2024-25 Season Preview

It’s that time of year again! The weather in Arizona is cooling down and it’s almost time to settle in for some Tiger Basketball. After a great summer, where they took the crown in the prestigious Legacy Foundation Bracket in Section 7, Millennium is poised to make another run at the Open State Championship and make some noise on the national stage.

After all of the offseason successes, and coming into the season as the MaxPreps #13 team in the country, expectations have never been higher in Goodyear. That is why the Tigers are gearing up for one of the toughest schedules they have faced since Coach Ty Amundsen entered the program in 2017. “It’s the culmination of everything we’ve worked for with this group,” said Coach Ty, when asked about the decision to craft the schedule like this. “We’re definitely not going to be ducking any smoke this year.”

Let’s take a look at the gauntlet Millennium faces this season.

Meeting The New Neighbors:

The best way to start any new season is to make a good first impression on your neighbors. For several years, Millennium has had the same opponents each year in the 5A Desert West region, where they never lost a single game. But a new season, and higher enrollment numbers for the school, means that it’s time to move to a new neighborhood. They will look to make their best impression on 6A, competing with some of the top Arizona powers in Sunnyslope, Brophy Prep, Desert Vista, and Corona del Sol, for dominance in the new 6A Central region. Millennium’s issues of accumulating power points should be a worry of the past if they can have success in this new region.

On the Road Again:

As has become tradition for Coach Ty’s teams, the road will feel like home once again for the Tigers, as they will be traveling to four major out-of-state events to compete with some of the best in the country.

Jordan Take Flight Challenge – Redondo Beach, CA – December 6-7, 2024

The first major trip of the season comes early, as the Tigers will catch a ride over to Redondo Beach to play in the Jordan Brand’s Take Flight Challenge. During this event, they will face a pair of California’s best in JSerra Catholic – a perennial power in the state – and MaxPreps Preseason #19 Sierra Canyon – led by a host of high-level recruits, including Bryce James, son of NBA Megastar LeBron.

City of Palms Classic – Fort Myers, FL – December 18-23, 2024

This trip to the beach is anything but a vacation for the Tigers, as Millennium is returning for a second straight year to the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country. Here they will open up tournament play with Gateway Charter, a juggernaut in the state of Florida. Win or lose, the Tigers won’t be able to rest easy, with even more national opponents waiting in the wings. Some of the monsters that Millennium could potentially come face-to-face with in the tournament include defending Chipotle National Champions Montverde Academy, MaxPreps Preseason #1 Christopher Columbus led by the Boozer Twins, and East Coast powerhouse Long Island Lutheran, captained by Kiyan Anthony, son of NBA legend Carmelo.

Bass Pro Tournament of Champions – Springfield, MO – January 16-18, 2025

Millennium is trading in the warm Arizona sun for a cold and snowy Midwestern winter, as they travel to Missouri to compete in the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions, another top tournament in the country. While the schedule has been kept under wraps, the Tigers are certain to come up against more highly ranked teams in the Show-Me State. Maxpreps Preseason #4 Oak Ridge (FL) and #11 Bullis (MD) are set to be in attendance, as well as Ballislife Fab 50 #2 Link Academy (MO). Check back in January to find out who the Tigers draw in the TOC.

Crush in the Valley – San Pablo, CA – January 25, 2025

Coach Ty is headed back to his hometown in The Bay once again, as he takes the Tigers back to San Pablo for Crush in the Valley in 2025. Last season, Millennium fell just one point short of defeating California Open State Finalist Salesian. This season, they are slated to face Sacramento’s Destiny Christian, who should provide another challenge for the Tigers in late January as they look to build momentum before the playoffs.

Freedom (Games) Ain’t Free:

On top of all of that, one would think that the Tigers would have enough firepower on their schedule to cash in their chips and call it a day, right? Wrong. Millennium continues to stack the deck, loading up their Freedom Game schedule with even more of the state’s best, including Sandra Day O’Connor, Boulder Creek, and Pinnacle. To make things even tougher, all three of these prime games will be taking place in their opponents’ gyms. The Tigers also add to this gauntlet by welcoming in national teams Foothill (NV) and Tualatin (OR) to The Den to round out the intense Freedom schedule.

Millennium tips-off the season on November 20, as they welcome Dobson into The Den. Check the schedule page of the site to keep up with the Tigers this season, both online and in the arena.