3 high school basketball games to watch at the Big City Showdown

Three weeks remain in the high school basketball regular season and some of the year’s most anticipated games will happen Saturday.

The top teams in the city will take the floor at Coronado for the Big City Showdown. The seven-game slate begins with a boys matchup between Desert Pines and Legacy at 10:30 a.m.

The event has turned into an important date on the schedule for teams with marquee league games that impact playoff seeding.

Here are three matchups to watch at this year’s Big City Showdown:

Centennial vs. Bishop Gorman (girls), 4:30 p.m.

The last time Centennial’s girls basketball team lost a league game was to Bishop Gorman on Feb. 13, 2014.

It could happen again this year. The Gaels are the early state-title favorite thanks to the return of coach Sheryl Krmpotich. She’s in the first year of her second stint with the Gaels after winning 477 games and four state titles from 1998 to 2016.

Bishop Gorman has a young team led by sophomore guard Aaliah Spaight. She’s averaging 17.6 points per game and is adding 7.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 4.3 steals.

Centennial has a young standout in freshman forward Nation Williams, who boasts notable Division I offers from Tennessee, North Carolina, UCLA, Florida and Arizona.

The Bulldogs were dealt a blow this offseason when three starters — seniors Kaniya Boyd and Cici Ajomale and junior Ayla Williams — tore their ACLs. Boyd, a Tennessee commit, and Ayla Williams, Nation’s older sister, are out for the season. Ajomale, a Cal State Fullerton commit, returned this past week.

Arbor View vs. Liberty (boys), 6:15 p.m.

Liberty’s lone loss this season entering Friday was a 67-53 defeat to Arbor View on Dec. 22. The Aggies shot 59 percent from the field and 53 percent from 3 in the victory.

Arbor View is a state title contender with forward Pharaoh Compton, Nevada’s top high school basketball recruit and a San Diego State commit, joining the Aggies for his senior season. Compton is averaging 18.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

Liberty is as deep as any team in the city. The Patriots are led by senior guard Kaeden Castillero (11.8 points per game), junior guard Jaden Riley (11.2) and senior forward Andre Porter (9.0), a UNLV football commit.

Sophomore Tyus Thomas, the younger brother of UNLV guard Dedan Thomas Jr., is Liberty’s point guard.

Coronado vs. Bishop Gorman (boys), 8 p.m.

Bishop Gorman and Coronado went down to the wire at last season’s Big City Showdown. The Gaels took a 67-65 lead in the final seconds on a late dunk to capture their ninth consecutive victory over the Cougars.

Only two players from last year’s team returned for second-ranked Bishop Gorman: Senior Ryder Elisaldez, a San Diego commit, and junior Nick Jefferson. Both guards have given the Gaels stability as they’ve worked in new players.

Coronado is not as deep as Bishop Gorman or Liberty, but its starting lineup is just as good. The Cougars are led by junior center Tee Bartlett, who is averaging 22.1 points and 13.6 rebounds per game.

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.