BEAVERCREEK — Beavercreek’s basketball teams will kick off the first full day of the 2021 Flyin’ to the Hoop event in Kettering.
The girls take on fellow Greater Western Ohio Conference member Springboro at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 16, followed by the ‘Creek boys, who will take on Crestwood Prep from Canada. Crestwood features 6-foot-6 shooting guard Elijah Fisher, a five-star recruit in the class of 2023 who has offers from Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Oregon, Syracuse, Wake Forest, and West Virginia, among others.
In all, the 19th annual event event features 37 teams, and 19 games during Martin Luther King Jr., weekend, Jan. 15-18.
Trent Arena at Fairmont High School will again serve as the host site, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, spectators will be limited. Event founder and president Eric Horstman said the schedule has already been changed twice and other gyms are under consideration if a waiver to allow more fans than currently permitted is denied.
“We are going to do whatever we can to get as many fans safely in the venue as possible,” Horstman said. “We will be working with both the state and local departments of health to make sure that we are as safe as possible during these crazy times. But the show will go on.”
And it should be a fantastic show.
More than 70 past participants have played in the NBA and Horstman said that number will grow even higher when the NBA holds its next draft.
Action kicks off Friday with two teams ranked in the top 20 nationally — Hamilton Heights Christian Academy from Tennessee and La Luminere from Indiana. La Luminere, located in LaPorte, has several four-star recruits, while Hamilton Heights, located in Chattanooga, has several three- and four-star recruits.
ISA Andrews Osborne Academy from Cleveland will take on AZ Compass Prep from Chandler, Ariz., in the second game.
AZ Compass features junior forward Sadraque Nganga, a five-star recruit who has offers from SEC, Big 12, and Pac 12 schools. Compass also has a slew of four-star recruits. Andrews has some three-star recruits.
Featured teams on Saturday include Thomas Worthington, Pickerington Central, Canton McKinley, and Centerville — all ranked highly in Ohio. Sunday’s top teams include Springfield, Trotwood-Madison, Akron Buchtel, and Cleveland St. Ignatius, while featured teams Monday include Lima Shawnee, Dunbar, Dream City Christian from Arizona, and Dunbar.
Some other players to watch include four-star Georgetown commit Ryan Mutombo from The Lovett School in Georgia and and Ohio State commit Malaki Branham from St. Vincent-St. Mary’s in Akron. Mutombo is the son of former Georgetown and NBA great Dikembe Mutombo.
According to Horstman, there are seven five star and 17 four-star players.
“As usual we have a plethora of talent,” he said.
All games will be streamed live by SUVtv.
