Previewing Ohio's Flyin' to the Hoop high school basketball showcase

Flight. And basketball. Dayton hangs its hat on both. So, too, does the Premier Health Flyin' to the Hoop high school basketball showcase.

Over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, 20,000-plus fans, 100-plus national media members, 100-plus college coaches and 75-plus projected NCAA Division I recruits will invade Fairmont’s Trent Arena as Flyin' to the Hoop tips for the 18th time.

Professionals will be present too.

Four of the last eight No. 1 NBA Draft picks (DeAndre Ayton, Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Davis and Anthony Bennett) are alumni of the event. Overall, nearly 70 former Flyin' to the Hoop participants have made a NBA roster. Of those, close to 50 have come in the last six years.

38 teams, 20 games, four days. Read on for a complete look at the weekend's festivities.

2020 Flyin' to the Hoop Players to Watch

* Jalen Green, Sr., G, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.)
Holds 19 offers (including Kansas, Kentucky and Villanova) and is considered the No. 3 overall prospect in the country and No. 2 combo guard according to 247Sports.com.

* Frankie Collins, Jr., PG, AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.)
Top 10 point guard for 2021 and the No. 5 overall prospect in Arizona according to the 247Sports composite rankings. Offers include Kansas, Minnesota and Oklahoma.

* Deivon Smith, Sr., PG, Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)
Has signed with Mississippi State. Holds 19 offers. Considered the No. 6 overall point guard prospect in the nation and No. 4 overall prospect in Georgia according to 247Sports.

* Nimari Burnett, Sr., G, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.)
Has signed with Texas Tech and is a Top 25 prospect nationally in the 247sports composite rankings.

* Malaki Branham, Jr., G, St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio)
Considered 2021’s No. 2 combo guard prospect nationally and the No. 1 overall prospect in Ohio according to 247Sports. Holds nine offers, including Ohio State, Louisville, Iowa, Xavier and Kansas State.

* Makur Maker, Sr., C, Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Considered the No. 2 center prospect nationally and No. 3 overall prospect in California according to 247Sports. Holds offers from Oregon, USC, Alabama and Howard.

* Matthew Cleveland, Jr., SG, Pace Academy (Atlanta, Ga.)
Holds 28 offers, including Louisville, Purdue, Maryland and Florida. No. 2 overall 2021 prospect in Georgia according to 247sports and 247Sports composite rankings. No. 3 shooting guard prospect nationally in both rankings too.

* Elijah Fisher, Fr., WG, Crestwood Prep (Ontario, Canada)
Considered 2023’s No. 1 prospect.

* Jaemyn Brakefield, Sr., PF, Huntington St. Joseph Prep (W.Va.)
Signed with Duke. No. 1 overall prospect in WV and No. 9 power forward prospect in the country according to 247Sports.

* Joshua Primo, Jr., G, AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.)
Top 10 shooting guard for 2021 and the No. 4 overall prospect in Arizona according to 247Sports. Offers include Ohio State, California and Utah.

* Michael Foster Jr., Sr. PF, Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Considered 2021’s No. 3 power forward prospect nationally and No. 1 overall prospect in Arizona according to 247sports. Holds 17 offers including Kansas, Maryland, Arizona, UCLA, Georgia, Florida State and Texas A&M.

* MarJon Beauchamp, Sr., G, Dream City Christian (Glendale, Ariz.)
The No. 5 small forward prospect and No. 1 overall prospect in Arizona according to the 247sports composite rankings. Made news earlier this school year due to decision to forgo college next season and instead prepare for the 2021 NBA Draft.

* John Hugley, Sr., PF, Brush (Lyndhurst, Ohio)
Pitt commit owns 30 offers. No. 3 overall prospect in Ohio according to the 247Sports composite rankings. Top 100 prospect nationally.

* Charles Bediako, Jr., C, International Sports Academy at Andrews Osborne Academy (Willoughby, Ohio)
No. 6 center prospect in 2021 and No. 2 overall prospect in Canada according to the 247Sports composite rankings. Holds nine offers including Duke, Ohio State, Maryland, Baylor, TCU and Illinois.

* Bruce Thornton, So., PG, Milton (Ga.)
Considered 2022’s No. 8 point guard prospect nationally and No. 3 overall prospect in Georgia according to the 247sports composite rankings. Holds offers from Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Mississippi and Xavier. Must See Match-Ups

* Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) vs. ISA at Andrews Osborne Academy (OH) – 6:30 p.m., Friday
In addition to Maker and Foster, Hillcrest Prep’s lineup includes senior small forwards Puff Johnson (North Carolina) and Dalen Terry (Arizona), junior small forward Keon Edwards (2021’s No. 2 overall prospect in Arizona according to 247sports) and 6-foot-10 sophomore Sadraque Nganga (Arizona’s No. 1 overall prospect in 2021). ISA Andrews Osborne, in its second year of existence, counters with five division I recruits of its own, including Bediako and senior forward Keon Ambrose (Alabama). Junior wings Kordell Charles and Andy Barba and sophomore Jaden Clayton all holds offers.

