by Alex Schwartz

Well, it's the holiday season, and that means many things, one of which is basketball tournaments. There are many of these in the Garden State and the Keystone State featuring some of the area's best teams and talent. Here's a rundown of some of the cream of the crop events this weekend along with a little write-up on the best of the best:

- Trenton Central Christmas Tournament: At Trenton Central HS (NJ) on the 26th and 27th.

- Flynn Tournament: At Mendham HS (NJ) on the 26th, 27th, and 29th.

- Phil Nelson/Jameer Nelson Classic: At Widener University (PA) on the 26th and 27th and then at Gwynedd-Mercy College (PA) on the 29th.

- Morris Knolls Christmas Tournament: At Morris Knolls HS (NJ) on the 26th, 29th, and 30th.

- Jingle Bells Jubilee: In an eight-team field highlighted by Plainfield (NJ), St. Peter's Prep (NJ), Linden (NJ), and Bishop Loughlin (NY), that features teams from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, expect some great games. The three day event (27th, 28th, and 30th) will have a total of 11 games. The best game may well be on the first day when two of the best teams in the NJ/NY/PA area, Plainfield and St. Peter's Prep, meet at 3:45pm at Paterson Catholic (NJ), which is where all the games will be. For more go to http://playazbasketball.org/_wsn/page2.html.

- Ridge Christmas Tournament: At Ridge HS (NJ) on the 27th, 29th, and 30th.