KSR's 2023 Hoophall Classic Preview for Kentucky signees and targets

One of the premier high school basketball tournaments in the country tips off on Thursday afternoon.

A massive group of the nation’s most talented programs — both prep schools and regular high schools — will converge in Springfield, MA throughout the week for a five-day slate of hoops. Schools from all over the country, including one from the Bluegrass State, are scheduled to hit the hardwood at Springfield College over the next few days for the 2023 Hoophall Classic. Several of the top-ranked teams headline the event, led by powerhouse schools such as Montverde (FL) Academy, Prolific (CA) Prep, Sunrise Christian (KS) Academy, and AZ Compass (AZ) Prep — all ranked among the top 10 in the country, per MaxPreps — among many others.

KSR will have boots on the ground as Jack Pilgrim and I make the trip northeast early Friday morning to soak in all of this weekend’s action. Who will we have our eyes on? Let’s preview the event from a Kentucky Wildcats perspective.

For starters, four of Kentucky’s five signees from the class of 2023 will take the floor this weekend: DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw will suit up with Camden (NJ) High School, Justin Edwards with Imhotep Charter (PA) Institute, and Reed Sheppard with North Laurel (KY) High School. Robert Dillingham, who plays for Overtime Elite in Atlanta, GA, is the lone signee not headed to Springfield this weekend.

Although it’s a five-day event, Edwards and Sheppard will only play once while Camden will hit the floor twice. Thursday and Friday feature plenty of top-tier matchups, but you’ll have to wait until Saturday to get in your fix of future Wildcats.

First up on the schedule will be Camden, which takes on Centennial (CA) High School on Saturday afternoon at 6:00 p.m. EST on ESPN. Not only will Wagner and Bradshaw be in action, but so will one of their younger teammates, four-star junior Billy Richmond, who earned an offer from the Wildcats near the end of 2022. This will be our first look at Richmond since the offer came in. Those three will then be in action one more time on Monday morning at 11:00 a.m. EST against Bishop Gorman (NV) High School on ESPN.

Both Centennial and Bishop Gorman feature a handful of top-ranked prospects, which should lead to some thrilling matchups against the two future ‘Cats. Additionally, five-star junior point guard Johnuel “Boogie” Fland and Archbishop Stepinac (NY) High School will hit the floor at 2:30 p.m. EST on Sunday against Simeon Career (IL) Academy. Fland has already earned an offer from Kentucky and is believed to be one of the staff’s favorite targets from the class of 2024.

Sunday night is the headliner for Kentucky fans with Cardinal Hayes (NY) High School taking on Justin Edwards and Imhotep Charter at 9:00 p.m. EST on ESPN. For those who don’t know, Cardinal Hayes rosters one of the most talented high school juniors in the country, five-star SG Ian Jackson, who has been high on the Wildcats’ radar for a while now and is strongly considering UK. Jackson has taken a pair of recent official visits to the likes of North Carolina and Arkansas this past week, but Kentucky is firmly in the mix and possibly still the leader.

Finally, Reed Sheppard and North Laurel will be in action on Sunday morning at 11:30 a.m. EST, although the game will not be broadcasted on ESPN. The Jaguars will take on Mount Saint Joseph (MD). Sheppard has been excellent so far this season for North Laurel, but injuries have plagued his team early on, resulting in a 9-7 record but with an incredibly tough schedule that has already included several out-of-state competitions. All that being said, North Laurel is hoping to bring a full roster to Springfield.

Non-Kentucky related notes

• The twin sons of two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, Cameron and Cayden, will suit up for Christopher Columbus (FL) High School for matchups on Saturday night and Monday afternoon. Cameron, a 6-foot-8 power forward, is considered the top overall prospect from the class of 2025 (and maybe the top prospect in all of high school hoops) while Cayden is a 6-foot-3 point guard ranked among the top 25 sophomores in the nation.
• Former Male (KY) High School product and future Louisville Cardinal, Kaleb Glenn, is now at LaLumiere School (IN), which takes on a deeply talented Montverde Academy squad on Saturday afternoon.
• Carlos Boozer isn’t the only NBA player with sons suiting up in this event. LeBron James’ son, four-star uncommitted senior Bronny James, will play for Sierra Canyon (CA) High School while Carmelo Anthony’s son, unranked sophomore Kiyan Anthony, is set to suit up for Christ the King (NY) High School. Bronny James and Sierra Canyon will take on the Boozer twins and Christopher Columbus on Monday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. EST on ESPN. That will be must-watch TV.
• Elsewhere, a giant group of the nation’s best high school juniors and seniors will be in action over the next five days. Notre Dame (CT) High School has five-star Duke commit Caleb Foster, four-star Gonzaga commit Dusty Stromer, and four-star Houston commit Mercy Miller.
• Florida-based programs IMG Academy and Montverde Academy will combine to bring in over a dozen nationally-ranked recruits, including five-star forward Kwame Evans Jr. for Montverde, who was once a major UK target but has since committed to Oregon. Montverde also rosters five-star sophomore Cooper Flagg, who is neck-and-neck with Cameron Boozer for the title of the best high school recruit in America.
• Two other programs to keep an eye on will be Arizona Compass (AZ) Prep and Sunrise Christian (KS) Academy. AZ Prep will bring plenty of nationally-ranked recruits, including one the BBN might be familiar with in Tru Washington, who is the younger uncle of former Wildcat TyTy Washington. Sunrise Christian is headlined by Matas Buzelis, who was once a UK target as well before committing to the G League Ignite. Sunrise Christian also features 7-foot-2 junior center John Bol, who has heard from the ‘Cats in the past but has yet to receive a formal offer.

