MLK basketball showcase signals ‘beginning of a lot of good’ for Rock Hill center
Eight local high school boys’ basketball teams are slated to play in the 14-team Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Basketball Showcase.
In its second year, the showcase will pit local teams against teams from outside the Tri-County area — the only exception being the opening game, York Comprehensive versus Catawba Ridge. But even then, these two teams wouldn’t play each other this season if it wasn’t for the showcase.
Other local teams include South Pointe and Northwestern, who will look to play fast and dunk, like they have all season; Rock Hill, a team led by a young backcourt that has thrived in close games; and Nation Ford, Fort Mill and Clover, who will all try to use their games to bounce back from tough losses earlier in the week.
All of these teams will be playing under one roof at the new Rock Hill Sports and Event Center.
Here are a few other things to look for at the Monday showcase.
Rock Hill Sports and Event Center
An undeniably enticing part of this event is where it’ll be hosted.
For Rock Hill residents — who have anticipated the opening of this facility for months — it’s an early opportunity to see the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center, the multi-million dollar complex that will reportedly generate $10 million of the $30-$40 million estimated annual economic impact from the Rock Hill-owned sports facilities.
“This will really be our first event in there that (Visit York County is) responsible for,” Billy Dunlap, the CEO of Visit York County, told The Herald. “It’s the beginning of a lot of good things that are going to happen in that facility.”
The center opened for its first event on the weekend of Dec. 27-29, center supervisor Brian Jones said.
Jones said the center has hosted three other events thus far — a basketball showcase with 28 teams and two volleyball tournaments with over 70 teams apiece.
Even this weekend, before the showcase on Monday, Jones said the facility is hosting another volleyball tournament.
“We’ve only been open on weekends for special events,” Jones told The Herald. “They’ve been going great.”
Dunlap said that the event space will one day be open for public use — for adult basketball leagues, youth recreational leagues, casual pickup games and the like.
“That’s the great thing about this facility, just like Cherry Park or Manchester (Park) or anywhere else,” Dunlap said. “Tourism money pays for these parks, but the great thing is, during the week, locals get to use it. It’ll be the same way over here. Monday through Thursday, it’ll be a recreational facility for locals to go in and play, but then Friday, Saturday, Sunday, it’ll be an event space.
“That’s one of the perks of living in Rock Hill. You get great facilities that you can use during the week.”
College football coaches sighting?
It wouldn’t surprise Andy Clinton, Visit York County’s vice president of sales who helped organize the event, if some college football coaches showed up at the showcase.
The reason? Two local football prospects, Robbie Ouzts of Rock Hill and Ger-Cari Caldwell of Northwestern, play on their high school’s basketball teams — and they’ve each drawn attention from the University of South Carolina.
Caldwell, the 6-4, 190-pound receiver on the field and a forward on the hardwood, has received offers from several Division I schools, including South Carolina, East Carolina (where he originally committed), Baylor, Duke, Wake Forest and others.
USC is pursuing Caldwell, a 2019 Shrine Bowler, with purpose, according to The State. Caldwell plans to take another official visit to Columbia in the last weekend of January before signing on Feb. 5 at Northwestern High School.
Ouzts, a junior, has also been offered by a slew of Division I programs, including Duke, Coastal Carolina, Charlotte and USC. The tight end, known for his trapeze artist-type receptions during the football season, recently said that members of the South Carolina coaching staff have “been in touch” with him consistently since 7-on-7 season this past summer.
“It would make a whole lot of sense,” Clinton said of a possible college coach sighting.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Basketball Showcase
Where: 326 Technology Center Way, Rock Hill
Tickets: $10 at the door
When: Monday
11 a.m. — York Comprehensive vs. Catawba Ridge
12:30 p.m. — Rock Hill vs. Brookland Cayce
2 p.m. — Clover vs. Eau Claire
3:30 p.m. — Fort Mill vs. Fairfield Central
5 p.m. — Nation Ford vs. Chesnee
6: 30 p.m. — South Pointe vs. Spartanburg
8 p.m. — Northwestern vs. Chapman
This story was originally published January 18, 2020 at 3:45 PM.
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