Proceeds from the Classic go toward a scholarship fund established in memory of Perry Reese Jr., Hiland's legendary hoops boys basketball coach.

Before every game, a clip of one of King's speeches was played over the arena's loudspeakers.

"As we progress, one thing that will not be lost is the message of the event," Jenkins said.  "This year we added a couple things, such as a history of Dr. King's excerpts.  During halftime, we made sure to play music from the civil right era.

"Every year we want to progress the quality of basketball, but we also want to progress the theme we're doing here."

SPECIAL-EVENT CREW -- Among the hundreds of volunteers at the Classic in the Country were four Hiland students responsible for keeping the usually sold-out Reese Center crowds entertained while basketball games were not being played.

The committee of students, headed by junior Esther Mast, planned the halftime shows, performed as the Classic's mascot, Bubba the Ball and kept the crowd interested during the 20-minute intervals between each game.

Mast's committee include senior Kyle Miller, junior Kyle Beachy and freshman Eric Miller.

"We came up with everything except for two or three of the shows or contests," Mast said.  "It's been a lot of fun working with the group.  It's been fun having the crowd go along and cheer with what we do."

Among the shows the group planned, Mast said her favorites were the Cotton Eye Joe line dance, in which the fans in the stands voted on which of the participants, taken from the crowd, was the best, along with the kids relay race.

Between games the group went around the Reese Center with a mini hoop so fans could shoot baskets in from the stands for the chance to win candy.

"It was fun," Kyle Miller said.  "It's exciting to get the crowd into the games especially during the Hiland games."

GREAT EXPOSURE -- Classic in the Country provides individual players an opportunity to be noticed by college scouts in addition to gaining experience playing against quality opponents in front of a large crowd.  More than 100 colleges, nationwide, were represented at the Classic.

Whereas the star players are already recognized by most schools, the Classic is a rare chance for the lesser-known role players to gain recognition.

"It improves the stock of the underclassmen and the seniors who get overlooked," Jenkins said.  "Some players get overshadowed by bigger names on their own teams.  This even helps them get scholarships.  It's not just for the high-profile players."

One example of that came from Southeastern Illinois assistant coach Kyle Herring, who was at the Classic to watch a couple players and left with more in mind for the future.

"The two girls I came to see were just as good as I thought they were," he said.  "I found a couple more I would like to have for next year, too."

While Southeastern Illinois is a smaller school, quite a few Division I schools were represented and found the Classic to be a great recruiting tool.

"It's a great event that gives us the chance to see a lot of the best kids in the state perform at one time," said Geoff Lanier, assistant coach at the University of Akron, which is a part of the Mid American Conference.  "A number of the best players in Ohio are here at this event.  There were a number of kids we came to see and knew about, but we also found kids who were unknown."

A step up from Akron University was big-school University of Massachusetts, represented by several scouts which felt the more than 10-hour drive was worth it.

"There's so much talent in Ohio and this is a very well-run event.  We look forward to coming every year," said UMass assistant Jodi Culpertson.  "This is by far one of the best events in the country."

RAVE REVIEWS -- On Day 1 of the Classic, Hiland earned a victory over defending Division III state champion Youngstown Ursuline in stunning blowout fashion, 68-45.

Providence assistant coach Ken Butler said Hiland's performance was one of the most impressive he'd seen in a while and he goes on frequent scouting trips.

"It was the smartest-played basketball game I've seen from a team in two years," Butler said of Hiland's effort that saw 10 players make key contributions to the win.