ST. CLAIRSVILLE – In an effort to promote their student-athletes more, the Ohio Valley Basketball Coaches Association will hold its inaugural Elite Showcase on Sunday.

Thirty-eight players from OVAC schools have been selected to take part in the 4-hour event inside the ECO Center from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

“I think the OVBCA is looking to re-energize their organization with this Showcase,” OVAC Basketball Commissioner Doug Costain said. “This has been in the planning for about a month or so. Steubenville High School head coach Mike Haney had the idea. He is president of the association.”

Costain did, however, want to stress that the OVAC in no way was involved with the assessment of talent.

“The OVBCA was the day-to-day contact. All we, the OVAC, did was use our email system to get the word out to the coaches. The coaches then submitted their nominations of players whom they think can play at the next level,” Costain said. “The OVBCA looked at those nominations and then determined who should be invited to the showcase.”

Costain said 58 schools were contacted.

“There were some players selected who opted to turn down the offer for various reasons,” Costain noted.”We picked Sunday because we didn’t want to interfere with any school’s football practices.”

The Showcase is for sophomore, juniors and seniors in the upcoming school year.

Costain said several stations will be set up for the athletes to do different drills, then at the end of the sessions, the players will be divided into teams and games will be played.

The OVBCA Committee consists of Sean Tucker (Toronto), Donnie Cash (Bridgeport), Haney, Logan McCort (Cambridge), Michael Jebbia (Wheeling Park), St. Clairsville Athletic Director Justin Clifford, Costain and assistant OVAC Basketball Commissioner Donnie Giffin.

Costain said the event is open to the public with a small admission fee.

“I’m a baseball junkie,” Costain admitted. “I don’t want to hit a grand slam this time out, but a standup double would be nice. We’re hoping to make this bigger and better.”

According to Giffin, no girls coaches have approached the committee about adding another aspect.

A list of the players accepting invitations and taking part is as follows:

Garrett Carpenter (Cambridge); Max Olejasz (Wheeling Central); Santino Haney (Steubenville); Eli Smith (Martins Ferry); Aiden Dray (Beaver Local); Jaleel Vincent (Bridgeport); Kyle Long (Edison); Avery Powell (Frontier); Luke Schafer (St. Clairsville); Gavin Little (Martins Ferry); Coen Brinker (Bridgeport); Luke Bryer (University); Dylan Schott (Caldwell); Brody Winters (Toronto); Bryson Kamarec (Harrison Central); Landon Bowers (Steubenville); Brody Conaway (Heartland Christian); Owen Hill (Beaver Local); Evan Longwell (River); Bryar Haught (John Marshall); Jackson Bonar (Linsly); Josh Huffman (Wheeling Park); Sincere Saunders-Paige (Wheeling Park); Braidyn Edwards (Steubenville); Austin Buchanan (Toronto); Michael Hendershot (Shadyside); Collin Kalaher (Heartland Christian); Ollie Muhly (St. Clairsville); Brody Gregor (Union Local); Jackson McBane (Edison); Kaleil Lewis (University); Cooper Howell (Monroe Central); Elian Arick (Buckeye Trail); Kwon Pettigrew (Bellaire); Rahim Mitchell (Steubenville catholic); Andrew Murdock (Brooke); Brady Fair (Toronto); Dre’keim Abercrombie (East Liverpool) and AJ Ramgeet (Lisbon).