Prep Hoops on TV

What a night Thursday was. Not because there was a mediocre at best NFL game on a channel I don't get at my house, but because there was high school boys basketball in national television.

If you missed it, Lakewood St. Edward held off Campbell Hall out of California by a 78-73 count in overtime. St. Edward -- long-regarded as the premier prep wrestling school in the state and possibly the nation -- is showing that basketball at the private school is prime-time as well. Delvon Roe -- a Michigan State commit -- and Tom Pritchard -- an Indiana commit -- were on display for St. Eds. With Tom Izzo watching his future prodigy, St. Edward put on a clinic. While Roe was the featured player coming in, it was Pritchard who was a man among boys on the interior.

St. Edward was the favorite for last year's Division I title and got derailed by Cincinnati Moeller in the state semifinals. I would think that as long as Roe and Pritchard stay healthy, there's a good chance hoop junkies are going to get to see these two on display at the Schottenstein Center in the middle of March.

As I sat there and watched that game with a fellow prep hoops junkie, he and I came to the assumption that area basketball is light years behind. And that's not a knock on area teams by any stretch. It's just a fact.