First annual Robert Hughes Showcase draws 14 teams
Fourteen high school basketball teams, including four from out-of-state, will meet in Fort Worth Thanksgiving weekend for the First Annual Robert Hughes Hall of Fame Basketball Showcase. The event, set for Nov. 23-24 at Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center, will highlight some of the top-rated high school basketball talent in the country.
The event is sponsored by the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce in honor of the legendary Hughes, the winningest boys’ high school basketball coach in the country. Hughes coached at Fort Worth Dunbar High School from 1973 t9 2005 and the historic I.M. Terrell High School before then.
He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
The out-of-state schools participating are Monsignor Scanlan High School of the Bronx, New York; Tulsa Memorial; Oklahoma City Douglass; and Peabody of Shreveport, Louisiana.
Monsignor Scanlan will face highly touted Denton Guyer on the first day of the Showcase, at 2 p.m. Nov. 23.
Other North Texas area teams in the invitational Showcase are Fort Worth Polytechnic, Trimble Tech, Crowley, North Crowley, O.D. Wyatt, Dunbar, Mansfield Timberview, Universal Academy of Coppell and Spring Creek Academy in Plano.
Over a 47-year career Hughes led his teams to 1,333 wins (with only 247 loses), five state championships and 35 district championships. He said he is humbled that the city of Fort Worth is honoring him with such a prestigious basketball event.
“We are wanting this to be a family affair,” said Black Chamber President Devoyd Jennings. “We’d like to see people bring their entire family those two days after Thanksgiving and see some great young athletes play some spectacular basketball.”
Partnering with the Chamber is the Fort Worth Independent School District whose support has been immeasurable, officials said. Other sponsors of the Showcase are The Fort Worth Promotion & Development Fund, Visit Fort Worth, BNSF, the National Basketball Retired Players Association, Butler & Butler Construction and 3i Construction.
For a one-day pass each day the ticket prices are $6 for students and $12 for adults. A two-day pass (for the full tournament) is $12 for students and $20 for adults.
To purchase tickets: www.fwmbcc.org (click on the link).
www.fwmbcc.org
– FWBP Staff