GEICO ESPN High School Basketball Showcase to Highlight Best Recruits in the Country

The 2017-2018 GEICO ESPN High School Basketball Showcase will feature 11 games across ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU from December to February. The schedule will highlight nine of country's top programs, and 36 players ranked in the ESPN 100 ('18), ESPN 60 ('19) and ESPN 25 ('20), including recruits who have commits to Duke, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Kentucky, LSU, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio State, Oregon, Rutgers, St. Louis and Syracuse. The action begins Thursday, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPNU when ESPN 25 No.3 recruit Jalen Suggs (Minnehaha Academy) faces ESPN 100 No. 10 recruit Tre Jones (Apple Valley High School).

As part of the slate, ESPN and ESPNU will air five games from the Hoophall Classic from Springfield, Mass., on Saturday, Jan. 13, and Monday, Jan. 15, including a Top 25 matchup of No. 2 Montverde and No. 16 Mater Dei on Monday, Jan. 15 on ESPNU at 3 p.m. An additional Top 25 matchup will take place on Thursday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 when No. 13 Webster Grove faces No. 3 Memphis East.

Highlights

• Seven of the Top Ten Recruits in the Class of 2018: The High School Basketball Showcase will feature seven of the top ten ESPN 100-No. 1 R.J. Barrett (Montverde Academy, Fla.), No. 2 Zion Williamson (Spartanburg Day, S.C.), No. 3 Cam Reddish (Westtown School, Pa.), No. 5 Romeo Langford (New Albany High School, Ind.), No. 7 Keldon Johnson (Oak Hill Academy, Va.). No. 9 Darius Bazley (Princeton High School, Ohio) and No. 10 Tre Jones (Apple Valley High School, Minn.)
• Ranked Teams: The 2017-2018 schedule highlights nine nationally ranked teams including No. 2 Montverde Academy (Fla.), No. 3 Memphis East (Tenn.), No. 4 Oak Hill Academy (Va.), No. 8 Hudson Catholic (N.J.), No. 10 IMG Academy (Fla.), No. 13 Webster Groves (Mo.), No. 14 Greensboro Day (N.C.), No. 16 Mater Dei (Calif.), No. 20 Archbishop Molloy (N.Y.).
• National Stage: 14 states are represented across the slate-California, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

"This year's High School Basketball Showcase displays some of the nation's best talent," said Paul Biancardi, ESPN National Recruiting Director. "The senior class is headlined by ESPN No.1 R.J. Barrett and No. 2 Zion Williamson. In addition, this year's exciting schedule will feature an amazing collection of talent as seven of the ESPN top ten prospects from the class of 2018 are competing in the Showcase. In the ESPN 60 we will witness the two top emerging prospects in No.1 James Wiseman and No.2 Vernon Carey Jr. Leading the ESPN 25 will be the No.3 sophomore in the class of 2020 Jalen Suggs. The showcase of games will have nationally ranked powerhouse teams along with some of the best high school coaches in the country."

All games will be called by Biancardi and play by play commentator Ted Emrich.

To post a comment, you must register and login.