The second annual National High School Basketball Invitational will be held April 1-3 at Coppin State College’s new arena. It’s exciting news for hardcore Baltimore hoop followers who want to see some of the nation’s top teams.
Unfortunately, no Baltimore team is in the field. The only Baltimore connection to the event will be the return of Roscoe Smith, who’ll be Oak Hill (Va.) Academy. Smith, who’s headed to UCONN, blew up onto the national scene while at Walbrook.
Oak Hill, ranked No. 6 in USA Today’s Super 25 and 10th in ESPNRise’s Fab 50, will be joined by defending champ Findlay Prep of Las Vegas (No. 3 USA Today/No. 7 ESPNRise), Florida’s Montverde Academy (No. 6 ESPNRise/No. 10 USA Today/) and Winter Park (No. 13 USA Today/No. 16 ESPNRise), North Carolina’s Christ School (No. 11 ESPNRise/No. 16 USA Today), Mountain State Academy of Beckley, W.Va.; and Charlotte (N.C.) Christian.
There’s also a four-team girls’ tourney that will featured New Jersey’s Peddie School (No. 34 ESPNRise), Florida’s Dillard (No. 39 ESPNRise) and Lake Mary (No. 40 ESPNRise) and Oak Hill (Va.). Peddie School played at the Breezy Bishop Showcase at Western in December.
Last year’s inaugural event was held at Georgetown Prep in Montgomery County. According to reports, Prep didn’t want to host this year on Easter weekend. St. Frances Academy boys and girls, and Seton Keough girls (won title) participated.
I realized it’s a national tournament, but it seems a little unbalanced that a Baltimore team couldn’t get in. Baltimore loves its high school basketball and surely a local team would’ve brought more fans to Coppin.
It would’ve been nice to see Calvert Hall College rewarded with a spot in the boys’ field after winning the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament crown and missing out on the Alhambra Catholic Invitational in Cumberland (Mount St. Joseph and St. Frances received invites). St. Frances’ girls were again the No. 1 team in Baltimore and reclaimed the IAAM A Conference title.
Maybe the NHSI organizers sent an invite and it was declined. If not, shame on them.