Flyin' To The Hoop prep basketball to feature return of UC commit Rayvon Griffith
In and around the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday this January, some top talent in Southwest Ohio basketball will be on display as the Flyin' To The Hoop Invitational field was announced Tuesday morning.
The event sponsored by Beacon Orthopaedics will feature 35 teams and 19 games over four days from Jan. 13-16, 2023, at Kettering's Trent Arena. Five of the teams featured are defending state champions and six have been ranked in the preseason national top 30.
"I've been to the Flyin' To The Hoop tournament many times when I was playing at Wright State," Beacon surgeon, partner and former Raider basketball player Dr. Drew Burleson said. "This is a tournament near and ear to my heart. It's a fantastic event and I'm really proud to be a part of this."
One highlight of the event will be the return of Rayvon Griffith. The senior committed to the University of Cincinnati and Wes Miller over the summer, then announced a transfer from Taft to Arizona Compass. The No.2-ranked Arizona Compass team will square off with Combine Academy of North Carolina at 8: 15 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, with Griffith on the floor. Combine Academy is a top 25 national program.
Last March, the 6-foot-6-inch swingman helped Taft to the Division III championship in Ohio. Minus Griffith, Taft will also be in the event at 1:15 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15, against Brush, ranked No. 18 in the preseason in Ohio. The Senators still have Eian Elmer who is committed to Miami University.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 16, No. 19 in Ohio, Fairfield will play Ohio Division IV champ Richmond Heights at 11:30 a.m. Later that night, Lakota West featuring Division I recruit and Greater Miami Conference top scorer Nathan Dudukovich will play Fairmont at 6:30 p.m.
"We take care of many local high school programs and Lakota West is one of them," Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine CEO Andy Blankemeyer said. "Sports medicine is in the veins of our organization. When we had the opportunity to come up to work with the Flyin' To The Hoop and provide medical coverage, athletic trainer coverage and sponsorship, we didn't question it. We're excited to be here."
Fairfield is the defending GMC champion and lost to Centerville in the Division I regional final at Xavier's Cintas Center last March.
Among other teams on the schedule: Ohio Division I champion Pickerington Central, Ohio DI runner-up Centerville, Ohio Division II champion Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, Indiana state champion Cathedral, national top 25 team Huntington Prep of West Virginia and national top 10 team SoCal Academy of California.
Among other players to watch: Xavier commit Dailyn Swain of Columbus Africentric, Indiana commit Gabe Cupps of Centerville and Ohio State commit Devin Royal of Pickerington Central.
The full schedule is on flyintothehoop.com. Ticket packages are also on the website.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: UC commit Rayvon Griffith to play in January's Flyin' To The Hoop
