Joe B. Hall Prep Classic
This year's edition looks as if it will live up to, and exceed expectations.
The 21st edition of the classic, will be held on January 21st, at the MCHS Events Center in Mount Sterling,Ky. The event has, like seemingly everything related to basketball in the Bluegrass, a storied past. The inaugural games were held during the 1989-90 season, and established by Ira Combs and Pat Doyle, as a way to showcase some of the top teams and players in the state, who due to the unpredictability of District and Region play, may not make it to the Sweet 16. They felt the need to showcase more of the state's talent pool in such a manner. So, they decided to go forward with the idea and invite who they felt were some of the premier teams featuring some of the more renown prospects.
The original event, which was then known as the Kentucky Prep Classic,was held in Richmond, on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University, at the EKU Alumni Coliseum. Following a conflict with scheduling, the event was moved and was held in the state capitol of Frankfort, at the Frankfort Civic Center, a.k.a Dungeon, the following season. It would remain as such from 1990 until 2006.
Unfortunately, it would have to be relocated again, when the event organizers cited growing cost and expenditures in holding the event at the facility, and what they felt was an un-supportive business community in the capitol city.
They moved into the new Montgomery County High School Event Center in 2006, which was a big upgrade as far as facilities went, and has been there ever since.
Just 3 years later, the Classic would get another upgrade. In 2009, legendary University of Kentucky coach Joe B. Hall, signed off on the event and gave it his stamp of approval when it was decided to change the event's name in his honor, changing it to it's current naming of the Joe B. Hall Classic.
More Facts:
40 different future D1 players have participated in the event.
6 future NBA players have played in the Classic.
Since it's inception, 8 different teams have one the Classic and the KHSAA Championship in the same season.
This year's Classic will feature UK and Louisville target Derek Willis of Bullit East, Adam Wing and D.J. Towsend of Rowan County. Nathan Diedon of Louisville-Trinity, Tyler Black of Mason County, and Braxton Beverly of Perry Central just to name a few.
The full list of games are as follows:
#1 1:30pm Mason County vs Pulaski County
#2 3:15pm Ashland Blazer vs Perry County Central
#3 5:00pm Rowan County vs Bulitt East
#4 6:45pm Madison Central vs Louisville Trinity
#5 8:30pm Montgomery County vs Letcher Central
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