Sunrise Christian wants to host high-profile high school basketball field in November

Some of the top college basketball recruits in the United States and Canada may play in a showcase event in Wichita in November.

While details and teams are not set, Sunrise Christian Academy coach Luke Barnwell is optimistic about the potential for a field that includes elite prep, post-graduate and high school teams. So is Athlete Institute’s Brandon Lesovsky, a Kansan who coaches a high-profile team from Canada. His players include center Thon Maker, a five-star prospect recruited by Kansas, Kentucky, Notre Dame and others, and forward Nikola Djogo (Joe-go), who is interested in Wichita State.

“It’s pretty exciting for me to take a team back to Kansas,” Lesovsky said.

The showcase is tentatively scheduled for the weekend of Nov. 14, Barnwell said. Sunrise’s gym, at its Bel Aire campus, is too small, so organizers are looking for a site. In the past, Sunrise played at Newman University and Maize South High. Barnwell said the field could range from four to eight teams and he wants to get commitments locked in within the next two weeks. Sunrise’s high school team will play.

“We're really excited because it's going to bring a high level of basketball to Wichita,” Barnwell said. “There’s going to be some really, really good players. With the level of talent coming in, I would think people from all over the city would be interested in watching.”

Barnwell said Balboa (Calif.) City School, featuring five-star center DeAndre Ayton, is a possible entrant. So is Prolific (Calif.) Prep and five-star forward Josh Jackson. Teams will play a schedule, not in a bracket, similar to events that Sunrise plays in such as Mustang Madness and the Marshall County Hoop Fest, both in Kentucky.

Lesovsky, from Cuba in north-central Kansas, is a former assistant coach at Neosho County and Cowley County community colleges and Kansas Wesleyan. He is in his third year at Athlete Institute, located near Toronto. Former Kansas player Dave Magley, commissioner of the National Basketball League of Canada, mentioned the job to Lesovsky. Daniel Magley, David’s son, played at Neosho.

“My initial reaction was, ‘Why the blank would I go to Canada?’” Lesovsky said. “It turned out to be by far the best decision I’ve ever made.”

This story was originally published September 22, 2015 at 1:54 PM with the headline "Sunrise Christian wants to host high-profile high school basketball field in November."