Unique High School Basketball All-Star Event ‘Midwest Border Battle’ Coming to Pittsburgh

In the spring of 2024, a brand new high-school basketball all-star event is coming to the Pittsburgh area.

Introducing the Midwest Border Battle — a series of all-star games hosted at nearby North Allegheny High School on April 27. The event, kickstarted by Western PA Bruins Executive Director John Tate along with Wade Timmerson, will feature a four-game slate with two games featuring boys all stars and two featuring girls all stars.

“John and I have been talking about this for a few years,” Timmerson told PSN. “My daughter played high-school ball last year and she got invited to an event in Dallas with a lot of the top players in the country. It was a true all-star experience, and that’s something we didn’t have in Pittsburgh. John and I both played in the Roundball, and those were good times and those were memories for life. That’s what we want to provide to the kids. It’s something that they can talk about 20, 30 years later.”

Players from Pennsylvania, New York,  West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana will assemble to square off in front of Pittsburgh’s biggest basketball fans.

“I’m an old man, I played in the Roundball Classic in 1987, and I sit here over 40 years later, and it’s still one of the highlights of my life,” Tate added. “It was a great experience, I got to meet, play with, and compete against some really, really good players that went onto the NBA, some became hall of famers. I really want to try to provide a true all-star experiences to people and players in Western Pennsylvania and around the region.”

John Tate (left) and Wade Timmerson (right) are hosting the Midwest Border Battle in April.

“I think, especially in Pennsylvania, I don’t know if basketball is promoted the right way,” Timmerson said. “Obviously, this is a football state. But I think a lot of the kids are starting to get better and there are a lot of division one players in the area. This gives people a chance to see what true college players look like. You can go to a high-school game, you may see one division one player on both teams. But this gives kids something to look forward to, they can play their game against some of the best.”

The four teams — filled with elite prep talent — will be divided up to make for two national games with high-level division one players and then two regional games with lower level division one players and division two players. In preparation for the event, Tate and Timmerson have assembled a committee of media members on both the boys and girls side that will select the players.

Both Tate and Timmerson played in the Roundball Classic during their playing careers, and both of them cherished the time that they spent in a true all-star game atmosphere. Now, the pair is bringing this environment to the Steel City, which, although it is known for its football, has a growing basketball reputation according to the duo.

“I think it’s as high as it’s been in a while, especially with the boys side, it’s the highest it’s been in a while,” Tate said about the amount of basketball talent in Pittsburgh. “The girls side, it’s been consistently high for the last decade or so. On the boys side, you look at some of these players, and there is a really deep pool of talent that I’m excited to see play this season.”

Only seniors will compete in the all-star games at the Midwest Border Battle, and the coaches will be decided at a later date.

“With the relationships that I have between AAU contacts and our travel ball contacts, we’ll be able to get the very best players in the region to attend and the coaches will come along with them as well,” Tate added. “We’re not concerned about that. My partner Wade Timmerson, he has the business contacts. He helped us get sponsorships from Dick’s, Sports Exhibition Authority, and some other people that we’ll be announcing. It really all came together well, man. We’re happy about it.”

Timmerson’s daughter currently plays college hoops for Pitt, and for he and Tate — a well-known women’s basketball director around the city, it was crucial to include both boys and girls in the all-star festivities.

“In a lot of ways, girls basketball is catching up with boys,” Timmerson said. “Especially with last year’s Final Four. John knows a lot about the girls side. But to have both, that way you can attract both boys basketball fans and girls basketball fans. We’re just looking for pure basketball fans. It will be good basketball, good talent, and enjoyable to watch.”