticut St. Joseph 65
Consolation: Detroit Country Day 87, St. Joseph 68
Championship: Cathedral Prep 70, Bishop Loughlin 69
Detroit Country Day, led by unanimous All-American Chris Webber, came to the Classic as the favorites, but were upset in the first round by Brooklyn's Bishop Loughlin, who were led by Kentucky-bound Andre Riddick. Loughlin's joy was short-lived, however, as they fell victim to the host Ramblers on a last-second 3-pointer by Jim Hamilton.
1992
Champions: Baltimore Dunbar, MD
Baltimore Dunbar 66, Oak Hill Academy 57
Dayton Dunbar 71, Cathedral Prep 66
Consolation: Oak Hill 70, Cathedral Prep 28
Championship: Baltimore Dunbar 82, Dayton Dunbar 66
This year again featured the nation's top-ranked team, Baltimore Dunbar, and the Poets live up to advance billing by thrashing #3 Oak Hill on opening night, then crushing Dayton Dunbar in the finals. Dunbar would finish the season as National Champions.
1993
Champions: Cathedral Prep
LaSalle Academy 48, Bishop Loughlin 47
Cathedral Prep 53, Middletown 44
Consolation: Bishop Loughlin 83, Middletown 45
Championship: Cathedral Prep 38, LaSalle 32
Bishop Loughlin makes a third Classic appearance as the favorites, but does not make the finals due to an upset loss to New York LaSalle Academy. Ed Elisma, a 6'10" shot-blocker, is touted as New York City's finest and leads LaSalle into the finals against Prep. But the Ramblers stun LaSalle to win their third Classic crown.
1994
Champions: Rice HS, NY
Rice 78, St. Patrick 49
Villa-Angela St. Joseph 71, Cathedral Prep 61
Consolation: Cathedral Prep 62, St. Patrick 47
Championship: Rice 80, Villa-Angela St. Joseph 58
Rice High School arrives in Erie as the #1 team in the country, led by the nation's best player, Felipe Lopez. The Raiders do not disappoint as they demolish St. Patrick, 78-49, and Villa-Angela St. Joseph, 80-58. Prep defeat St. Patrick 62-47 to win the consolation.
1995
Champions: Paterson Catholic, NJ
Paterson Catholic 69, Simon Gratz 66
Cathedral Prep 59, Chester 52
Consolation: Simon Gratz 64, Chester 46
Championship: Paterson Catholic 62, Cathedral Prep 55
Paterson Catholic gets a record 41 points from the nation's #1 player, Tim Thomas, to edge Simon Gratz, 69-66, on opening night. Prep's own All-American, Jed Ryan, notches 31 the same night to lead the Ramblers over Chester High, 59-52. Paterson wins the title over Prep, 62-55, as Thomas garners 23 more points for a tournament-record 62.
1996
Champions: Paterson Catholic, NJ
Paterson Catholic 65, LaSalle 51
St. Frances 86, Cathedral Prep 60
Consolation: LaSalle 44, Cathedral Prep 40 (2OT)
Championship: Paterson Catholic 70, St. Frances, 50
Paterson Catholic becomes the Classic's first repeat champion with a relatively easy 70-50 title game conquest of St. Frances from Baltimore. Tim Thomas, in his second Classic, scored 29 points in the championship game, added to the 25 he compiled on opening night in a 65-51 ousting of LaSalle Academy. Prep finished fourth after a loss to St. Frances, 86-60, and a heartbreaking double overtime defeat to LaSalle, 44-40.
1997
Champions: St. Edward, Lakewood, OH
St. Edward 68, Detroit Country Day, 61
Cathedral Prep 63, Admiral King 44
Consolation: Admiral King 63, Detroit Country Day 62 (OT)
Championship: St. Edward 52, Cathedral Prep 41
Prep neutralizes All-American Sam Clancey, who scores only nine points, but Steve Logan and Gino Bartalone combine for 27 tallies to lead St. Edward to the crown over the Ramblers, 52-41. In the consolation contest, Javin Hunter's 30 points is not enough, and Detroit Country Day falls to Admiral King 63-62 in overtime.
1998
Champions: Rice HS, NY
Rice 81, Simon Gratz 45
Hatboro Horsham 69, Cathedral Prep 46
Consolation: Cathedral Prep 51, Simon Gratz 42