* No. 15 Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) vs. No. 23 Huntington St. Joseph Prep (W.Va.) – 8:15 p.m., Friday
Opening day nightcap features two teams in the MaxPreps Top 25. Green, Burnett, 6-10 senior Coleman Hawkins (Illinois), senior wing Mawot Mag (Rutgers), 7-1 senior Saba Gigiberia (Georgia Tech) and 6-10 junior Frank Anselem (Kansas, Oregon and Arizona offers) are a formidable bunch. Jordan Pope, Fallou Cisse, Mouhamed Gueye and Pierre Geneste are all D-I prospects too. Huntington Prep counters with a roster that includes Brakefield and fellow seniors AJ Hoggard (Michigan State), Isaiah Cottrell (West Virginia), Dudley Blackwell (Iowa State) and Zach Loveday (Baylor). Juniors Brayon Freeman (No. 2 Virginia prospect) and Shane Dezonie (No. 1 New Jersey prospect) hold multiple offers. 

* No. 23 Huntington St. Joseph Prep (W.Va.) vs. St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) – 6:30 p.m., Saturday
Less than 24 hours after facing Prolific Prep, the Fighting Irish tangle with one of Ohio's top programs. Eagles ranked No. 4 in the overall Ohio MaxPreps computer rankings.

* No. 6 Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) vs. Wayne (Huber Heights, Ohio) – 8:15 p.m., Saturday
Grayson seniors Smith (Mississippi State), Caleb Murphy (South Florida) and Toneari Lane (Winthrop) headline a roster that’s worked its way into the Top 10 nationally. Keep an eye on Wayne freshman Lawrent Rice (9.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists).

* St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) vs. Trotwood-Madison (Trotwood, Ohio) – 3 p.m., Sunday
 Teams have combined for the last three OHSAA Division II state titles. Irish beat the Rams in the 2017 and 2018 state tournament. Trotwood won the championship last season. Could be the first of two meetings this season. Trotwood, which averages 93 points per game, is led by seniors Carl Blanton (30.8 points) and Sammy Anderson (19.8 points).

* Dream City Christian (Glendale, Ariz.) vs. Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio) – 6:30 p.m., Sunday
Senior trio of Beauchamp, Jhaylon Martinez (UNLV) and Jalin Anderson (UC Riverside) team with junior trees Alex Tchikou (6-11) and Arthur Kaluma (6-8) to lead Dream City’s first-year program. Tchikou and Kaluma are Top 10 prospects nationally at power forward. Pickerington Central is gaining momentum after a late start thanks to the school’s second OHSAA Division I football state title in three years.

* AZ Compass vs. Centerville (Ohio) – 8:15 p.m, Sunday
Arizona Compass Prep features an onslaught of talent powered by seniors Sincere Parker, Seryee Lewis, Fallou Diagne and Jabari Walker and juniors Collins, Primo, Ty Ty Washington and Maxwell Lewis. Centerville features senior big Mo Njie (Dayton, Xavier, Providence and Toledo offers) and freshman guard Gabe Cupps.

Complete Schedule

Friday, Jan. 17

6:30 p.m. - Hillcrest Prep vs. ISA at Andrews Osborne Academy
8:15 p.m. - Prolific Prep vs. Huntington St. Joseph Prep

Saturday, Jan. 18

11:30 a.m. - Beavercreek (Ohio) vs. Carroll (Dayton, Ohio)
1:15 p.m. - Walnut Ridge (Columbus, Ohio) vs. Woodward (Cincinnati, Ohio)
3 p.m. - Lutheran East (Cleveland Heights, Ohio) vs. Archbishop Alter (Kettering, Ohio)
4:45 p.m. - Milton vs. Pickerington North (Pickerington, Ohio)
6:30 p.m. - Huntington St. Joseph Prep vs. St. Edward
8:15 p.m. - Grayson vs. Wayne

Sunday, Jan. 19

11:30 a.m. - Crestwood Prep (Ontario, Canada) vs. Garfield Heights (Ohio)
1:15 p.m. - First Love Christian Academy (Washington, Pa.) vs. Brush (Lyndhurst, Ohio)
3 p.m. - St. Vincent-St. Mary vs. Trotwood-Madison
4:45 p.m. - St. Edward vs. Princeton (Cincinnati, Ohio)
6:30 p.m. - Dream City Christian vs. Pickerington Central
8:15 p.m. - AZ Compass vs. Centerville (Ohio)

Monday, Jan. 20

11:30 a.m. - Pace Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) vs. Aiken (Cincinnati, Ohio)
1:15 p.m. - Gamble Montessori (Cincinnati, Ohio) vs. Chaminade-Julienne (Dayton, Ohio)
3 p.m. - Ottoville (Ohio) vs. Anna (Ohio)
4:45 p.m. - SPIRE Institute (Geneva, Ohio) vs. Springfield (Ohio)
6:30 p.m. - Taft (Cincinnati, Ohio) vs. Thurgood Marshall (Dayton, Ohio)
8:15 p.m. - Hughes (Cincinnati, Ohio) vs. Fairmont (Kettering, Ohio)