Monumental Sports Network will be airing eight live basketball games on Saturday, Jan. 20 as part of its “Basketball Day in the DMV” presented by CarMax. The annual event started last year and features games from high school and college teams across the region, concluding with a matchup between the Washington Wizards and San Antonio Spurs at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST.
Throughout the day, select boys and girls basketball teams from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia will be featured on the regional sports network. As constructed, the schedule will include four games emanating from South Lakes High School in Reston, Va. for the Capitol Hoops Challenge. An additional game on the docket will be broadcast live from Capital One Arena ahead of the Wizards’ home matchup later that night.
The high school games will be produced and aired by Monumental Sports Network itself at no cost for the schools. These broadcasts will also contain professional broadcast teams containing a play-by-play announcer, color commentator and sideline reporter. Some of the on-air talent set to participate include Wes Hall, Chase Hughes, Jimmy Patsos and Christy Winters-Scott.
Consumers can watch the game utilizing a valid subscription on the Monumental Sports Network mobile application or through its website. More than 3 million households are in the Monumental Sports Network broadcast footprint, providing a distinctive opportunity for athletes to demonstrate their on-court abilities en masse.
“The Greater Washington region has a rich basketball tradition at all levels and we are honored to showcase all our local hoops talent during ‘Basketball Day in the DMV,’” Friday Abernethy, general manager of Monumental Sports Network, said in a statement. “While many people are familiar with Monumental Sports Network because of our professional sports team coverage of the Washington Wizards, Capitals, and Mystics, elevating local sports and providing a platform for our talented local athletes is a core value for our organization and we are proud to use our new network and digital assets to foster a sense of community at all levels of athletics across our region.”
Barrett Sports Media has learned the commentary assignments for the games preceding the Wizards-Spurs matchup.
| Start Time (EST) | Game Information | Away Team | Home Team | Commentators |
| 9 a.m. | Boys High School Basketball | Sandy Spring (MD) | Good Counsel (MD) | Bryan Albin; Christy Winters-Scott; Jimmy Patsos; Jordan Giorgio |
| 11 a.m. | Boys High School Basketball | Largo (MD) | South Lakes (VA) | Bryan Albin; Christy Winters-Scott; Jordan Giorgio |
| 1 p.m. | Girls High School Basketball | Bullis (MD) | Holy Child (MD) | Dei Lynam; Tony Massenburg; Wes Hall |
| 2 p.m. | Women’s College Basketball (Monumental Plus channel) | Saint Louis | George Washington | Byron Kerr; Abe Rothstein |
| 2:45 p.m. | Boys High School Basketball | St. John’s College (DC) | Bishop O’Connell (VA) | Brent Harris; Ronny Thompson; Chase Hughes |
| 4 p.m. | Men’s College Basketball (Monumental Plus channel) | Towson | Campbell | Spiro Morekas; Ben Rosenbaum |
| 4:30 p.m. | Boys High School Basketball | Hayfield (VA) | Patriot (VA) | Brent Harris; Ronny Thompson; Chase Hughes |
When the Wizards take the court for warmups, the team will don “Behan Strong” shirts, honoring former St. John’s High School basketball coach Pat Behan. The gesture will also help raise awareness about his fight against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), with shirts being auctioned off to raise money in his name for Compassionate Care ALS. These funds will be utilized to support those diagnosed with ALS, along with their families, healthcare providers and communities.
Monumental Sports Network announced partnerships with George Washington University, the University of Richmond and Towson University to air live college basketball games during the year. The network also serves as the broadcast home of the Washington Wizards, Washington Capitals and Washington Mystics, along with the Capital City Go-Go.
