Marshall County Hoopfest

It’s no secret that Kentucky loves its basketball, and that enthusiasm is on display at the Marshall County Hoopfest, a high school basketball showcase. Kentucky Life visited Hoopfest and met coaches and players back in 2014.

Some now-notable names from the NCAA and NBA ranks made an appearance at Hoopfest during their high school years. Derrick Rose, Carmelo Anthony, and Kevin Durant are among the notable players who participated in the past.

“The Marshall County Hoopfest is one of the premier events in the country,” says Ballard High School coach Chris Renner. “Great atmosphere. Great experience.”

The event gives high school players a chance to watch and potentially play against the best athletes in their peer group. College coaches come out to see potential future team members in action.

“This is where you come if you want to be the best,” says Isaac Pitts of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. “If you want to be the best, you’ve gotta play the best.”

“The teams are great here,” says Quentin Snider from Ballard High School. “It’s a chance for colleges to see where you’re at, where you stand, and pretty much to see how you can affect their system.”

Hoopfest is an exciting event for basketball fans to come and watch, and there are plenty of them in and around Marshall County.

“I walk into a gym like this in Marshall County and I love it,” says Renner. “I love the throwback old-school kind of feel where you can tell there’s a lot of tradition. The fans here appreciate basketball.

“I think when you come to events like this and you get to play against guys that are going to go off and play at high level college teams and possibly professionally, that’s something that you can’t put a price tag on,” Renner adds. “That’s something that, win or lose, your kids are going to remember.”

This segment is part of Kentucky Life episode #2515 which originally aired on February 22, 2020. Watch the full episode.