Top basketball players, teams will be at the MLK Bash. Here are five things to know.
Some of the top high school basketball teams in the state will be in Columbia on Saturday and Monday for the MLK Bash showcase at Eau Claire High School.
Here are five things to know.
1. Stacked field
Fifteen of the 24 teams in the MLK Bash are ranked in the latest SC Basketball Coaches polls. Six of the teams — North Augusta girls, Ridge View boys, Gray Collegiate boys, Keenan boys and Cardinal Newman boys and girls — are state champions.
The North Augusta girls (14-1) team has won three straight state titles and hasn’t lost to a team from South Carolina since losing to Sumter in the 2016 state title game. Winthrop commit J’Mani Ingram leads the team in scoring with 20.2 points. She’s one of three NA players in double figures.
Cardinal Newman’s girls team features Ashlyn Watkins, one of the top sophomores in the country, and senior Audrey Myers.
Keenan and Cardinal Newman boys are playing for the second time this season. CN beat the Raiders, 57-50, on Nov. 29. The game features two of the top players in the Midlands in Keenan senior Raekwon Horton and Cardinal Newman junior Josh Beadle.
2. Championship matchup
The matchup between Ridge View and Gray Collegiate boys on Monday will be one to watch.
Both teams won state titles in their classifications last year and enter the game ranked No. 1 in the latest polls. Ridge View tops the 4A and Gray Collegiate the 2A. The last time the two teams met, Ridge View defeated Gray Collegiate, 70-62 in the 2019 Chick-fil-A Classic.
The Blazers feature South Carolina signee Ja’Von Benson and Cincere Scott, while Gray Collegiate’s roster has Tauris Watson, Chase McDuffie, Latavian Lawrence and Zaire Rogers.
3. Milaysia Fulwiley vs. Loyal McQueen
The girls game between Keenan and Wilson features two ranked teams and two of the best point guards in the state.
Keenan’s Milaysia Fulwiley, a freshman, is in her third year on the varsity squad and leads the Raiders with 22.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists a game.
Wilson senior Loyal McQueen signed with Georgia Tech and is a McDonald’s All-American nominee. She is averaging 27.3 points, 4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.
4. New teams, a familiar face
The South Pointe girls team, coming off a state title appearance last season, will be at the MLK Bash for the first time. The Stallions are 14-1 and have three players in double figures — Randi Neal (16.4), Trinity Adams (13.6) and Jamia Blake (11.6).
Lee Central and Marion boys, both ranked in the top 10 of their classifications, and North Augusta will also be making their debuts.
The Lakewood boys will make their third straight appearance and have a familiar face on the bench. Former Lower Richland High and Clemson standout Ed Scott is in his first year as Gators coach.
5. Honoring the past, giving back
The event will pay tribute to past coaching greats around the state and players will participate in a day of service as a way to commemorate Martin Luther King’s life and legacy.
The coaches will be honored before the final game each day. The girls event will honor Hartsville’s Pat Hewitt, who led the Red Foxes to three state titles and won 425 games.
In the boys event, Lexington’s Bailey Harris, Spartanburg’s Doug Low and Lee Central’s LaVerne Knox will also be recognized. Harris won 637 games and two state titles in 32 years at Lexington before retiring last year. He is in the SC Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.
Knox won 523 games and two state titles at Lee Central and was inducted into the SC Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame last year. Lowe won 626 games at Spartanburg and the 2002 state title.
On Sunday, Captain’s Hope, founded by Columbia native and the event’s founder Carey Rich, will host an MLK Day of Service project for the athletes participating in the event.
Athletes will paint positive and inspirational quotes in the bathrooms at Carver-Lyon Elementary School.
MLK Bash schedule, teams
At Eau Claire High School
Saturday
Girls
Sumter vs. Dreher, 11 a.m.
South Pointe vs. Lower Richland, 12:30 p.m.
Orangeburg-Wilkinson vs. Ridge View, 2 p.m.
Cardinal Newman vs. Spring Valley, 3:30 p.m.
Wilson vs. Keenan, 5 p.m.
North Augusta vs. Westwood, 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $8
Monday
Boys
Lee Central vs. AC Flora, 10:30 a.m.
North Augusta vs. Wilson, noon
Marion vs. Lower Richland, 1:30 p.m.
Lakewood vs. Blythewood, 3 p.m.
Cardinal Newman vs. Keenan, 4:30 p.m.
Ridge View vs. Gray Collegiate, 6 p.m.
Tickets: $9
