ENGLEWOOD — Minster’s boys and girls basketball teams will play in games in the 2019 Flyin’ to the Hoop, while former Sidney player Andre Gordon will play two games with Huntington Prep. The schedule was released in a press conference at Miami Valley Hospital North on Tuesday.
Flyin’ to the Hoop is renowned as one of the nation’s top high school basketball showcases and typically draws 20,000 fans to Kettering’s Trent Arena on Memorial Day Weekend. Tournament director Eric Horstman invites teams in Ohio and throughout the nation with top-rated collegiate prospects to participate.
Minster’s girls team — which won the Division IV state title last season — will play Dayton Carroll on Jan. 19. The Wildcats’ boys will play Convoy Crestview on Jan. 20.
It’s the third year the event has had one game between two girls teams. Minster finished 26-3 last year and returns several key players, including Xavier commit Courtney Prenger. Carroll finished 16-10 and advanced to a Div. II district final. The Patriots return their top three leading scorers in forward Jullia Keller (12.4 points per game), Elisabeth Bush (11.4) and Allie Stefanek (11.3).
Minster’s boys squad finished 15-8 last year and returns several key players, including senior Jarod Schulze, who was a first team all-Midwest Athletic Conference selection last year. Crestview was 23-4 last year and advanced to a Div. IV regional final. The Knights will return three players who earned all-Northwest Conference honors.
Huntington Prep will play IMG Academy on Jan. 18 and Bella Vista Prep on Jan. 19. The school has produced some of the country’s best basketball recruits the last 10 years. Gordon transferred from Sidney to Huntington Prep last summer.
There will be 37 teams in the tournament. Since the showcase started in 2003, 34 players have participated in the tournament and went on to be first-round NBA draft picks.
