If you thought the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic was only for football, you thought wrong. After 32 years of providing some of the best football matchups in the state of Georgia, the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Basketball Classic will expand to basketball on Saturday, December 2.
The inaugural event will tip-off at Norcross High School and will feature two boys and girls doubleheaders with an exciting lineup of games to showcase the talent and skills found on the basketball court in Georgia. The games will be broadcast on the new Peachtree Sports Network for any high school basketball fan to watch in the comfort of their homes.
The first game of the day at 11 a.m. will feature a thrilling girls matchup between Class 7A Brookwood and Class 6A River Ridge, both programs who won their first ever state title in basketball last season. Brookwood defeated Norcross 43-39 and River Ridge beat Lovejoy 68-50. Key players to watch are Brookwood PF Danielle Osho and River Ridge G Sophia Pearl.
The Classic will continue with the West Forsyth vs Lanier Boys matchup at 12:45 p.m. West Forsyth has made back-to-back playoff appearances and Lanier made it to the semifinals last season and lost by a point to state champion runner-up Lee County.
The third matchup will shift back to the girls at 2:30 p.m. with Norcross going up against Baldwin. The Norcross girls made the state championship last season before losing to eventual 7A champion Brookwood. Baldwin also made a state championship appearance before losing to eventual 3A champion Griffin.
“We are thrilled and excited to be involved in launching the inaugural Corky Kell basketball event. It’s an opportunity to make history and showcase the passion for basketball in our community,” said Norcross girls head coach Ashley Canton.
“Our matchup against Baldwin County promises to be a good one, with both teams coming off state runner-up finishes last season.
The final game of the day will see the Norcross boys take on Douglass-Atlanta at 4:15 p.m. Last season, Norcross made it to the semifinals before losing in a thriller to Cherokee in overtime. Douglass-Atlanta made it to the semifinals before losing to region foe Cedar Grove.
The Blue Devils have a rich history of winning and NBA players that have come through the program including Jodie Meeks (Philadelphia 76ers), Gani Lawal (Phoenix Suns), Al-Faroq Aminu (Los Angeles Clippers), Jeremy Lamb (Houston Rockets), Brandon Goodwin (Denver Nuggets).
Douglass-Atlanta also has several NBA players who came through the program including Jarvis Haynes (Washington Wizards), Chris Morris (New Jersey Nets), and Harold Ellis (Los Angeles Clippers).
“We are Super excited to participate and be able to host. I think it is going to be great. We are excited and very fortunate to be able to host the game here at Norcross especially the very first one,” said Norcross boys coach Jessie McMillan.
“I am almost certain it is the first time our two programs have played at least in the last 15 years, maybe longer. It is exciting because you don’t really get those opportunities to play teams that you don’t have a huge history within Metro Atlanta much. I know the coaches well from camps and over the summer. It should be a great showcase for both of my programs. I know they are going to be really good, so we are going to have to be on our A game for sure.”
“This is a great opportunity for us to begin taking the Corky-Hunter brand to other sports. I also love the fact that we will be playing at Norcross High School which has a rich tradition in boys and girls basketball,” said Score Atlanta Executive Director and President IJ Rosenberg. “The matchups are very strong, including having the current 6A and 7A girls state champions facing each other. I am also excited about putting the quality of basketball on the new Peachtree Sports Network.”
Tickets will be available through GoFan early next week.
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