What to watch at Flyin' to the Hoop
The Flyin’ to the Hoop event in Dayton, Ohio has been one of the very best high school events of the season. Some of the nation’s top teams and a handful of top players will be at the gorgeous James Trent Arena for four days of action.
HoopSeen.com coverage will start on Saturday and run through the end of next week. (Game play ends on Monday night.)
What are the storylines going into the loaded event?
1. Josh Jackson vs. Miles Bridges. It doesn’t get better than this at the prep level. Jackson, the top unsigned five-star stud in the class of 2016, anchors a talented Profilic Prep team from California. Bridges, a Michigan State signee, anchors a very good good Huntington Prep (WV) team. The two played each other last year at the Flyin’ to the Hoop and earlier this season at the Marshall County HoopFest.
Jackson and Proflic took home the win. He was tremendous in the double overtime win. Jackson scored 34 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and had eight assists. Bridges wasn’t too shabby either. He finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds and five rebounds in the match-up.
Here’s to hoping the match-up is just as good on Saturday.
2. API vs IMG. National events are all about match-ups. So, a day after the Jackson-Bridges battle, event organizers follow up the five-star magic with a pairing of Advanced International Prep from Dallas, Texas with IMG Academy from Florida. With that game, we’ll see future Alabama guard Terrance Ferguson go against future Florida State forward Jonathan Isaac. The two are terrific, high-ceiling prospects. There are high-level prospects everywhere you turn in this one.
FLYIN' TO THE HOOP SCHEDULE
3. Unsigned seniors. We saw 22Feet Academy and Mountain Mission at the start of the season at the Phenom Hoops National Showcase. Both programs have rosters deep with talent. Both boast players that can help next year as freshmen. Lucky for college coaches, there are a number of players that have not made decisions for next year, too. 22Feet boast a terrific backcourt of Clifton Powell, Jr. and Jordan Bowden. Mountain Mission boasts Harold Baruti, Szymon Walczak, Diogo Brito, Keshon Montague and a host of others. The local Ohio teams are always stacked with college-level players, too. We look forward to seeing who owns the stage.
4. Great basketball environment. There are few places in America that pack an arena better than the fans do in Dayton. The crowd is loud, jam-packed and genuinely excited to see the match-ups. Environment sets the stage for storylines. We’re excited to be there for it.