Daily News

MassMutual Named Community Partner for Hoophall Classic

SPRINGFIELD — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced that MassMutual has been named a community partner for the 2015 Spalding Hoophall Classic. The high-school basketball tournament, now in its 14th year, will feature 52 local and national teams at Springfield College’s Blake Arena on Jan. 15-19.

Other supporting sponsors for the Spalding Hoophall Classic include Nike, Gatorade, Springfield College, the U.S. Marines, Florence Bank, MassLive, and the Republican.

“MassMutual has always shown a great commitment to our community, and we are extremely pleased to have them on board for such a tremendous youth event,” said John Doleva, president and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “This year’s Spalding Hoophall Classic will make an impact on hundreds of aspiring basketball players from near and far.”

Eight Massachusetts teams will face off at the Hoophall Classic on Thursday for a day of local hoops presented by MassMutal. After each matchup, the MassMutual Most Outstanding Player of the Game will be awarded. Tickets for the Thursday games will be available for purchase on site at Springfield College for $10.

The Jan. 15 local games presented by MassMutual are:
• 4 p.m.: Cathedral High School vs. Pittsfield High School;
• 5:30 p.m.: Chicopee High School vs. Northampton High School;
• 7 p.m.: Sabis Charter School vs. Longmeadow High School; and
• 8:30 p.m.: Springfield Central High School vs. Putnam High School.

In addition to the local games, this year’s Hoophall Classic will feature a number of elite matchups from schools across the country. A total of 34 players out of the ESPNU Top 100 class of 2015 will participate, including six of the top 10 seniors. For more information, visit the official website at www.thehoophallclassic.com.