PREMIER HEALTH
FLYIN’ TO THE HOOP
When: Friday-Monday.
Where: Faimont's Trent Arena, Kettering
What: 42 boys basketball teams, 23 games.
Tickets: $15 general admission.
Website: flyintothehoop.com
The 14th annual Premier Health Flyin’ to the Hoop is gearing up for a four-day run at Fairmont’s Trent Arena in Kettering over the upcoming Martin Luther King holiday weekend.
The midseason boys high school basketball showcase long ago established itself as a go-to event for many of the best teams in the nation, state and area. It’s also must-see hoop for college recruiters.
“You know you’ve hit the big time when two things happen,” Flyin’cretor Eric Horstman said on Monday. “One, they’re counterfeiting your tickets and two, they’re scalping them out front. We had both of those things happen last year.”
Horstman said a phony Flyin’ site was shut down during last year’s event, but not before duping would-be spectators with counterfeit tickets. He advised only to purchase tickets from the Trent Arena box office or from the legitimate website.
A record 42 teams from 12 states will play 23 games starting on Friday and concluding Monday night.
Here are five things to know about Flyin’:
1. The most anticipated matchups are the finales each night. On Saturday, it’ll be unbeaten Wayne (11-0) vs. IMG Academy (Fla.). It’ll be the first time Flyin’ for IMG, which bills itself as a private athletic training institute for youth, high school, collegiate and professional athletes and is anchored at Bradenton, Fla.
What super-charges the matchup is the Trice family. Travis Trice is Wayne’s head coach and his No. 2 son, D’Mitrik, plays for IMG. D’Mitrik was a starter for Wayne last season, which won the state Division I championship. He also was the starting quarterback for Wayne as a senior, which lost in the 2014 state title game.
2. The aptly named Advanced Prep International from Dallas is loaded with high-end talent and features players who have signed with Cincinnati, Baylor and Alabama. Advanced Prep will play IMG Academy at 6:45 p.m. on Sunday and Pickerington Central at 6:45 p.m. on Monday.
3. A Sunday afternoon matchup of Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary vs. Roger Bacon has historical significance. I’ll be the first time the private programs have played since Bacon denied LeBron James a D-II state title in 2002. The Spartans upset the Irish 71-63 despite James’ 32 points and six assists.
4. Trotwood-Madison will play host Fairmont in Friday’s 6:30 p.m. opener, but the nightcap takes a decidedly national-power turn when La Lumiere (Ind.) plays Prolific Prep (Calif.) at 8:15 p.m.
Both La Lumiere and Prolific are also loaded with national-caliber players and essentially barnstorm the country playing in events like Flyin’ and other high-profile matches.
5. Reserved seating for all days was sold out by Halloween. General admission tickets are $15 and are good for all games each day. Tickets are available at the Trent Arena box office and at flyintothehoop.com.
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