If you’re looking to catch a glimpse of the future of basketball, you can see it on ESPN in the coming week.
R.J. Barrett, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, will be showcased on ESPN2 on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. ET when Montverde (FL) Academy meets Orlando (FL) Christian Prep.
The Duke-bound Barrett will be back on ESPNU on Monday at 3 p.m. when Montverde meets Mater Dei (CA) as part of the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass. ESPNU will air four games from the Hoophall Classic on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.
Barrett, the No. 1 player in the Class of 2018, has already led Montverde to championships in China, Hawaii and South Carolina this season.
Meantime, Zion Williamson, the projected No. 2 pick in 2019 per ESPN, is expected to play on ESPN on Saturday at 8 p.m. when his Spartanburg Day (S.C.) team meets Chino Hills (CA), the former school of the Ball Brothers.
Williamson, who will announce his college choice Jan. 20, has been out with a bone bruise but could make his return this week in a nationally televised game.
“I have a really deep bruise on my foot and the doctor told me he wants me to rest it until it’s really back to 100 percent,” he wrote last month in his USA Today blog. “I’m in a boot right now, but I’ll be back in January though and I can’t wait until then because I miss the game.
2017-2018 GEICO High School Showcase
Date |
Time (ET) |
Game |
Network |
Thu, Dec 7 |
8 p.m. |
Minnehaha (Minn.) at Apple Valley (Minn.) |
ESPNU |
Thu, Dec 14 |
7 p.m. |
No. 13 Webster Groves (Mo.) vs. No. 3 Memphis East (Tenn.) |
ESPN2 |
Thu, Jan 11 |
5:30 p.m. |
Orlando Christian Prep (Fla.) at No. 2 Montverde Academy (Fla.) |
ESPN2 |
Sat, Jan 13 |
8 p.m. |
Chino Hills (Calif.) vs. Spartanburg Day (S.C.) |
ESPN |
Mon, Jan 15 |
11 a.m. |
No. 8 Hudson Catholic (N.J.) vs. John Carroll (Md.) |
ESPNU |
1 p.m. |
No. 4 Oak Hill (Va.) vs. University School (Fla.) |
ESPNU |
|
3 p.m. |
No. 16 Mater Dei (Calif.) vs. No. 2 Montverde Academy (Fla.) |
ESPNU |
|
5 p.m. |
Westtown (Pa.) vs. No. 10 IMG Academy (Fla.) |
ESPNU |
|
Fri, Jan 19 |
5:30 p.m. |
Princeton (Ohio) at New Albany (Ind.) |
ESPNU |
Fri, Feb 2 |
5:30 p.m. |
No. 20 Archbishop Molloy (N.Y.) at Christ the King (N.Y.) |
ESPNU |
Thu, Feb 8 |
5:30 p.m. |
No. 14 Greensboro Day (N.C.) at Spartanburg Day (S.C.) |
ESPN2 |
**Team Rankings are per USA Today High School Sports (Nov. 13)