Basketball Hall of Fame’s HoopHall Classic event features local high school teams and several ties to UConn men’s program, including Ray Allen
The Basketball Hall of Fame’s HoopHall Classic, which features several of the nation’s top high school basketball teams and recruits, is returning to the Springfield College campus for its 21st time this weekend.
This year ties to the UConn men’s program will be on full display with two commits in UConn’s top-five 2023 recruiting class playing at the birthplace of the sport on Saturday, after UConn legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Ray Allen coaches Friday night.
Stephon Castle, the main attraction in UConn’s incoming “Fab Five,” and his Newton High School team from Georgia will take on perennial high school powerhouse IMG Academy at noon. Castle, a 6-6 guard ranked No. 23 in his class by ESPN, will take on the IMG team (currently No. 8 in the country by ESPN) that features three recruits in the top-100 for the Class of 2023 in Eric Dailey Jr. (No. 42), Jamie Kaiser (No. 64) and Blue Cain (No. 92).
IMG also boasts two of the top 15 players in the Class of 2024, according to ESPN, in Bryson Tucker (No. 4) and Amier Ali (No. 13). The game will be broadcast on BallerTV.
Jayden Ross, another one of UConn’s five 2023 commits, will lead his ninth-ranked Long Island Lutheran team against another high school powerhouse, Oak Hill Academy (Va.), a game which will be televised nationally on ESPN at 3 p.m. Ross, a 6-7 forward, is the No. 135 recruit in the class, according to 247Sports.
The only alum of the UConn men’s basketball program in the Hall of Fame, Allen returns to the area as the head coach of Gulliver Prep, which is based in Florida and includes his son, Ray Jr. Allen’s team will match up with Connecticut’s Notre Dame-West Haven at 7:30 p.m.
Other Connecticut high school teams participating in the event include Northwest Catholic tipping off the weekend with Newton North of Mass. at 3 p.m. on Thursday, and Suffield Academy playing Wilbraham and Monson Academy of Mass. in the following game, scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. Badara Diakite, a high recruit in the Class of 2025 who has drawn attention from the Huskies, is expected to play in the first game for Northwest Catholic. Windsor will also play Thursday against Springfield Central (Mass.) at 7:30 p.m.
The Sacred Heart Academy girls’ team will begin the day Friday with a 3 p.m. tip against Springfield Central. The following day, at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, the East Catholic boys will meet St. Augustine (Calif.). The Newington girls tip-off the final day of the event with a 9 a.m. matchup on Monday against St. John Vianney of New Jersey, which is currently the No. 11 girls’ team in the nation, according to ESPN.
The event packs Blake Arena in Springfield year after year with some of the nation’s highest recruits, including 11 of the last 12 No. 1 overall NBA draft picks. Last year, current UConn center Donovan Clingan and UConn football standout Victor Rosa were the main figures in a thrilling win for Bristol Central over Springfield Central in front of a packed-house during the event.
The list of NBA stars who’ve come through Springfield includes names like Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Demarcus Cousins, Zion Williamson, Kyrie Irving – it keeps going.
This year’s event includes 10 of the top 15 recruits in the Class of 2023, according to ESPN, and five of the top 15 in the Class of 2024. Highlighting the 2023 list are Camden High’s D.J. Wagner (No. 1) and Aaron Bradshaw (No. 5), Justin Edwards of Imhotep Charter School (No. 2) and Mackenzie Mgbako (No. 4) of Roselle Catholic in New Jersey.
Ian Jackson, the No. 2 recruit in the Class of 2024, will play for Cardinal Hayes (N.Y.) at 9 p.m. against Edwards and Imhotep on Sunday night.
Last year’s event included a celebrity appearance from Tatum, the Boston Celtics superstar, who watched his former high school team, Chaminade Prep, play in the event. LeBron James made an appearance to watch his son, Bronny, and his Sierra Canyon (Calif.) team in 2019. Bronny, No. 34 in the 2023 class, returns to Springfield this year and will play at 1 p.m. on Monday against Christopher Columbus High (Fla.).
