The legendary high school basketball All-American Game, The Capital Classic, tipped off in the nation’s Capital for the first time since it was sidelined due to covid restrictions.
The Capital Classic is the country’s longest-running high school all-star basketball game, just like when Bob Geoghan founded the Capital Classic in 1974 to showcase D.C.-area talent against the nation’s best. That stayed true as the Capital team was full of DMV stars.
The D.C. area is a proud basketball area with something in the water. Lafayette Williams, DCIAA player of the year from D.C.’s Coolidge SHS, says, “It feels good to be the only person out of the DCIAA to make the game.”
DCIAA is the highly competitive conference of D.C. public schools. Thomas Batties, Gonzaga, and Malik Mack, St. John’s, from the WCAC, Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, join Lafayette in representing D.C. Thomas, Harvard comments, “It’s an honor really, to play in this game, especially representing D.C. and the DMV area. There’s a lot of history, a lot of amazing players that have played in this game. So, representing D.C. is really important. I feel like it’s an overlooked area. I feel like we got some of the, if not some of the best basketball in the country, so yeah, it’s really important that we put the DMV back on the map.”
Thomas Capital All-Star and future Harvard and D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year, Malik Mack, comments, “It’s huge to represent D.C. basketball. To show that we’re the best in the country against guys all over the nation. I feel this is a huge opportunity for us, especially the 50th anniversary. So I’m definitely trying to go in and get a W [win].”
Going out and winning against the U.S. team with Memphis recruits and high-school teammates, Mikey Williams, who scored 20 points, and Javonte “JJ” Taylor, who scored 9 points, was a tall feat. The U.S All-Stars lead in the head-to-head battle 32-17.
Behind 23 points from Tyler Perkins, Landon HS and Penn signee Thomas Batties battled on the boards against the bigger U.S. team, finishing with 5pts, four boards, and two blocks. Before the game, Malik Mack was asked what he planned to showcase in this game, “I’m just looking to showcase my talent. Things I could do, score it, assist, defend, just show, show my game, show what I’m capable of. So that’s the main thing.”
He did just that. Malik handled the full-court pressure, controlled the floor, and probed for many drives and kicks, finishing with four assists and no turnovers and adding in 6 points.
These three teamed up for the win against the U.S. team but will battle against each other in the IVY LEAGUE for the one automatic bid to March Madness. Batties and Mack will be teaming up at Harvard with Coach Amaker, another DMV basketball legend from W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax, Virginia. Coach Amaker scored 17 points in the 1983 Capital Classic and got a win against the U.S. team before going on to star for Duke under the Legendary Coach K. [Krzyzewski]. When asked why he chose Harvard, Mack quickly replied, “Me and Coach Amaker just developed the best relationship. He was the guy I trusted throughout the process, and I just felt like, on and off the court is the best opportunity for me to succeed; gonna give me a chance to showcase my skills right away, and then off the court, it’s no better opportunity.”
Batties shared the same sentiment, “Coach Amaker is an amazing, legendary coach and legendary player.”
Batties also is looking forward to playing with Mack again. The two played with each other on Team Takeover in the AAU circuit, “It is great to know that I have someone coming in with me, who I already have chemistry with on the court. So I really just feel like we can come into the Ivy League and do something really special with it.”
In limited minutes, Lafayette showed his great handle of the rock and why the coaching staff from Santa Monica College is excited about him. He committed the week of the game with the big decision to leave the area and go out west. “The visit was great. Coach Joshua stayed in touch with me since we got in touch and just felt like home.”
With another successful game in the books, Ricky Goings, Capital Classic Director of Player Engagement and Alumni Relations, was overjoyed with emotions and looked forward to the game’s future and rebuilding it to its prominence. Goings mentions bringing the preliminary game of the District vs. Suburban All-Stars back to the Capital Classic and hopes to see the success of the boy’s game to introduce a girl’s game potentially.
The Capital Classic occurred on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at 2:00 PM at the Events D.C. Entertainment & Sports Arena, with the Capital All-Stars beating the U.S. All-Stars 90-81.
