MVP teams headed north to Classic in the Country
The Ohio high school girls basketball state tournament will be held March 18-20 at Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center. Those wanting a sneak peak at the eventual state champions, though, can catch them Jan. 16-18 at the seventh annual Classic in the Country. At least history dictates those who will handle the hardware in March will be on hand at Berlin Hiland High School. This event is that good.
Since its inaugural run in 2004, the Classic in the Country has become a whose-who of high school girls basketball. And it’s also become a showcase for state champions.
Over the last six years, 19 of Ohio’s 24 state champions have played in the CIC. This year all four reigning state champions are in the fold again.
Overall, 41 of the last 84 Final Four teams in Ohio have played in the CIC during the season they made the state semifinals.
Collectively, it’s doubtful there’s another girls basketball event in the country that offers so much talent over a three-day span that includes 29 teams and 20 games.
The result of hard work by many, including CIC director and Ohio Girls Basketball Report founder Tom Jenkins, the CIC is Ohio’s marquee girls basketball event and arguably one of the country’s best – if not its top – girls hoop event.
Last year over 28,000 people attended the three-day spectacular, which is held at the 1,800-seat Perry Reese Center. There were six sellouts last year and should be more this season.
The CIC has also become a destination for many of the country’s top basketball coaches and programs. Last year 142 colleges (and all six power conferences: Big Ten, Big East, ACC, SEC, Pac 10 and Big 12) were represented. In all, coaches from 26 different NCAA conferences/leagues attended.
Individually, there will be over 75 NCAA Division I prospects FROM OHIO in this year’s tournament field. During the last six years, 60-percent of the players from Ohio who have signed with D-I schools has competed in the CIC.
Wow is right.
Here’s what else you need to know:
THE FIELD
Division I
Boardman (Youngstown)
Brookhaven (Columbus)
Harding (Marion)
Hoover (North Canton)
Lakota West (West Chester)
Mason
McKinley (Canton)
Mount Notre Dame (Cincinnati)
Springboro
Start (Toledo)
Tri-Valley (Dresden)
Twinsburg
Wadsworth
Westlake
Division II
Chaminade-Julienne (Dayton)
Hathaway Brown (Shaker Heights)
Kenton Ridge (Springfield)
Indian Hill (Cincinnati)
Walsh Jesuit (Cuyahoga Falls)
West Holmes (Millersburg)
Division III
Africentric (Columbus)
Smithville
Regina (South Euclid)
Division IV
Hiland (Berlin)
Minster
Mogadore
Waterford
Out of State
Potter’s House (Jacksonville, FL)
University (Newark, NJ)
SCHEDULE
Saturday, January 16
Game 1 10:00 am
Minster vs Mogadore
Game 2 11:45 am
Columbus Brookhaven vs Wadsworth
Game 3 1:30 pm
Columbus Africentric vs Canton McKinley
Game 4 3:15 pm
University (NJ) vs South Euclid Regina
Game 5 5:00 pm
Twinsburg vs West Chester Lakota West
Game 6 6:45 pm
Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown vs Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame
Game 7 8:30 pm
Potter’s House (FL) vs Berlin Hiland
Sunday, January 17
Game 8 12:00
Marion Harding vs Springboro
Game 9 1:45 pm
Waterford vs Indian Hill
Game 10 3:30 pm
West Chester Lakota West vs Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown
Game 11 5:15 pm
South Euclid Regina vs Mason
Game 12 7:00 pm
Dayton Chaminade-Julienne vs University (NJ)
Game 13 8:45 pm
Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame vs Toledo Start
Monday, January 18
Game 14 10:00 am
Westlake vs Smithville
Game 15 11:45 am
Springfield Kenton Ridge vs Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit
Game 16 1:30 pm
North Canton Hoover vs Millersburg West Holmes
Game 17 3:15 pm
Twinsburg vs Dayton Chaminade-Julienne
Game 18 5:00 pm
Toledo Start vs Potter’s House (FL)
Game 19 6:45 pm
Dresden Tri-Valley vs Youngstown Boardman
Game 20 8:30 pm
Mason vs Berlin Hiland
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
On Saturday between Games 6 and 7, guest speaker Marvin Banks will re-enact Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I have a Dream” speech.
TICKETS
Single-Day Admission and Three-Day passes will be available at the gate.
Three-Day Pass $25.00
Single-Day Admission 10.00
FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK HERE (classicinthecountry.org)
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