A longstanding basketball tradition will continue this weekend at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy as the school and its boys’ basketball team hosts the NSA Holiday Classic.

“It was going on when I was in school, so I’m going to say it’s roughly 25 years (old),” said T.W. Johnson, Nansemond-Suffolk director of boys’ athletics and a 1992 NSA graduate. “And as far as I know, it’s been consistent all the way through.”

The event, free and open to the public, will again feature four teams. Two of them, in addition to the Saints, will be the same as last year — Broadwater Academy and Southampton Academy.

“We thought they were great and wanted to have them back, and we added Tidewater Academy,” Johnson said.

He noted that many high school teams are playing in events like this one, either during Thanksgiving break or during winter break.

With regard to the Classic, Johnson said, “I just think it’s a fun opportunity for guys to play back-to-back days, having multiple teams on campus.”

The event serves as a showcase opportunity for the Saints (3-2), a team that Johnson said is on the rise right now, well-coached by former NBA player Lamont Strothers.

“We look forward to putting that work on display this weekend,” Johnson said.

The Saints will be playing Southampton Academy and Tidewater Academy, two teams they have already defeated this season.

Strothers has a simple objective for his team as it competes in the Classic.

“We just want to just continue playing good basketball,” he said. “Wins, losses — they’re going to come and go, but the guys are really learning how to play basketball at this stage of their career, and it’s going well so far.”

He said he wants his team “playing the game the right way, having fun playing and being able to close out games — that’s the biggest thing in our last two games.”

The Saints are entering the Classic on a two-game winning streak after having topped Norfolk Christian School 73-61 on Dec. 8 and Southampton Academy 62-51 on Friday.

“I think that people that come out this weekend are in store to watch some competitive basketball right in Suffolk,” Johnson said. “We hope the fact that there’s not a charge will encourage people to come out and support NSA and see some good basketball.”

Following is the schedule of the 2015 Nansemond-Suffolk Academy Holiday Classic:

Friday

5:30 p.m. — Broadwater Academy vs. Tidewater Academy

7 p.m. — Southampton Academy vs. NSA

Saturday

1 p.m. — Broadwater Academy vs. Southampton Academy

2:30 p.m. — Tidewater Academy vs. NSA