Basketball fans will get a chance to see the No. 1 player in the 2017 recruiting class, according to ESPN, Bahamian DeAndre Ayton, go up against some of the other top players in the class early this season. Ayton and Hillcrest Prep will highlight a stacked field of teams for the 2016 American Family Insurance Hoophall West.
This year’s tournament takes places December 9-10 at Chaparral High in Scottsdale, Arizona. The event serves as the west coast version of the Hoophall Classic, that takes place in Springfield, Massachusetts in January.
“Hoophall West is a unique event in that it showcases the best in high school basketball on both a regional and national level,” said John L. Doleva, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). “We thank American Family Insurance for their continued support and we look forward to hosting these outstanding match-ups in beautiful Arizona.”
In their opener on Friday December 9, Hillcrest Prep will take on Westbury Christian at 10 p.m. The game will be broadcasted live on FloHoops.
Ayton, an Arizona commit, is one of many elite players featured for the Hoophall West tournament. He joins Chino Hills’ shooting guard LiAngelo Ball and point guard LaMelo Ball, both commits to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Corona del Sol (Phoenix) shooting guard Alex Barcello, an Arizona commit, and La Lumiere’s duo of forward Jaren Jackson, a Michigan State commit, and wing Brian Bowen.
“Every dream deserves a champion. American Family Insurance believes in supporting young dreamers, such as the players featured at this year’s Hoophall West high school basketball showcase,” said Dwayne Maddox, Advertising Director, American Family Insurance. “We are proud to continue partnering with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and their invitational Hoophall West, which features some of the best teams and players in the region and the country.”
Last month, Ayton was named to the American Family Insurance All-USA Boys Basketball team. Ayton is coming into the 2016-17 season off a productive summer. He turned the grassroots basketball scene on its ear when he committed to the University of Arizona, instantly becoming the highest ranked recruit to commit to the Wildcats in the history of the program. The move seemed to come out of nowhere, as most analysts and scouts had Ayton projected to go to Kansas or Kentucky.
Ayton also dominated on the circuit, which included the Adidas Nations tournament and the Nike Peach Jam.
