Camden basketball team to play Sierra Canyon at 2021 HoopHall Classic
The game would feature Camden sophomore D.J. Wagner, the son of former NBA player DaJuan Wagner and grandson of former NBA player Milt Wagner, and Sierra Canyon sophomore Bronny James, the son of current NBA superstar LeBron James.
Camden High is slated to return to the HoopHall Classic next season in a dream matchup for fans of young basketball stars with famous bloodlines and sky-high ceilings.
Camden is set to play Sierra Canyon of Los Angeles in a game that would match rising sophomores D.J. Wagner and Bronny James, two of the top players in the class of 2023, according to a Masslive.com report.
The game is tentatively scheduled for the afternoon of Saturday, Jan. 16. The annual HoopHall Classic, which brings together many of the top teams in the country, is held in conjunction with events at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.
Wagner, the son of Camden legend DaJuan Wagner and grandson of another Camden great, Milt Wagner – both of whom played in the NBA – is coming off a sensational freshman season for the Panthers.
He averaged 18.5 points and scored in double figures in every game as Camden went 29-1, winning its last 25 before the NJSIAA canceled the state tournament because of the coronavirus outbreak.
A smooth, 6-foot-1 guard who can finish at the rim and score from distance, Wagner led Camden with 71 three-pointers.
Bronny James is a son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
Wagner is the No. 3 player in the class of 2023 rankings by rivals.com. James is No. 5.
Camden also is expected to return rising senior forward TaQuan Woodley, who recently committed to Penn State, as well as rising senior swingman Jerome Brewer, rising senior guard Devin Benson and rising sophomores Cian Medley, Sebastian Robinson, and Cornelius Robinson.
Camden played in the HoopHall Classic last season, beating Rancho Christian of Temecula, Calif. – which featured the consensus No. 1 player in the class of 2020 in 7-foot Evan Mobley – by a 61-59 score.
Wagner scored 17, making a trio of three-pointers, and senior Lance Ware, a Kentucky recruit, had 18 points and 14 rebounds for Camden in the victory.
The 20th annual HoopHall Classic also is slated to feature Mikey Williams, who is the No. 1 player in the class of 2023 in rivals.com rankings, with San Ysidro of San Diego.
Jonathan Kumigna, widely regarded as the top player in the class of 2021, is scheduled to be there with The Patrick School, a Hillside, N.J., powerhouse.
The showcase also is expected to include a game between Montverde Academy, the Florida school to which Roman Catholic star Jalen Duren transferred in March, and longtime national power Oak Hill Academy. The 6-9 Duren, who played his first two seasons at Roman Catholic, is the No. 2 player in the class of 2022.