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- GEICO ESPN High School Showcase Returns with 11 Games Featuring Top Talent
- 68 of the Nation’s Top High School Prospects to Appear Across 37-Game Slate
- National Recruiting Director Paul Biancardi Signs Contract Extension
The 2019-2020 ESPN high school basketball schedule will feature a total of 37 games; 11 games available across ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU and 26 games available digitally on ESPN3. The slate will include 68 ranked players combined from the ESPN 100 (’20), ESPN 60 (’21) and ESPN 25 (’22), and 17 programs ranked in the USA Today Sports’ Super 25, including every school in the top 12. Recruits showcased throughout the season have already committed to top college programs including Arizona, Baylor, Duke, Gonzaga, Kentucky, North Carolina, Michigan, Michigan State, Tennessee and USC.
The television line-up tips off on Thursday, Dec. 5, with No. 5 Prolific Prep at No. 3 Hillcrest on ESPN2 with Prolific Prep boasting the No. 3 senior recruit in Jalen Green and Hillcrest the No. 7 junior recruit in Michael Foster. ESPN and ESPNU will air five games from the Hoophall Classic, held at the Springfield College’s Blake Arena in Springfield, Mass. on Sunday, Jan. 19 and Monday, Jan. 20. All five games will feature top 25 match-ups. Additionally, earlier games from the Hoophall Classic, taking place on Saturday and Sunday, will be available on ESPN3.
Four games from Hoophall West, in Scottsdale, Ariz., will also be available on ESPN3, on December 5 and 7. A full breakdown of the schedule is below.
Commentating team Ted Emrich and Paul Biancardi return to call the action for all games airing on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU.
“When you combine the abundance of nationally ranked teams and the nation’s most elite prospects, this year’s schedule is our biggest and best to date,” said Paul Biancardi, ESPN national recruiting director. “We will get to see seven of the top 10 senior prospects in the country, including No. 1 Evan Mobley, bringing an unmatched level of anticipation to fans everywhere”
Biancardi joined ESPN in 2006 after a long coaching career that included coach of the year honors at Wright State University. In addition to providing college and high school basketball analysis, in 2008 he was named ESPN’s national recruiting director. This past summer Biancardi and ESPN reached a multi-year contract extension where he will continue to serve as the network’s national recruiting director, overseeing player rankings, as well as the lead high school basketball analyst and college commentator.
“It has been a pleasure and a privilege to represent ESPN the last 12 years, said Biancardi. It is a humbling experience to serve fans across the world on the very latest recruiting news, as well as the best teams, players and coaches in the game of basketball. I am grateful to the outstanding group of people I work with and to cover a game that I have loved since grade school.”
Highlights:
- Top Six Recruits in the Class of 2020: No. 1 Evan Mobley (Rancho Christian, Cal.), No. 2 Cade Cunningham (Montverde Academy, Fla.), No. 3 Jalen Green (Prolific Prep, Cal.), No. 4 Jalen Johnson (IMG Academy, Fla.) No. 5 Ziaire Williams (Sierra Canyon, Cal.), No. 6 Jalen Suggs (Minnehaha, Minn.)
- Six of the Top Ten Recruits in the class of 2021: No. 1 Jonathan Kuminga (The Patrick School, N.J.), No. 4 Chet Holmgren (Minnehaha Academy, Minn.), No. 5 Jaden Hardy (Coronado, Nev.), No 7 Michael Foster (Hillcrest Prep, Ariz.), No. 9 Moussa Diabate (IMG Academy, Fla.), No. 10 A.J. Griffin (Archbishop Stepinac, N.Y.)
- Sierra Canyon Spotlight: In addition to their appearance at the Hoophall Classic, Sierra Canyon makes an additional appearance on ESPN2 against No. 4 The Patrick School, as well as another 13 appearances on ESPN3 throughout the season. Sierra Canyon is home to the No. 5 senior recruit in Zaire Williams, as well as No. 9 BJ Boston, No. 78 Terren Frank and the No. 6 sophomore Amari Bailey. Zaire Wade, son of former NBA star Dwayne Wade and Lebron James Jr. aka Bronny James, son of LA Lakers Lebron James, are both members of the Sierra Canyon team.
