BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – One of the most exciting high school basketball tournaments in all of Kentucky, the Wes Strader Schoolboy Classic, is set to take place for a third consecutive year on Saturday, Feb. 10 at Warren Central High School in Bowling Green.
Founded in 2016, the Wes Strader Schoolboy Classic is named after the late Wes Strader, who passed away on the evening of Jan. 9, 2018 at the age of 79. Strader spent 36 seasons as the radio play-by-play broadcaster for Western Kentucky University football and men’s basketball and is one of the most prominent figures in Kentucky’s sports broadcasting history.
Wes broadcasted the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s Sweet Sixteen state boys’ basketball championships for 53 years, which is the longest anyone has worked a broadcast event. As Strader was able to attend the first two Wes Strader Schoolboy Classics, this year he’ll definitely be honored Feb. 10 with eight outstanding clubs and many spectacular student-athletes playing the game that he deeply loved.
Highlighted by three out of the five main candidates for the prestigious Kentucky Mr. Basketball award, the 2018 Wes Strader Schoolboy Classic field includes Warren Central, Owensboro Catholic, John Hardin, Mercer County, Fern Creek, Butler (Louisville), Cooper, and Redemption Christian Academy.
The Schoolboy Classic gets underway at 10:30 a.m. CT with Redemption Christian Academy (Mass.) – led by four-star WKU signee Delano Banton – taking on Cooper. Banton, a 6-foot-5 senior guard, signed with the Hilltoppers back in November and will lead a Redemption team against the 2017 Kentucky state runner-up Jaguars, who are currently ranked No. 9 in the Kentucky Associated Press poll.
Cooper is led by Mr. Basketball candidate and Belmont signee Adam Kunkel, who is averaging 20.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
The second game of the showcase pits John Hardin against Butler – two of the state’s most successful teams so far this season – at Noon. The Bulldogs are currently 18-5 overall and sit in second place in the Region 5 standings with an 8-2 record. The Bears are 20-2 overall in 2017-18 and are seventh in the AP poll.
Mr. Basketball candidate Mickey Pearson leads the charge for John Hardin with 26.9 points and 11.1 rebounds per game.
Following John Hardin-Butler, Owensboro Catholic and Fern Creek will meet at 1:30 p.m. The Aces, coached by former Warren Central coach Tim Riley, will have their hands full with a Fern Creek team that is ranked No. 6 in the AP poll. Owensboro Catholic is 14-7 overall, while the Tigers are 17-5.
District 14 representative and host Warren Central will take on Mercer County in the nightcap of the Schoolboy Classic at 3 p.m. The Dragons are one of the top clubs in their respected district and are led by Wright State signee Skyelar Potter. Mr. Basketball candidate Trevon Faulkner carries the Titans with 26.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
Tickets for the third-annual Wes Strader Schoolboy Classic can be purchased for $8 in advance at either Warren Central High School or Leachman Buick-GMC-Cadillac. Tickets are $10 on Feb. 10. One ticket grants access to all games.
For more information, follow “Wes Strader Schoolboy Classic” on Facebook.
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