They’ve played in Frankfort’s 49-year-old barn, and on the hallowed ground of Hinkle Fieldhouse. They know what Noblesville’s gym looks like, too.
But that very large place 20 miles or so down the road?
Nope. Chris Benedict’s Columbia City Eagles have never taken a dribble there.
And so when the organizers of the Super Hoops New Year Classic was forced to move out of Hinkle Fieldhouse, Mackey Arena and any other college venue by NCAA fiat, and chose Memorial Coliseum for the 2013 renewal, Benedict asked if they might have room for his Eagles, who’d participated in the five-game shootout twice before.
And so today, for the first time, they’ll play in the Coliseum in the 10-team event that also includes New Haven and Huntington North.
“That’s one of the reasons I wanted to do it,” he said. “I always want to give our boys an opportunity to play in different venues, and so I was pretty excited about it because our kids have never played in the Coliseum.” Columbia City will play Northridge at 4:45 p.m. New Haven, meanwhile, will take on Huntington in the last game of the day at 8:15.
The rest of the schedule includes New Prairie vs. South Bend St. Joseph at 1:15, Valparaiso vs. Lafayette Jeff at 3 and Richmond vs. Zionsville at 6:30.
Admission is $12.50 for the day at the door.