2019-2020 GEICO High School Basketball Showcase Schedule
*Team Rankings are per USA Today High School Sports
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Network |
| Thu, Nov 21 | 11 p.m. | No. 8 Sierra Canyon (Calif.) at Montgomery HS (Calif.) | ESPN3 |
| Fri, Nov 22 | 11 p.m. | No. 8 Sierra Canyon (Calif.) vs. Saint Augustine (Calif.) | ESPN3 |
| Sat, Nov 23 | 11 p.m. | No. 8 Sierra Canyon (Calif.) vs. Cathedral Catholic (Calif.) | ESPN3 |
| Thu, Dec 5 | 9 p.m. | No. 5 Prolific Prep (Calif.) vs. No. 3 Hillcrest Prep (Ariz.) | ESPN2 |
| Sat, Dec 7 | 7 p.m. | No. 16 Mater Dei (Calif.) vs. Perry (Ariz.) | ESPN3 |
| 8:30 p.m. | Christ the King (N.Y.) vs. No. 18 Rancho Christian (Calif.) | ESPN3 | |
| 10 p.m. | No. 8 Sierra Canyon (Calif.) vs. Millenium (Ariz.) | ESPN3 | |
| 11:30 p.m. | Hamilton Heights (Tenn.) vs. No. 3 Hillcrest Prep (Ariz.) | ESPN3 | |
| Thu, Dec 12 | 8 p.m. | No. 10 DeMatha (Md.) at No. 1 Montverde Academy (Fla.) | ESPNU |
| Sat, Dec 14 | 8:30 p.m. | No. 8 Sierra Canyon (Calif.) vs. St. Vincent & St. Mary (Ohio) | ESPN3 |
| Fri, Jan 3 | 7 p.m. | Park Center (Minn.) at No. 20 Minnehaha Acadamy (Minn.) | ESPN3 |
| 9 p.m. | No. 4 The Patrick School (N.J.) vs. No. 8 Sierra Canyon (Calif.) | ESPN2 | |
| Sat, Jan 4 | 8 p.m. | No. 8 Sierra Canyon (Calif.) at No. 20 Minnehaha Academy (Minn.) | ESPN3 |
| Fri, Jan 10 | 9 p.m. | No. 7 Huntington Prep (W.Va.) at No. 2 IMG Academy (Fla.) | ESPN2 |
| Sat, Jan 11 | 10:30 p.m. | No. 18 Rancho Christian (Calif.) vs. No. 8 Sierra Canyon (Calif.) | ESPN3 |
| Sat, Jan 18 | 3 p.m. | La Lumiere (Ind.) vs. Gonzaga (D.C.) | ESPN3 |
| 4:30 p.m. | No. 18 Rancho Christian (Calif.) vs. Camden (N.J.) | ESPN3 | |
| 6 p.m. | No. 2 IMG Academy (Fla.) vs. No. 4 The Patrick School (N.J.) | ESPN3 | |
| 8 p.m. | No. 8 Sierra Canyon (Calif.) vs. Dominican (Wis.) | ESPN3 | |
| Sun, Jan 19 | 12:30 p.m. | Orangeville Prep (Canada) vs. Brewster Adcademy (N.H.) | ESPN3 |
| 2:15 p.m. | Whitney Young (Ill.) vs. No. 4 The Patrick School (N.J.) | ESPN3 | |
| 4 p.m. | No. 3 Hillcrest Prep (Ariz.) vs. Sunrise Christian (Kan.) | ESPN3 | |
| 5:30 p.m. | No. 5 Prolific Prep (Calif.) vs. La Lumiere (Ind.) | ESPN3 | |
| 7:30 p.m. | No. 2 IMG Academy (Fla.) vs. No. 1 Montverde Academy (Fla.) | ESPN | |
| Mon, Jan 20 | 11 a.m. | No. 8 Sierra Canyon (Calif.) vs. No. 12 Paul VI (Va.) | ESPNU |
| 1 p.m. | No. 18 Rancho Christian (Calif.) vs. No. 10 DeMatha (Md.) | ESPNU | |
| 3 p.m. | No. 17 Bishop Gorman (Nev.) vs. No. 11 Oak Hill Academy (Va.) | ESPNU | |
| 5 p.m. | No. 1 Montverde Academy (Fla.) vs. No. 6 McEachern (Ga.) | ESPNU | |
| Fri, Jan 24 | 11 p.m. | Coronado (Nev.) at No. 17 Bishop Gorman (Nev.) | ESPNU |
| Tue, Jan 28 | 10 p.m. | Campbell Hall (Calif.) at No. 8 Sierra Canyon (Calif.) | ESPN3 |
| Fri, Jan 31 | 10:30 p.m. | No. 8 Sierra Canyon (Calif.) at Brentwood School (Calif.) | ESPN3 |
| Tue, Feb 4 | 10 p.m. | No. 8 Sierra Canyon (Calif.) at Paraclete HS (Calif.) | ESPN3 |
| Thu, Feb 6 | 5:30 p.m. | No. 25 Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) at Christ the King (N.Y.) | ESPNU |
