Recognizing a growing demand among basketball fans to watch to the very best players and teams from across the nation compete against one another, Paragon teamed up with ESPN2 to showcase high school basketball to national television audience. Since 2002 Paragon has created 6 high school basketball games that have all aired live in primetime on ESPN2. The games have marked the national television debut of such players as NBA first round draft picks LeBron James, Dwight Howard and Sebastian Telafir as well as current high school star Greg Oden. The teams showecased in the telecasts are national powers usually featured in USA Today Super 25 boys basketball rankings and have included State Champions: St. Vincent – St. Mary (Ohio), Edgewater (Florida), St. Patrick (New Jersey), Poplar Bluff (Missouri), Lincoln (New York), South Gwinnett (Georgia) and Lawrence North (Indianapolis).

The cutting edge programming started with on December 12, 2003 when ESPN2 aired the Progressive High School Basketball Classic which marked the national television debut of prep phenom LeBron James. Dick Vitale and Bill Walton provided color commentary – a television first – and the game secured a 1.98 household rating which made it the highest rated regularly scheduled program in ESPN2 history. The event generated millions of dollars in exposure for Progressive Insurance through in-game elements (signage, graphics, commercials), on-air promotions and tremendous national media coverage.

The events have become national showcases and have been attended by celebrities and NBA executives such as Jay-Z, Derrick Jeter, Edgerrin James, Pat Riley, Jerry West and John Paxson.

Paragon manages all elements related to the High School Basketball Events on ESPN2 including: securing the teams and venue, developing a ticket sales marketing plan, managing game day operations, selling national sponsorships and co-producing the telecast with ESPN.

National sponsors of the events have included such clients as: Old Spice, Honda, Progressive Insurance, Paramount Pictures, Spalding, Gatorade and Reebok.