It’s not too often that you see promoters throw together a dope basketball event that involves many of the nation’s top players midway through the high school season. Still, Clay Dade managed to put together a showcase that not only draws interest from nearly every high school hoops fan in the Bluegrass state, but the majority of them throughout the entire country.
Future 2013 McDonald’s All-Americans Andrew Wiggins, Kasey Hill and Dakari Johnson will square off against each other in a late-season matchup on March 3 that will carry some major weight in the final polls. But some of the nation’s finest underclassmen are featured on February 2 as well.
SLAM’s No. 1 player in the Class of 2014, Kentucky-bound Karl Towns Jr, will square off against Louisville recruit Quentin Snider. Then in the nightcap, 6-11 monster Jahlil Okafor will be matched up against 6-10 Haitian sensation Skal Labissiere. Both events will not only give fans the opportunity to see players headed to their favorite colleges, but will give them a glimpse of some of the NBA’s next potential stars.
From our friends at the Red State Blue State Series:
Wiggins, a 6’7 senior, is undecided on his college choice. He is currently considering Kentucky, Florida State, North Carolina, Kansas and reportedly several others.
“He has the ability to make plays in so many ways. His athleticism separates him from his peers…he can dominate games at both ends in the paint and on the perimeter. Andrew has an extremely high basketball IQ and his passing is very undervalued. Off the court he is the most down to earth humble kid you will ever meet. In today’s society of self-centered athletes, he doesn’t allow the outside world to affect his concentration on school and basketball. He signs every autograph and takes every picture any kid asks for,” said Huntington Prep coach Rob Fulford.
Montverde is loaded with top talent that includes latest Kentucky commit Dakari Johnson; Louisville native D’Angelo Russell, a junior also being recruited by UofL and UK; and Florida Gators recruit Kasey Hill, the #2-rated point guard prospect in the country.
The 6-foot-10 Johnson, a senior who is regarded as the country’s best center, recently ended a fierce recruiting battle for his services when he announced that he will attend Kentucky, choosing the Wildcats over Syracuse and Georgetown. Johnson is from New York City but lived in Lexington during his middle school years.
Fans also will get to see much-heralded 7-foot Kentucky recruit Karl Towns Jr. of St. Joseph High School, in Metuchen, N.J., who committed to the Wildcats on December 4 and is considered by many recruiting services to be the no. 1 junior in the nation. He and his St. Joe’s team will play on February 2 at Broadbent Arena against Louisville Ballard High School led by local junior guard Quentin Snider (ESPN Recruiting’s #27 overall) who verbally committed to UofL as a sophomore. In addition, 6-foot-11 Jahlil Okafor, arguably the nation’s no. 1 junior will also participate with his nationally-ranked Whitney Young High School team out of Chicago, Ill., will take on Memphis, Tenn.-area Evangelical Christian and Kentucky target Skal Labissiere, a 6-9 top ten sophomore who escaped the Haiti earthquake when he relocated to the U.S. Okafor is in the midst of an intense recruiting battle between Louisville, Kentucky, Duke, Michigan State and a host of other top schools.
February 2, 2013 at Broadbent Arena in Louisville, KY
3:00 ET St. Joseph (Metuchen, N.J.) vs. Ballard (Louisville, Ky.)
4:30 ET Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) vs Evangelical Christian (Cordova, Tenn.)
March 3, 2013 at Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY
4:00 ET Montverde Academy (Fla.) vs. Huntington Prep (W.Va.)
Follow @isKyRedOrBlue on Twitter and Facebook: RedStateBlueStateSeries for real time updates, news and notes on the series. Find more on the Web at redstatebluestateseries.com.
Tickets are available through Ticketmaster at ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000 or at the Freedom Hall box office.
About Red StateBlueState Series
The Red State Blue State Series is a showcase of high school basketball games that features University of Louisville and University of Kentucky recruits. The series generates great excitement among the nation’s most passionate basketball fans and gives them a special sneak preview of these talented prospects. Hard-core UK and UofL fans show their spirit for their favorite team and show the world that Kentucky is really a red state or a blue state. The event is held in Louisville, Ky. See more at redstatebluestateseries.com.
About Kentucky Exposition Center
One of the top 10 largest public facilities of its kind in the United States, the Kentucky Exposition Center features 1.2 million square feet of indoor space including Freedom Hall, an indoor arena which seats over 19,000 people. The facility’s class “A” exhibit space totals 425,700 square feet and accommodates an amazing spectrum of events year round. The expo center is the permanent home for the Kentucky State Fair, the National Farm Machinery Show, and the North American International Livestock Exposition. Conveniently located adjacent to the Louisville International Airport and near the junction of three major interstates, the Kentucky Exposition Center is easily accessible and just five minutes south of downtown Louisville. For more information, go online to www.kyexpo.org.
Contact: Justin Young 541-704-8024 [email protected] @JustinDYoung
