By ADAM ZAGORIA
The Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass., one of the most prestigious high school events on the annual calendar, has been canceled due to COVID concerns.
The event annually hosts the top teams and players from across the nation, and was set to do so again this year, including several New York and New Jersey teams.
Duke signee A.J. Griffin and Archbishop Stepinac were originally slated to face Bronny James and Sierra Canyon in the event.
Last year’s Hoophall All-Tournament team featured Cade Cunningham (Oklahoma State), B.J. Boston (Kentucky) and Evan Mobley (USC), among others.
Event organizers may still try and run Hoophall West in late January in Arizona, sources said, but nothing final has been determined.
Here is the full email on the cancelation:
All,
With deep regret but out of necessity, the 2021 Spalding Hoophall Classic presented by Eastbay will be cancelled due to the on-going COVID 19 Pandemic. We have reviewed all possibilities and with the combination of rising cases, State regulations, travel advisories and the unknown of the local high school basketball calendar, we don’t believe we have a path forward. Health and safety at this time are paramount to any scenario and with no recent positive news for the coming months ahead, the best decision is to NOT have this year’s event. The COVID-19 Pandemic has had an impact on everyone in one way or another, and as we look forward, we believe we can come back to a normal Hoophall Classic in January of 2022. We will be in touch with everyone as we begin to look at the following January. We appreciate everyone’s understanding in this matter during these difficult times for us all. The 20th Anniversary of the Hoophall Classic had an impressive schedule which would have generated more excitement than last year. We look forward to bringing back that excitement and energy in January of 2022.
Enjoy the holiday season and be safe. MLK Weekend certainly won’t be the same this year.
Better days ahead…
Thanks.
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