Basketball Hall of Fame Announces Additional Details Surrounding Newly Formed Regional High School Hoophall Events

Tickets to Hoophall West, Central, South and East to Go on Sale November 4

Springfield, Mass. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today additional details surrounding its three newly formed regional Hoophall events, which will be operated by longtime partner Position Sports. The three new regional events, Hoophall Central presented by Sanford Health, Hoophall East presented by SoDel Concepts and Hoophall South presented by Walmart, will be joined by Hoophall West, which will return for its ninth year of operation.

All four regional events, which are supported by the Air Force Reserve, Hotels.com and Takis Chips, are expected to be the most premier showcases in their respective areas. The 20th anniversary of the Spalding Hoophall Classic presented by Eastbay will culminate this series of events over Martin Luther King Day Weekend, January 13-17, 2022, featuring an elite field of national schools and players.  

“Hoophall Classic has evolved into one of the premier high school events of the season and while the event continues to grow year over year, we realize there’s more talent to celebrated in other parts of the country, especially where the popularity of high school basketball is extraordinary,” said Greg Procino, Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “With our new regional concept, players from coast-to-coast will be afforded the opportunity to showcase their skills on the Hoophall stage, while the Hall of Fame can continue to grow and celebrate the game in new communities.”

These series of Hoophall events will culminate on the “Road to Springfield”™ for the 20th annual Hoophall Classic taking place January 13-17, 2022 at Springfield College in Springfield, Mass. – the birthplace of basketball. The event has showcased dozens of eventual NBA players over the years, including 10 No.1 NBA Draft picks such as Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, Zion Williamson, Anthony Edwards and Cade Cunningham.

Tickets for each regional event will go on sale on Thursday, November 4. All Hall of Fame events will be played in accordance with health and safety regulations set forth by local ordinances at the time of play.

As the first new regional stop, Hoophall Central presented by Sanford Health will be played at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota from December 16-18, 2021. The event, which will allow the Hall of Fame to operate an elite level event in a community with a rich appreciation for high school hoops, will be headlined by local De Smet and Sioux City East High Schools, as well as other top programs from the Central Region including Simeon (IL), Kenwood (IL) and Sunrise (KS) Academies. Among the top talent participating will be consensus Top 100 recruits Javonte Taylor (Kenwood Class of 2023), Grady Dick (Sunrise ‘22), Mark Mitchell (Sunrise ‘22), Dillon Hunter (Sunrise ’22) and Scotty Middleton (Sunrise ’23).

“There is not a better event that encapsulates what the Sanford Pentagon is all about than Hoophall,” said Jesse Smith, director of operations for the Sanford Sports Complex. “Our love of the history of basketball is found on every wall of the Pentagon, and we are excited to see the next chapter of elite talent compete in our building.”

Friday, December 17, 2021

Saturday, December 18, 2021

Hoophall East presented by SoDel Concepts 

Hoophall East presented by SoDel Concepts will partner with longtime east coast tournament Slam Dunk to the Beach. The showcase, which will be held at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes, Delaware, from December 27-29, 2021, will merge the history and success of the previous event with the Hoophall brand. This event will feature the local Cape Henlopen High School girls team, as well the boys program from Seaford High School, who will be joined by powerhouses from the surrounding area in Roselle Catholic (NJ), Camden High School (NJ) and Gil St. Bernards (NJ). Dereck Lively II of Westtown High School (PA), the consensus No. 2 recruit in the Class of 2022, is scheduled to appear in the event and will be joined by the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2023 and the 2024 classes in DaJuan Wagner Jr. (Camden) and Naasir Cunningham (Gil St. Bernards), respectively. Other top stars participating in Hoophall East include Simeon Wilcher (Roselle Class of 2022), Akil Watson (Roselle ’23), Aaron Bradshaw (Camden ’23), Mackenzie Mgbako (Gil St. Bernards ’23) and Denver Anglin (Gil St. Bernards ’22). 

"We have been a sponsor for Slam Dunk to the Beach for the last five years and are huge supporters of this unique event,” said Scott Kammerer, President of SoDel Concepts. “It brings so many new people into our communities each year. More than anything, we are proud to support because we love to go to the event. And after the fact we love to brag about the players that we watched there when they go on to play in college and the NBA!” 

The schedule for this event will be released on Thursday, November 4. 

Hoophall South presented by Walmart 

The last of the three new regional events will be Hoophall South presented by Walmart in Bentonville, Arkansas, from January 6-8, 2022. This showcase will be played at Bentonville West High School and will furthermore expand on the area’s tremendous high school basketball infrastructure of talented players and passionate fans. The event will be anchored by local powerhouse Bentonville West High School, who will be joined by notable out-of-towners Link Academy (MO) and Dream City Christian (AZ). Shaedon Sharpe, the consensus No.1 recruit in the Class of 2022, is scheduled to appear with Dream City, and will be joined by other top recruits in Yohan Traora (Dream City ’22), Milos Uzan (Dream City ’22), Jaden Bradley (Link ’22), Julian Phillips (Link ’22), Tarris Reed (Link ’22), Felix Okpara (Link ’22), Omaha Billiew (Link ’23) and Ian Jackson (Cardinal Hayes ’24). 

“Hoophall South provides world-class opportunities for our athletes,” said Dr. Debbie Jones, the Superintendent of the Bentonville School District. “Our student-athletes will get the chance to compete against some of the best players in the nation. It’s going to be fantastic to come together as a community and watch these stars in the making do what they love.” 

Thursday, January 6, 2022

Friday, January 7, 2022

Saturday, January 8, 2022

2021-22 Hoophall High School Events Schedule

About Position Sports

Established in 2005, Position Sports is a premium event production and brand marketing firm that specializes in event operations, activation development, media relations and digital engagement. Over the years, Position Sports has worked with many of the world’s leading brands including Nike, Jordan Brand, Red Bull, the Basketball Hall of Fame, USA Basketball, Upper Deck, MLB and T-Mobile in nearly every major U.S. city and on a global scale. Position Sports provides clients with an expanded strategic direction needed to succeed in the sports marketing arena, also known as Positioning. To learn more, visit www.PositionSports.com or follow @PositionSports on Twitter and Instagram.

About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall @hoophallclassic or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.