High School Basketball: 14 Ranked Recruits, Five Ranked Teams, and Two Top 25 Matchups Highlight Spalding Hoophall Classic on ESPNU
ESPNU will televise a quadruple-header of premier high school basketball games, featuring 14 top recruits, five nationally ranked teams, and two Top 25 matchups as part of the annual Spalding Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass., on Monday, Jan. 19, during eight hours of live, remote coverage.
The day begins with No. 25 Bishop O’Dowd, Calif. vs. No. 3 Wheeler, Ga. (11 a.m. ET), followed by No. 6 Oak Hill, Va. vs. No. 11 Villa Angela-St. Joseph, Ohio (1 p.m.), Bishop Gorman, Nev. vs. No. 4 Montverde, Fla. (3 p.m.) and concluding with Chaminade, Mo. vs. Paul VI, Va. (5 p.m.).
Five of ESPN 100’s top 10 players headline the event: No. 1, PF Ben Simmons (Montverde, Fla.), No. 2, SF Jaylen Brown (Wheeler, Ga.), No. 5, PF Ivan Rabb (Bishop O’ Dowd), No. 9, Chase Jeter (Bishop Gorman), and No. 10, C Stephen Zimmerman (Bishop Gorman). Additionally, Jayson Tatum (Chaminade, Mo.), the No. 1 recruit in the junior class, will also play.
Simmons has signed with LSU and Jeter with Duke. Brown, Rabb, and Zimmerman remain uncommitted. Additionally, Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, Penn State, Syracuse and Wake Forest signees will also participate in the event.
ESPNU’s all-day coverage from Blake Arena begins with the first game. Mike Couzens, recruiting director Paul Biancardi, and reporter Jeff Goodman will call all the game action. Bob Picozzi and Cory Alexander, Oak Hill alum, will anchor Recruiting Nation courtside in-between games. ESPN Recruiting Nation writers will join the set throughout the day.
The Spalding Hoophall Classic action is part of the 2014-15 GEICO ESPN High School Basketball Showcase
ESPN 100 Participants (Seniors)
| Rank and Player | Position (Pos. Rank)* |
High School | College |
| No. 1 Ben Simmons | PF (1) | Montverde, Fla | LSU |
| No. 2 Jaylen Brown | SF (1) | Wheeler, Ga. | |
| No. 5 Ivan Rabb | PF (3) | Bishop O’Dowd, Calif. | |
| No. 9 Chase Jeter | PF (3) | Bishop Gorman High School, NV | Duke |
| No. 10 Stephen Zimmerman | C (4) | Bishop Gorman, NV | |
| No. 18 Carlton Bragg | PF | Villa Angela-St. Joseph, Ohio | Kansas (committed) |
| No. 39 Dwayne Bacon | SF | Oak Hill, Va | Florida State |
| No. 54 Noah Dickerson | PF | Montverde, Fla | Florida |
| No. 60 Doral Moore | C | Montverde, Fla | Wake Forest |
| No. 61 Daniel Giddens | C | Oak Hill, Va | Ohio State |
| No. 74 Franklin Howard | SG | Paul VI, Va. | Syracuse |
| No. 81 Josh Reaves | SG | Oak Hill, Va. | Penn State |
ESPN 60 Participants (Juniors)
| Rank and Player | Position (Pos. Rank)* |
High School | Verbal College Commitment |
| No. 1 Jayson Tatum | SF (1) | Chaminade, Mo. | |
| No. 16 V.J. King | SF (4) | Paul VI, Va. |
*Only designated if in Top 5
Spalding Hoophall Classic Programming Schedule
(All Games on ESPNU)
| Date | Time | Matchup |
| Monday, Jan. 19 | 11 a.m. | No. 25 Bishop O’Dowd, Calif. vs. No. 3 Wheeler, Ga. |
| 1 p.m. | No. 6 Oak Hill, Va. vs. No. 11 Villa Angela-St. Joseph, Ohio | |
| 3 p.m. | Bishop Gorman, Nev. vs. No. 4 Montverde, Fla. | |
| 5 p.m. | Chaminade, Mo. vs. Paul VI, Va. |
All rankings are per USA Today (Jan. 12, 2015)
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