Reed Conder Gymnasium played host to big crowds over the weekend as fans flocked to see top prospects Andrew Wiggins and Aaron and Andrew Harrison.
Photo by Wayne Litmer
Reed Conder Gymnasium in Benton, Ky., is one of high school basketball's crown jewels.
The 6,000-seat arena hosts the Marshall County Hoopfest early each season and is a regular stop on the tour for national power
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.). Big matchups and five-star prospects are the norm on the weekend after Thanksgiving every year in the tiny southwest Kentucky town.
But Class of 2013 No. 1 prospect
Andrew Wiggins of
Huntington Prep (W.Va.) gave the locals something special to remember over the weekend. The 6-foot-7 wing took over Friday night in a 76-59 over defending Tennessee AAA state champion
Memphis East (Tenn.), piling up 29 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and five steals.
Andrew Wiggins was too much for Briarcrest Christian on Saturday night.
Photo by Wayne Litmner
Wiggins followed with 25 points Saturday at the event in a 74-40 over
Briarcrest Christian (Eads, Tenn.), helping the Express – ranked No. 1 in MaxPreps.com's Academy Top 10 – improve to 7-0.
An early offensive eruption Friday from Memphis East Top 100 forward
Nick King may have helped light Wiggins' fire.
"He (King) got hot early," Huntington Prep head coach Rob Fulford said by phone Saturday night. "We put Andrew on him and he didn't score. Andrew always steps up when there is other ranked players or name guys on the other team. I think yesterday he was itching to get that matchup."
Wiggins, a target of John Calipari at Kentucky, was given the rock star treatment by fans in Benton.
"He does a good job with that," Fulford said. "It's not that he necessarily enjoys it – he's a laid-back kid but he didn't want one kid to go home without an autograph. He was there 45 minutes after the game signing and sat in the stands and took every picture."
Huntington Prep was making its first appearance at the Marshall County Hoopfest and Fulford says his program plans to return.
"It's probably one of the best venues we've played in," Fulford said. "There were over 6,000 fans at both games and the atmosphere was great."
The Express – dispatching opponents by an average of 28 points per game this season – also got big performances in Benton from 6-10 Arkansas signee
Moses Kingsley, 6-10 Baylor signee
Dominic Woodson and super sophomore
Montaque Gill-Ceasar.
More from Saturday action at Marshall County Hoopfest * Senior wing
Sindarius Thornwell pumped in 31 points to lead Academy Top 10 No. 4 Oak Hill Academy past Xcellent 25 No. 9
Southwind (Memphis, Tenn.) 89-73. The Warriors beat
Curie (Chicago) on Friday to go 2-0 in Benton.
* No. 2
Fort Bend Travis (Richmond, Texas) also improved to 2-0 on the weekend with a 64-57 win over
Madison Central (Richmond, Ky.). Future Kentucky Wildcat point guard
Andrew Harrison led the way with 25 points.
