Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) in action during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Monday, Feb. 3, 2020, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

WHEELING — For 13 years, the Cancer Research Classic provided area basketball fans a chance to see future NBA and collegiate stars and players before they reached the pinnacle of the sport.

And that’s exactly what Dr. Gregory Merrick set out to do when he created the event, which he has recently announced would go dark for 2021, but could return in the future.

Nearly 60 NBA players played at least one of their prep games in the city of Wheeling during the CRC. On top of that, hundreds of players have gone on to play NCAA Division I basketball.

“The team, coaching and individual talent has been extraordinary,” Merrick, the event’s founder, said.

Merrick expects the list of CRC alumni in the NBA to grow in the next several drafts, too.

“The college and pro numbers will continue to accumulate over the next few years,” Merrick said.

Among the current NBA players, who played in the CRC, two — Ben Simmons and Jayson Tatum — will take part in the NBA All-Star Game later this month in Chicago.

Simmons and D’Angelo Russell, who played at Montverde Academy and then Ohio State for a season, were part of the 2019 all-star game, too.

On top of the all-star selections, three times — 2014, 2016 and 2017 — a CRC alumnus had his name called first in the NBA Draft. Those were Andrew Wiggins, Simmons, who played at LSU, and Markelle Fultz, who played at Washington, respectively.

Nineteen former CRC players were lottery picks as part of the draft’s top 14 overall.

While the NBA players get much of the acclaim, Merrick pointed out that several CRC alumni are currently playing professionally overseas .

Tatum, who is a star with the Boston Celtics, and Jalen Brunson, who is now playing with the Dallas Mavericks and won two NCAA National Championships for Villanova, hooked up in maybe the best one-on-one duel in CRC history in 2015.

Brunson, who attended Stevenson High School in Illinois, scored 48, while Tatum, who played for Chaminade near St. Louis and eventually went to Duke for one year, went for 39.

Brunson’s total is still the single-game record for the CRC.

While that showdown still resonates with almost everyone who was in attendance at the McDonough Center, the list of impressive alumni increased on the yearly.

“Our players play, annually, in the McDonald’s All-American Game, have become college All-Americans and have won NCAA championships,” Merrick said. “About 1,000 CRC kids have played college basketball with 88 percent of those being at the Division I level.”

The talent wasn’t only limited to individual stars. The teams Merrick selected were more than elite. They were national powers, many of which featured an entire starting lineup of high-major recruits.

When the CRC began in December of 2007, it was just a five-game schedule. Since then, it expanded to multiple days and the list of teams grew more and more impressive each year.

Merrick continually boasted that each year was better than the prior one. Once the CRC got rolling and built enough of a reputation, teams were seemingly asking to be invited to the Friendly City.

On the yearly, the event featured several members of the national top 10 rankings.

For instance, five times a CRC participant went on to win the GEICO National Championship in March. Four of those titles belong to Montverde Academy and La Lumiere also captured one.

Two of the teams that competed in this year’s event — Wasatch Academy and Sunrise Christian — are among those projected to qualify for the national tournament and another — La Lumiere — has an outside shot of gaining an invite.

“On top of the teams and players, some of the coaches have participated in USA Basketball and some eventually coached in college and at high levels,” Merrick said.