But this past weekend was an extreme case of greatness.

The Classic in the Country, a 33-school, 20-game girls basketball feast, featured three defending state champions, a host of the current top teams in the state, as well as a couple of nationally ranked teams along with some of the brightest individual stars Ohio girls basketball has to offer.

In other words, it was a classic!

From the quality of competition of teams on the floor to the bend-over-backward hospitality of the Hiland community, the Classic in the Country was what some college coaches called the best event of its kind... in the country.

Jannon Roland, assistant coach at Purdue University, said this was the best run high school event she had ever attended.

Her sentiments were echoed by most all of the more than 100 college coaches and scouts who were on hand for the event.

And of the 20 games, there were a couple surprising blow-outs, such as Mount Notre Dame of Cincinnati pounding four-time defending state champion Regina 80-48, and one of last year's Final four teams, Hudson getting thumped 37-20 by Lakota West.

But for the most part, the games were close and extremely competitive, featuring several future collegiate stars.

The weekend started with Chippewa defeating Chesapeake 59-45.

Game two saw Dayton Dunbar hand Dover its first loss of the year 55-46.  In that game, Dover junior Natalie Miller pumped in her 1,000th career point, on her way to 18.

The third game between Mifflin and Hoover was a 65-53 triumph for former Ohio State star Troy Taylor's Punchers over Hoover.

Winton Woods was a 59-47 winner over Independence in game four and Wadsworth pulled out a 41-38 win over Brookhaven in game five.

Mount Notre Dame soundly thrashed Mount de Chantal of West Va., 51-26 in game six and host Hiland toppled defending state champion Marion Local 50-42 in the seventh game of the day.

Sunday's six-game schedule started with a 54-43 win by Fairless over Villa Angela St. Joe's.

Winton Woods then edged Mount de Chantal 46-41 and Holy Name followed with a 53-45 win over Toledo Scott.

Dunbar then edged West Holmes 48-44 and Mount Notre Dame followed that up with its 80-48 romp over Regina.

Boardman capped off the second day of action with a 58-35 win over Lakota West, who woke up early Monday to take on Hudson in Monday's second game.  The Firebirds rebounded with a 37-20 win over the Explorers, after Toledo Scott downed Wooster 55-48 in Monday's opener.

The nation's No. 2 ranked team, Dayton Chaminade-Julienne soundly spanked Mentor 56-31 and River View dropped a heartbreaker to Liberty when the Patriots' Lauren Hatch threw in a half-court prayer to beat the buzzer in a 46-45 thriller.

St. Peter's of Mansfield flexed its muscle in a 62-49 triumph over Youngstown Ursuliine, and Archbishop Hoban defeated East Tech 45-41 before Hiland closed out the event against Copley, falling 42-38.

I had never seen so much girls basketball in such a short period of time, but I must admit, I can't wait until next year.