| 7:30 p.m. | Saint John Vianney (N.J.) at Christ the King (N.Y.) Girls | ESPN3 | |
| Fri, Feb 7 | 7 p.m. | No. 7 Huntington Prep (W. Va.) vs. No. 4 The Patrick School (N.J.) | ESPN3 |
| 8:30 p.m. | No. 8 Sierra Canyon (Calif.) vs. Gill St. Bernard’s (N.J.) | ESPN3 | |
| Sat, Feb 8 | 9 p.m. | No. 8 Sierra Canyon (Calif.) vs. No. 9 Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) | ESPN3 |
ESPN 100 Recruits in the GEICO High School Basketball Showcase
(Class of 2020)
| Rank | Player | Position | High School | College Commitment |
| 1 | Evan Mobley | C | Rancho Christian (CA) | USC |
| 2 | Cade Cunningham | PG | Montverde (FL) | Oklahoma State |
| 3 | Jalen Green | SG | Prolific Prep (CA) | |
| 4 | Jalen Johnson | SF | IMG Academy (FL) | Duke |
| 5 | Ziaire Williams | SF | Sierra Canyon (CA) | |
| 6 | Jalen Suggs | PG | Minnehaha Academy (MN) | |
| 9 | B.J. Boston | SF | Sierra Canyon (CA) | Kentucky |
| 11 | Scottie Barnes | PF | Montverde (FL) | Florida State |
| 13 | Terrence Clarke | SF | Brewster (NH) | Kentucky |
| 15 | Jeremy Roach | PG | Paul VI (VA) | Duke |
| 16 | Jaden Springer | SG | IMG Academy (FL) | Tennessee |
| 17 | Sharife Cooper | PG | McEachern (GA) | Auburn |
| 18 | Cameron Thomas | SG | Oak Hill Academy (VA) | |
| 19 | Nimari Burnett | SG | Prolific Prep (CA) | Texas Tech |
| 20 | Day’Ron Sharpe | C | Montverde (FL) | UNC |
| 23 | Jaemyn Brakefield | PF | Huntington Prep (WV) | Duke |
| 26 | D.J. Steward | SG | Whitney Young (IL) | Duke |
| 29 | Moses Moody | SG | Montverde (FL) | Arkansas |
| 30 | Mark Williams | C | IMG Academy (FL) | Duke |
| 35 | Earl Timberlake | SF | DeMatha (MD) | Miami (FL) |
| 36 | Hunter Dickinson | C | DeMatha (MD) | |
| 40 | R.J. Davis | PG | Archbishop Stepinac (NY) | UNC |
| 43 | Lance Ware | PF | Camden (NJ) | Kentucky |
| 48 | Matt Murrell | SG | IMG Academy (FL) | Ole Miss |
| 49 | Dalen Terry | SF | Hillcrest Prep (AZ) | Arizona |
| 52 | Dain Dainja | PF | Park Center (MN) | Baylor |
| 54 | Andre Curbelo | PG | Long Island Lutheran (NY) | Illinois |
| 56 | A.J Hoggard | PG | Huntington Prep (WV) | Michigan State |
| 59 | Dominick Harris | SG | Rancho Christian (CA) | Gonzaga |
| 62 | Donovan Johnson | SF | Hillcrest Prep (AZ) | North Carolina |
| 74 | Jayden Stone | SG | Sunrise Christian Academy (KS) | |
| 75 | Zeb Jackson | SG | Montverde (FL) | Michigan |
| 76 | Terrance Williams | PF | Gonzaga College (DC) | Georgetown |
| 78 | Terren Frank | PF | Sierra Canyon (CA) | TCU |
| 81 | Matt Cross | PF | Brewster (NH) | Miami (FL) |
| 82 | Isaiah Cottrell | C | Huntington Prep (WV) | West Virginia |
| 83 | Demarr Langford | SF | Brewster (NH) | Boston College |
| 84 | Jaden Ivey | SG | La Lumiere (IN) | Purdue |
| 85 | Jamari Sibley | PF | Oak Hill Academy (VA) | |
| 90 | K.K Robinson | PG | Oak Hill Academy | |
| 91 | Dudley Blackwell | SF | Huntington Prep (WV) | |
| 92 | Noah Taitz | SG | Bishop Gorman (NV) | Stanford |
| 93 | Darius Maddox | SG | Oak Hill Academy (VA) | Virginia Tech |
