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Kentucky Derby Festival Basketball Classic

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The Kentucky Derby Festival Basketball Classic was an annual American all-star game featuring high school basketball players. Started in 1973, it had been the country's longest-running high school all-star game.[1] It was part of the Kentucky Derby Festival in Louisville, Kentucky, leading up to the Kentucky Derby horse race.[2] The Classic was sponsored by the local McDonald's restaurants of Kentuckiana for over 20 years from its inception until 1996.[3][4][5] It was played at Freedom Hall, except for one year at the KFC Yum! Center in 2011.[6][7] The game was cancelled in 2018 due to dealining attendance and financial losses. The Classic drew star players such as Penny Hardaway, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Moses Malone, Jamal Mashburn, Donovan Mitchell, Victor Oladipo, Isiah Thomas, and Dominique Wilkins.[1][8]

History

The Derby Classic began in 1973 after Max Rein, who worked in the local radio industry, presented the idea to Jack Guthrie, who was the CEO of the Kentucky Derby Festival Inc.[9] Primarily focused on horse racing at the time,[9][10] the festival added many new events that year and billed itself as a "people festival", offering something for everyone.[10] Basketball was popular in the region.[9] "The two most important things to these people are their church and their high school basketball team," said Rein.[11] The Classic showcased players who had signed with the local college programs of the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, and Indiana Hoosiers.[12][13] The game was preceded by a skills event, the Night of Future Stars,[7] which began in 1988.[14]

The Classic began with one squad of five top players each from the states of Indiana and Kentucky against 10 of the best from the rest of the country.[15] In 1981, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) restricted incoming high school players to all-star games whose participants were from a two-state area around the game site.[16] However, as games had already been planned, waivers were granted to the Derby Classic and the three other national all-star games—the Capital Classic, McDonald's All-American Game and Roundball Classic. The NCAA also limited players to playing in two all-star games.[17][18] That year, the Classic had only one player from Indiana, as most of the state's top players opted to attend a two-game Indiana–Kentucky series held in June.[18]

The following year in 1982, the NCAA voted to again permit national all-star games.[16] However, all of Indiana's top players and most of Kentucky's passed over the Derby Classic that year to attend the Indiana–Kentucky series.[15] About 6,000 fans turned up for the Classic, compared to its then-high of 17,528 from 1976.[15] After having won the first two games in 1973 and 1974, the Kentucky-Indiana squad lost its 10th straight game to the U.S. All-Stars.[a][15] The Classic was cancelled in 1983 before returning the following year.[15][19] It was aided by an NCAA rule change allowing players to participate in two all-star games in their senior year and two after graduating, removing contention between the Derby Classic and the Indiana–Kentucky series. The Classic also changed its format to two national teams divided between the North and South.[20] The game's highest attendance was 19,041 in 1987 at Freedom Hall;[21] that contest featured Kentucky signee LeRon Ellis, ranked among the top 20 prospects in the nation.[22] In the 1990s, the Classic stopped getting Indiana's signees, who opted instead to play in all-star games organized by Tim Knight, the son of Indiana's then-coach, Bobby Knight.[12][13]

After its sponsorship with McDonald's ended, the Classic partnered with Nike, which was a successful relationship until Nike made its Jordan Brand games its priority, first with the Jordan Brand Capital Classic and later the Jordan Brand Classic. The Derby Classic was then sponsored by Adidas.[23] The game was cancelled in 2018 due to falling attendance, fighting to reach 5,000 fans, and growing financial losses.[7] Competing all-star games were drawing the top talent, including the McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic.[24][b] Another contributing factor that year was an FBI college basketball investigation that drained Louisville's recruiting class.[7]

Notes

  1. ^ Two games were played each year in 1979 and 1980.[15]
  2. ^ The Nike Hoop Summit also drew better players,[24] but it did not count against a player's two-game limit on all-star events.[23]

References

  1. ^ a b Lerner, Danielle (February 1, 2018). "No hoops for you: Kentucky Derby Festival cancels high school basketball all-star game". Louisville Courier Journal. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  2. ^ Patterson, Lezlie (April 22, 1986). "Taylor plays all-star ball in Derby Classic". The Columbia Record. p. 7-B. Retrieved April 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Greene, H. H. Jr. (April 10, 1977). "The Derby Festival Classic". The Courier-Journal. Kentucky Derby Festival Section, p. 5. Retrieved April 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Basketball Classic features future stars". The Courier-Journal. April 19, 1992. Derby Festival Advertising Section, p. 15. Retrieved April 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Fields, Mike (January 26, 1996). "Mason County finds glass slipper a good fit". Lexington Herald-Leader. p. C4. Retrieved April 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Demling, Jody (December 29, 2010). "Derb Classic Moves to KFC Yum! Center". The Courier Journal. p. C3. Retrieved May 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b c d Estes, Gentry (April 17, 2018). "KDF Basketball Classic could bounce backin '19". The Courier-Journal. pp. A1, A9. Retrieved April 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Adams, Kirby (April 6, 2015). "Kentucky Derby Festival Basketball Classic". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  9. ^ a b c Green, Ed (April 20, 2013). "Kentucky Derby Festival Basketball Classic celebrates 40 years". Louisville Business First. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Kentucky Derby Festival set in April". The News-Democrat. March 22, 1973. p. B-5. Retrieved April 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Wiley, Ralph (August 2, 1982). "Their Rite of Passage". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Brubaker, Bill (April 9, 1995). "All-Stars, All Business". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  13. ^ a b Forde, Pat (April 21, 1996). "Owens nips odds to lure top players to Classic". The Courier-Journal. p. C1. Retrieved April 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "McDonald's Kentucky Derby Festival Classic presents stars". The Courier-Journal. March 27, 1988. Kentucky Derby Festival Preview Section, p. 4. Retrieved May 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ a b c d e f White, Bob (January 25, 1983). "Derby Classic, once top all-star game, victim of NCAA rules". The Courier-Journal. p. B10. Retrieved April 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ a b Kelly, Tim (March 24, 1982). "The Capital Classic: Winning and Losing in the All-Star Game Sweepstakes". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  17. ^ White, Bob (April 18, 1981). "Derby Classic gets four more players". The Courier-Journal. p. C2. Retrieved April 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ a b "Three Derby Classic players headed for Louisville". United Press International. April 24, 1981. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  19. ^ Reed, Billy (March 22, 1984). "Lexington's next step might be to snatch the Twin Towers". The Courier-Journal. p. C1. Retrieved April 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Derby Classic back under new format, but with local flavor". The Courier-Journal. November 4, 1983. p. D3. Retrieved May 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Derby Classic tickets available". News-Democrat and Leader. April 15, 2005. p. B-2. Retrieved April 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Temkin, Barry (April 17, 1988). "THE HIGH SCHOOL ALL-STAR TUG-OF-WAR". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  23. ^ a b Brewer, Jerry (April 16, 2006). "Adidas a good fit for Derby Classic". The Courier-Journal. p. C12. Retrieved April 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ a b Roberts, Ben (February 1, 2018). "Kentucky basketball event that has featured NBA stars as recruits canceled for 2018". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
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