SANDUSKY — Midwest Live was a huge success last summer in its debut, but the event has grown even more into Year 2.
With 120 teams across four states, the best boys basketball teams and players in the Midwest have all gathered at the Cedar Point Sports Center in Sandusky for another three days of hoops.
June 23, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo was one of dozens of Division I college coaches to sit front in center and watch some of the best prospects in the nation. Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann and Xavier coach Sean Miller are slated to be in attendance for the second day June 24.
Without some major work behind the scenes, this great basketball exposure event wouldn’t have been possible. Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association (OHSBCA) President Doug Graham is the Midwest Live Director, and he wanted basketball in the Midwest to have its own like others around the country have done.
“I said, ‘Why aren’t we doing this for our kids?'” Graham said. “We can do this. We just need to locate and secure a facility, get the teams and they will come. Like Field of Dreams right? It started at a hotel in Cleveland through conversation with coaches all over the United States.”
There was a national coaches meeting held in Cleveland in 2021, and Graham and a few others in Ohio attended. Other states, particularly Arizona and Georgia, were holding these huge events to showcase premiere basketball talent. OHSBCA held an individual camp for several years, but colleges wanted to see players compete with their high school teams in an event like this.
After last year’s Midwest Live was made up of mostly Ohio and Michigan teams, Kentucky and West Virginia are now in the fold. Not only are there four states involved now, but the best programs and players made the trip to Sandusky.
In total, there are 144 coaches representing 85 colleges signed up to attend the event this weekend.
“I love it,” Graham said. “I live down by the Kentucky border, and I respect Kentucky basketball. They have a lot of tradition and a lot of great basketball. You never know, next year, we could grow a little bit more. That’s something that we’re working on — the more, the merrier.”
On top of all of the colleges looking to attend, Graham had to deny a lot of schools due to the growing interest. He didn’t like that too much, so they’re looking to expand it even more next year one more day.
Elyria is the only Morning Journal coverage area team participating in Midwest Live, and the Pioneers are back for the second year in a row.
“It’s just an awesome experience for our guys,” Elyria coach Brett Larrick said. “It’s great exposure for our guys. You look around and you can learn just by watching other teams. What an atmosphere, what an event. Doug Graham has done an incredible job with it. We were here last year and it’s even better this year.”
Larrick is a member of the OHSBCA board, and he’s thrilled this event was able to come to fruition. If the Pioneers weren’t competing this weekend, he said that he would be there helping out.
It’s a great event from a team perspective on improving over the weekend, it’s great basketball from any point of view. Elyria split its two games on the first day, and will be back at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. June 24 to complete the weekend. The Pioneers are just one piece of the good basketball that’s jam-packed into the Cedar Point Sports Center.
“My boys are with me, and they’re looking around all of the courts watching all of the top players here,” Larrick said. “What an unbelievable atmosphere, great high school teams, college coaches. It’s a great event.”
