MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The 37th Annual Beach Ball Classic kicked off in Myrtle Beach Tuesday.
Teams from eleven different states are in the city for the tournament, and organizer John Rhodes says they’re expecting large crowds because they have the top ranked players in the nation scheduled to play.
“We’ve got crowds coming in. We had the biggest advance sale in ticket sales since we had Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter here,” said Rhodes.
The number one ranked player in the nation, R.J. Barrett, is scheduled to play on Wednesday.
Number two in the nation, Zion Williamson, was scheduled to play in the tournament, but Rhodes says he will be out because of an ankle injury.
Still, he’s expecting hundreds of people to fill the stands and millions of dollars to come to Myrtle Beach.
“We’re very excited about the crowds, we’re very excited about the attendance, and also the national publicity we’re going to get out of this tournament,” said Rhodes.
The tournament will continue through Saturday at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.