2023 Hoophall Classic full schedule

*All games not listed on ESPN will be streamed live through BallerTV.*

THURSDAY, JANUARY 12
3:00 PM Boys – Northwest Catholic High School, CT vs. Newton North High School, MA  
4:30 PM Prep – Wilbraham and Monson Academy, MA vs. Suffield Academy, CT 
6:00 PM Boys – Longmeadow High School, MA  vs. Pope Francis High School, MA 
7:30 PM Boys – Springfield Central High School, MA vs. Windsor High School, CT 
9:00 PM Boys – Springfield International Charter School, MA vs. Putnam Vocational, MA 

FRIDAY, JANUARY 13
3:00 PM Girls – Springfield Central High School, MA vs. Sacred Heart Academy, CT 
4:30 PM Girls – Morris Catholic High School, NJ vs. St. Paul VI Catholic High School, VA 
6:00 PM Girls – Christ the King High School, NY  vs. La Jolla Country Day, CA 
7:30 PM Boys – Notre Dame-West Haven, CT vs. Gulliver Prep, FL 
9:00 PM Boys – Springfield Central High School, MA vs. Hudson Catholic High School, NJ 

SATURDAY, JANUARY 14
9:00 AM Boys – Bishop O’Connell High School, VA vs. Isidore Newman School, LA 
10:30 AM Boys – East Catholic High School, CT vs. St. Augustine High School, CA 
12:00 PM Boys – Newton High School, GA vs. IMG Academy, FL 
1:30 PM Girls – Sidwell Friends, DC  vs. Sierra Canyon School, CA (ESPN)
3:00 PM Boys – Long Island Lutheran School, NY vs. Oak Hill Academy, VA (ESPN)  
4:30 PM Boys – Montverde Academy, FL vs. LaLumiere School, IN (ESPN)
6:00 PM Boys – Camden High School, NJ (Bradshaw, Richmond, Wagner) vs. Centennial High School, CA (ESPN)
7:30 PM Boys – Christopher Columbus High School, FL vs. San Ysidro High School, CA (ESPN)
9:30 PM Boys – Wheeler High School, GA vs. Bishop Gorman High School, NV 

SUNDAY, JANUARY 15
10:00 AM Boys – Bishop Loughlin High School, NY vs. DeMatha Catholic High School, MD 
11:30 AM Boys – Mount Saint Joseph, MD vs. North Laurel High School, KY (Sheppard)
1:00 PM Boys – Ss. John Neumann-Maria Goretti, PA vs. Vashon High School, MO 
2:30 PM Boys – Archbishop Stepinac High School, NY (Fland) vs. Simeon Career Academy, IL 
4:00 PM Boys – Oak Hill Academy, VA vs. Arizona Compass Prep, AZ (ESPN)
5:30 PM Boys – Roselle Catholic High School, NJ vs. St. Paul VI Catholic High School, VA (ESPN) 
7:00 PM Boys – Westtown School, PA vs. Prolific Prep, CA (ESPN)
9:00 PM Boys – Cardinal Hayes High School, NY (Jackson) vs. Imhotep Charter School, PA (Edwards) (ESPN)

MONDAY, JANUARY 16
9:00 AM Girls – St. John Vianney High School, NJ vs. Newington High School, CT 
11:00 AM Boys – Camden High School, NJ (Bradshaw, Richmond, Wagner) vs. Bishop Gorman High School, NV (ESPN)
1:00 PM Boys – Sierra Canyon School, CA vs. Christopher Columbus High School, FL (ESPN)
3:00 PM Boys – Montverde Academy, FL vs. Sunrise Christian School, KS (ESPN)
5:00 PM Boys – IMG Academy, FL vs. Arizona Compass Prep, AZ (ESPN)