34 teams, only 2 of which are not from the state of West Virginia converge on the Raleigh County Convention Center for a 6 day binge session of high school hoops. And who better to leave a big impression on the kid's lives than the man who used to refer to himself as Shaq Diesel?
Shaquille O'Neal arrived in Beckley to be the key speaker/ guest of honor, to kick off the 2012 Big Atlantic Classic.
For almost two decades now,the event has been a big attraction for the city, county, and state. The tournament tries to mimic the experience and prestige of the state's Championship Tournament, and it does a good job at accomplishing that goal. Not to mention the amount of talent who names who have appeared in the tournament, that have went on to playing careers at the next level. Each year the organizers put together a tip-off banquet that gets the event going.This year Shaquille O'Neal was the guest of honor. In past years, the keynote speaker has been none other than Timmy of Nazareth(Tim Tebow), among several other high profile names who bring even more attention to the event.
Other than the 32 West Virginia teams playing in the tournament, there is also a bonus attraction for your viewing pleasure: What is referred to as the 'National Division' game, which consists of two of the nation's premier high school squads in the country. This year's game will be Oak Hill Academy taking on Arlington-Country Day. That game will be Wednesday at 7:00 PM.
The event will kick off later the evening at 7:20 at the Convention Center, and will conclude with the championship games in each division,(AA, AAA, and Girls) Saturday. The Class A championship will be decided on Wednesday.
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| Photo WVNS TV |
For almost two decades now,the event has been a big attraction for the city, county, and state. The tournament tries to mimic the experience and prestige of the state's Championship Tournament, and it does a good job at accomplishing that goal. Not to mention the amount of talent who names who have appeared in the tournament, that have went on to playing careers at the next level. Each year the organizers put together a tip-off banquet that gets the event going.This year Shaquille O'Neal was the guest of honor. In past years, the keynote speaker has been none other than Timmy of Nazareth(Tim Tebow), among several other high profile names who bring even more attention to the event.
Other than the 32 West Virginia teams playing in the tournament, there is also a bonus attraction for your viewing pleasure: What is referred to as the 'National Division' game, which consists of two of the nation's premier high school squads in the country. This year's game will be Oak Hill Academy taking on Arlington-Country Day. That game will be Wednesday at 7:00 PM.
The event will kick off later the evening at 7:20 at the Convention Center, and will conclude with the championship games in each division,(AA, AAA, and Girls) Saturday. The Class A championship will be decided on Wednesday.
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