A quartet of organizations have collaborated to bring a national high school boys basketball tournament to Wichita this December.
Visit Wichita, The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission, Sunrise Christian Academy and the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference are bringing the Air Capital Hoopfest to Koch Arena from December 1 through December 3.
“The NIBC represents the highest level of high school basketball in the country, and we are lucky to have one of those schools, Sunrise Christian Academy, right here in Wichita. We are thrilled to cheer them on in the first-ever Air Capital Hoopfest,” said Josh Howell, vice president of sports development at Visit Wichita, in a news release.
Sunrise has established itself as one of the premiere high school programs in the country with the likes of Kansas’ Grady Dick, Texas’ Mark Mitchell and 2022 second round pick and former Baylor standout Kendall Brown all have played for Sunrise in the past three years.
Joining the Buffaloes at the Air Capital Hoopfest are perennial powers Oak Hill Academy (Va.), Arizona Compass Prep, Bishop Walsh School (Md.) and Wasatch Academy (Utah).
“Luke Barnwell, head coach of Sunrise Christian Academy, has built the program into one of the nation’s elite basketball schools. GWASC is proud to partner with NIBC, Sunrise Christian Academy and Visit Wichita to bring top level high school hoops to Wichita,” said Kevin Jenks, the president and CEO of the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission.
