Edwardsville’s Matthew Wilson goes up for a dunk during the NCAA Live Showcase on June 27, 2026, inside Lucco-Jackson Gymnasium in Edwardsville.
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Edwardsville’s Carson Barone drives baseline during the NCAA Live Showcase on June 27, 2026, inside Lucco-Jackson Gymnasium in Edwardsville.
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Edwardsville’s Rowan Weller drives to the basket during the NCAA Live Showcase on June 27, 2026, inside Lucco-Jackson Gymnasium in Edwardsville.
Matt Kamp/The Intelligencer
Edwardsville’s Myles Butler shoots a 3-pointer during the NCAA Live Showcase on June 27, 2026, inside Lucco-Jackson Gymnasium in Edwardsville.
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Edwardsville’s Rowan Weller draws contact on a shot during the NCAA Live Showcase on June 27, 2026, inside Lucco-Jackson Gymnasium in Edwardsville.
Matt Kamp/The Intelligencer
Edwardsville’s Matthew Wilson battles for a rebound during the NCAA Live Showcase on June 27, 2026, inside Lucco-Jackson Gymnasium in Edwardsville.
Matt Kamp/The Intelligencer
Edwardsville’s Xavier Holler dribbles into the lane during the NCAA Live Showcase on June 27, 2026, inside Lucco-Jackson Gymnasium in Edwardsville.
Matt Kamp/The Intelligencer
Edwardsville’s Xavier Holler looks to pass during the NCAA Live Showcase on June 27, 2026, inside Lucco-Jackson Gymnasium in Edwardsville.
Matt Kamp/The Intelligencer
Edwardsville’s Michael Donald lays it in during the NCAA Live Showcase on June 27, 2026, inside Lucco-Jackson Gymnasium in Edwardsville.
Matt Kamp/The Intelligencer
Edwardsville’s Sire Borden makes room for himself in the paint during the NCAA Live Showcase on June 27, 2026, inside Lucco-Jackson Gymnasium in Edwardsville.
Matt Kamp/The Intelligencer
Edwardsville’s Matthew Wilson with a jump shot during the NCAA Live Showcase on June 27, 2026, inside Lucco-Jackson Gymnasium in Edwardsville.
Matt Kamp/The Intelligencer
Edwardsville’s Sire Borden scores during the NCAA Live Showcase on June 27, 2026, inside Lucco-Jackson Gymnasium in Edwardsville.
Matt Kamp/The Intelligencer
Edwardsville’s Rowan Weller goes up for a contested shot during the NCAA Live Showcase on June 27, 2026, inside Lucco-Jackson Gymnasium in Edwardsville.
Matt Kamp/The Intelligencer
Edwardsville’s Matthew Wilson puts up a shot in between defenders during the NCAA Live Showcase on June 27, 2026, inside Lucco-Jackson Gymnasium in Edwardsville.
Matt Kamp/The Intelligencer
Edwardsville’s Michael Donald drives during the NCAA Live Showcase on June 27, 2026, inside Lucco-Jackson Gymnasium in Edwardsville.
Matt Kamp/The Intelligencer
Edwardsville’s Sire Borden goes up for a contested shot during the NCAA Live Showcase on June 27, 2026, inside Lucco-Jackson Gymnasium in Edwardsville.
Matt Kamp/The Intelligencer
Edwardsville’s Matthew Wilson attempts a dunk during the NCAA Live Showcase on June 27, 2026, inside Lucco-Jackson Gymnasium in Edwardsville.
Matt Kamp/The Intelligencer
Edwardsville’s Matthew Wilson scores inside during the NCAA Live Showcase on June 27, 2026, inside Lucco-Jackson Gymnasium in Edwardsville.
Matt Kamp/The Intelligencer
Edwardsville boys basketball coach Dustin Battas and his staff are finally getting some much-deserved rest.
A busy June that included 20 contact days filled with shootouts and practices ended with Edwardsville hosting one of the region’s biggest summer basketball events.
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Battas and his staff hosted more than 75 teams and 145 games over three days at Edwardsville High School and Liberty Middle School during the NCAA Live Showcase. The event brought in coaches from 38 colleges and featured top prospects from Illinois, Missouri and Iowa.
“We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from college coaches and high school coaches. It’s a compliment to our school and our community. It’s gone very well, and it’s something we hope to continue doing in the future,” Battas said.
It was the third time Edwardsville has hosted the NCAA Live Showcase, following previous events in 2022 and 2023. All teams were guaranteed four games.
Locally, Edwardsville finished 2-2 and Father McGivney went 0-4. Metro-East Lutheran did not participate.
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The Tigers opened with a 60-44 win over Romeoville on June 26 before splitting their games June 27 with a 62-53 loss to Brother Rice and a 47-31 win over Lincoln-Way East. Edwardsville closed the showcase with a 56-45 loss to Butler College Prep out of Chicago.
“Overall, it’s been a great weekend and a good experience,” Battas said. “I thought we played well at times. Beating Lincoln-Way East was good. I thought we were intense and physical and did the things we needed to do. Then (June 28), I just felt like we took a couple steps back, and that’s where the consistency part comes from.”
Father McGivney lost 60-36 to Kankakee and 61-21 to Mater Dei on June 26 before falling 48-24 to Althoff and 54-28 to Okawville on June 27.
The event also gave local fans a chance to see several high-level prospects in one place.
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All of the games were well attended, including an evening game on June 26 between nationally ranked Principia (Mo.) and Missouri power Vashon. Principia won 45-44 on a putback dunk at the buzzer.
The Principia-Vashon game featured five of Missouri’s top nine recruits in the Class of 2027. The group included Vashon four-star recruit Jimmy McKinney III, Principia four-star center Tyran Frazier and three-star recruits Gassim Toure, Kingston Money and Sekou Cisse.
Principia was one of five teams to win all four of its games, along with McCluer North, Althoff, Hillcrest and Confluence.
Missouri’s second-ranked recruit in the Class of 2027, Webster Groves’ Scottie Adkinson, was impressive in all four of his games, including a double-overtime loss to Chaminade. Adkinson, a four-star guard, is committed to Mizzou. Webster Groves went 3-1.
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Illinois teams also featured several prospects, including Wesclin guard Gavin Rahm, who committed to SIUE on June 27.
Battas said the showcase was a tremendous opportunity for the local community to watch the future of college basketball.
“People were able to see a lot of teams they don’t normally get to see all in one place. We’ve had a lot of casual basketball fans show up, and we’ve had a lot of media excited to cover it,” Battas said.
For all of the talent on the court, Battas said the event also required plenty of work off the court.
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“We’ve had a great staff of people and a lot of parents helping. We’ve really taken it to the next level with the food trucks and the organizational side of it. It’s been a great event, but it’s certainly a tall task that takes a lot of people pitching in,” Battas said.
Battas hopes the showcase returns to Edwardsville next summer.
“I’m very proud of our school, our Booster Club, our coaching staff and really our community,” Battas said. “This is our third year, and the vision is starting to come to life. I think more people are understanding now how big this event is for our school and our community.”
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