Catawba Ridge to host Carolinas Classic all-star prep basketball games in 2026
The Carolinas Classic, arguably the best high school all-star basketball event in the Carolinas, is moving to Rock Hill next year.
The annual girls’ and boys’ doubleheader will be played March 21 at Catawba Ridge High School in Fort Mill.
It marks a return of the all-star games to York County, as the classic spent its first 10 years (1998-2007) in Rock Hill. It has been played in Wilmington the past five years and was in Charlotte (one year) and Myrtle Beach (nine years) before that.
The Carolinas Classic is prep basketball’s version of football’s Shrine Bowl.
The games feature the top high school seniors from South Carolina facing their North Carolina counterparts. In addition, players spend two days prior to the games in York County, practicing at schools around the county and participating in community service projects.
Players’ activities include visiting elementary schools and talking to younger students about the role of student-athletes.
The Carolinas Classic is sponsored by the coaches’ associations in South Carolina and North Carolina.
“Visit York County is excited to partner with the Fort Mill and Rock Hill school districts to bring back this prestigious event,” said Andy Clinton, CEO and president of Visit York County.
Clinton added that the event “provides charitable work and a greater spotlight of high school basketball in our community.”
This year’s Carolinas Classic included several area players — Rock Hill’s Aubrey Stevenson, Andrew Jackson’s Tamia Watkins, and Lancaster’s Jordan Watford.
The South Carolina boys and North Carolina girls won this year’s Carolinas Classic games.
Over the years, the games have featured a number of players who went on to professional careers, such as the NBA’s P.J. Tucker, Ish Smith, Devonte Graham and Ja Morant; the WNBA’s Alaina Coates; and the NFL’s D.J. Moore and DeAndre Hopkins.
This story was originally published April 8, 2025 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Catawba Ridge to host Carolinas Classic all-star prep basketball games in 2026."