| 95 | Kadary Richmond | SG | Brewster (NH) | Syracuse |
| 97 | Jamal Mashburn Jr. | PG | Brewster (NH) | Minnesota |
ESPN 60 Recruits in the GEICO High School Basketball Showcase
(Class of 2021)
| Rank | Player | Position | High School | College Commitment |
| 1 | Jonathan Kuminga | SF | The Patrick School (NJ) | |
| 4 | Chet Holmgren | PF | Minnehaha Academy (MN) | |
| 5 | Jaden Hardy | SG | Coronado (NV) | |
| 7 | Michael Foster | PF | Hillcrest Prep (AZ) | |
| 9 | Moussa Diabate | PF | IMG Academy (FL) | |
| 10 | A.J. Griffin | SF | Archbishop Stepinac (NY) | Duke |
| 12 | Devin Askew | PG | Mater Dei (CA) | Kentucky |
| 16 | Langston Love | SG | Montverde (FL) | |
| 18 | Keon Edwards | SF | Hillcrest Prep (AZ) | |
| 21 | Kendall Brown | SF | Sunrise Christian Academy (KS) | |
| 32 | Trevor Keels | SG | Paul VI (VA) | |
| 33 | Wilhelm Breidenbach | C | Mater Dei (CA) | |
| 35 | Malaki Branham | SF | St. Vincent-St. Mary’s (OH) | |
| 38 | Zaon Collins | PG | Bishop Gorman (NV) | |
| 43 | Frank Anselem | C | Prolific Prep (CA) | |
| 56 | Adama Sanogo | C | The Patrick School (NJ) |
ESPN 25 Recruits in the GEICO HS School Basketball Showcase
(Class of 2022)
| Rank | Player | Position | High School |
| 4 | Caleb Houstan | PF | Montverde (FL) |
| 6 | Amari Bailey | SG | Sierra Canyon (CA) |
| 7 | Dariq Whitehead | SG | Montverde (FL) |
| 9 | Dylan Anderson | C | Perry (AZ) |
| 11 | Jarace Walker | SF | IMG Academy (FL) |
| 23 | Brandon Huntley-Hatfield | PF | IMG Academy (FL) |
| 25 | Sadraque Nganga | PF | Hillcrest Prep (AZ) |
Who’s Next:
For in-depth coverage of the GEICO ESPN High School Basketball Showcase including highlights, exclusive behind the scenes content and game recaps, follow @WhosNextHS on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
GEICO High School Basketball Nationals
The 2019-2020 high school basketball season will culminate in New York City with the 12th edition of the GEICO High School Basketball Nationals; a postseason event featuring 8 boys teams and 4 girls teams. The tournament will be played at Christ the King HS in Middle Village, NY on April 2-4. Participating teams will be announced in mid-March.
The GEICO ESPN High School Basketball Showcase and the GEICO High School Basketball Nationals are produced in conjunction with Paragon Marketing Group, LLC.
About GEICO
GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company), the second-largest auto insurer in the U.S., was founded in 1936 and insures more than 28 million vehicles. For more than 80 years, the company has worked to make people’s lives better by protecting policyholders against unexpected events. As GEICO has grown, it has delivered money-saving coverage and outstanding customer service to policyholders through its investment in human resources and technology. GEICO is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies.
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Contact: Kimberly Elchlepp at [email protected] or 860-424-2923; @kimelchlepp
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