Thanksgiving Hoopfest: An Annual Classic Takes a New Twist, Features Emoni Bates
Thanksgiving Hoopfest, the No. 1 high school basketball showcase in the nation, returned once again for a one-day doubleheader. The evening consisted of two marquee matchups: Lancaster versus John Paul II and Ypsi Prep versus Duncanville.
In previous years, the showcase was much different. It is typically a two-day event, where some of the best high school basketball teams from all over the U.S. gather in Dallas, Texas, to play a series of games to show off their athletes.
Just last year the event was hosted at Duncanville High School with teams representing eight different states. The showcase consisted of 30 games with matchups played Friday and Saturday. The last four games on Saturday were played by six of the top 20 recruits from the Class of 2020.
Those games also featured players like Lebron “Bronny” James Jr., Zaire Wade, and the projected No. 1 pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, Cade Cunningham. In the last four games, the showcase moved from the high school gym to the American Airlines Center, home of the Dallas Mavericks. The previous gym allowed for a 2,000 person capacity, while the American Airlines Center allowed up to 20,000 people.
Due to COVID-19, this year’s showcase was played much differently. The event only involved four high schools, each one local except Ypsi Prep Academy (Michigan). It was cut down to one evening with two matchups and was open to a limited number of fans. The games featured players such as Emoni Bates, Zhuric Phelps, and Jaylon Tyson.
Bates, the No. 1 prospect of the Class of 2022, was the poster child for this year’s showcase. The Ypsi Academy athlete stands at 6-foot-8 and 205 pounds and has already committed to Michigan State.
Bates and Ypsi Academy took a tough loss against Duncanville 79-65. This game was a reminder that these matchups were not made to be easy, as this showcase is for the best of the best. Duncanville finished strong in the final quarter, making multiple free throws and forcing turnovers in the last few minutes of the game.
Duncanville’s star forward, Ronald Holland, was one of the five Division I prospects who played 20-plus minutes in Saturday’s game. Holland put up 18 points and made some memorable plays, such as an incredible alley-oop and an offensive rebound that turned into a crowd-thrilling dunk.
The matchup between John Paul and Lancaster ended with a score of 61-56. Both teams are ranked No. 1 in their states. John Paul was led by senior Manny Obaseki with 16 points. Lancaster point guard Wade Taylor came close to that, putting up 13 points for the night. Lancaster took a 54-46 lead in the fourth quarter until Jaylon Tyson brought John Paul to 58-54 in the last minute of the game. Obaseki closed out the game with a behind-the-back dunk, bringing John Paul the victory.
Written by: Kyra Vandiver
