Springfield head coach Chris Wallace was excited to be in attendance.
Getting to hear his team be announced Tuesday, Oct. 13, alongside other prominent state and national basketball programs as a participant in the upcoming 24th annual Flyin’ To The Hoop event at Trent Arena left the first-year head coach all smiles about the state of his team.
“We’re not a flash in the pan team. We got some great freshman and great sophomores, and it’s the sophomores that are going to really contribute,” Wallace said. “We are going to be a tough out, and we’re going to be exciting to watch. I think Springfield basketball is definitely back.”
The Wildcats will be one of 30 teams playing at FTTH this season. It will be Springfield’s first appearance since 2020.
Other Dayton-area teams selected to play are Alter, Bellbrook, Centerville, Chaminade Julienne, Fairmont, Northridge, Valley View and Wayne.
The four-day event will be held as typical during Martin Luther King Holiday weekend from Jan. 15-18, 2027.
Bellbrook, Centerville, Fairmont are matched with some of the top teams coming in from out of state. Alter and CJ will play a Greater Catholic League Co-Ed game against one another. Northridge, Valley View and Wayne get to test themselves against other outstanding teams from Ohio.
As of Tuesday’s announcement, there are six 5-star prospects and 29 others rated as 4-stars that will appear at FTTH. Asa Montgomery, a 5-star committed to Duke that plays at Hillgrove (Ga.), is ranked eighth overall in the 247Sports composite rankings for the class of 2027 and is the highest-rated recruit in the country set to appear.
Other notable recruits set to play are Pickerington Central’s Landon Evans, a 3-star who committed to Wright State in July, and Xavier-commit Brandon Mason Jr., a 4-star who plays at Link Academy (Mo.)
The schedule will follow similar trends as used in recent years.
The Friday night slate has several national teams featuring multiple top prospects. Local teams begin Saturday and are interspersed with matchups against Ohio and other national teams. The event concludes Monday with host Fairmont’s game and a small school showcase.
“We’re going to have 11 of the top-20 Ohio teams regardless of their division,” FTTH president Eric Horstman said. “We’re going to have some of the top national teams. There’s some stories behind some of them, there is a reason why you see these. You might not recognize the name right away, but there’s a reason why they’re coming to this event.”
Centerville will be making its 21st appearance at FTTH. The Elks have participated more than any other school. Wayne is next on the list and is back on the schedule for the 20th consecutive event.
“When we show up, everything is first class. The way you’re treated, the way the players are treated, how organized everything is, everything stays on time,” Wayne head coach Nathan Martindale said. “We truly believe this is the number one showcase event in the country.”
Shot clock to be used
The 2027 event will be the first time Flyin’ To The Hoop utilizes a shot clock for all contests. The move was approved by the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association in August and joins a list of 19 events in Ohio allowed to have a shot clock.
EYBL returns
Two teams from the Nike EYBL Scholastic League will be playing: CIA Bella Vista out of Arizona, and Link Academy from Missouri. Both will play two games, including one against one another on Saturday.
Flyin’ To The Hoop entered into a partnership with the national prep league beginning with last year’s event.
2027 Flyin’ To The Hoop schedule
Friday, Jan. 15
6:30 p.m. — Andrews Osborne Academy vs. Riviera Prep (Fla.)
8:15 p.m. — North Oldham (Ky.) vs. Lutheran East
Saturday, Jan. 16
12 p.m. — Springfield vs. Cincinnati Aiken
1:45 p.m. — Grayson (Ga.) vs. Cleveland St. Ignatius
3:30 p.m. — Wayne vs. Pickerington Central
5:15 p.m. — CIA Bella Vista (Ariz.) vs. Link Academy (Mo.)
7 p.m. — Principia (Mo.) vs. Westerville North
Sunday, Jan. 17
12 p.m. — Northridge vs. Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary
1:45 p.m. — Riviera Prep (Fla.) vs. CIA Bella Vista (Ariz.)
3:30 p.m. — Alter vs. Chaminade Julienne
5:15 p.m. — Link Academy (Mo.) vs. Andrews Osborne Academy
7 p.m. — Centerville vs. Oneida Baptist (Ky.)
Monday, Jan. 18
11:30 a.m. — Pace Academy (Ga.) vs. Lima Senior
1:15 p.m. — Bellbrook vs. The Patrick School (N. J.)
3 p.m. — Hillgrove (Ga.) vs. Winton Woods
4:45 p.m. — Fairmont vs. Covington Catholic (Ky.)
6:30 p.m. — Valley View vs. Indian Lake