Slam Dunk to the Beach 2016
November 9, 2016 (Dover, Del.) – Five of the top 25 boys high school basketball teams in the country will put on a show on the court at Slam Dunk to the Beach 2016. The tournament will also feature for the first time an international team. The showcase will be at Cape Henlopen High School Dec. 27-29. Wednesday the Delaware Sports Commission (DSC) announced Slam Dunk’s out-of-state slate, which includes multiple teams in the USA Today 2016-17 Super 25 Preseason Boys Basketball rankings.
* Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) – 10th
* Westtown (West Chester, Pa.) – 11th
* Gray Collegiate (Columbia, S.C.) – 16th
* St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, N.J.) – 17th
* Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.) – 25th
“We are excited about the quality of the teams and players for this year’s edition of Slam Dunk,” said Dr. Matthew Robinson, chairman of the Delaware Sports Commission. “Not only is this a first-class event and one of the best high school basketball tournaments in America, it is also a major economic driver for southern Delaware during the tourism off-season – creating an impact of $2 million and bringing in more than 20,000 visitors over the past two years.”
Other non-Delaware teams competing include:
* St. Michael’s (Toronto, Ontario)
* Sagemont (Weston, Fla.)
* Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.)
* Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
* Our Savior New American (Centereach, N.Y.)
* St. Raymond (Bronx, N.Y.)
* Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.)
* Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.)
* Baltimore Poly (Baltimore, Md.)
* Eleanor Roosevelt (Greenbelt, Md.)
*Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.)
Delaware teams playing at Slam Dunk –
* Cape Henlopen (Lewes, DE)
* Mount Pleasant (Wilmington, DE)
* Sanford (Hockessin, DE)
and Smyrna (Smyrna, DE).
“Slam Dunk to the Beach is one of the best events Westtown plays in all year,” said Seth Berger, Westtown head coach. “The gym is beautiful, it’s run like a professional event, and the competition is great. We are really thankful to be invited.” The iconic tournament has hosted many future NBA and college superstars over the years, including LeBron James (2001), Kevin Durant (2003), Dwight Howard (2003) and Carmelo Anthony (2000). The 2016 event will once again have numerous participants from ESPN’s top rated players from each graduating class. Mohamed Bamba (Westtown), Jalek Felton (Gray Collegiate), Quade Green (Neumann-Goretti), Brandon Randolph (Westtown), Nick Richards (Patrick School), and Isaiah Washington (St. Raymond) are all listed on the ESPN100 rankings for high school seniors. Bamba, making a return visit to Slam Dunk to the Beach, is rated as second best center in the country and fourth best player overall by ESPN. Green, a former Slam Dunk to the Beach All-Tournament Team selection, is listed as ESPN’s third rated Point Guard in the nation, and Richards is listed as the fifth rated center in his class. All three have yet to commit to colleges, but Felton, Randolph and Washington will be playing their collegiate hoops at North Carolina (ACC), Arizona (Pac 12) and Minnesota (Big 10), respectively.
Several underclassmen are ranked by ESPN, as well, and leading the Slam Dunk group are Cameron Reddish (Westtown) and Nazreon Reid (Roselle Catholic). Reddish is listed as the top small forward in the junior class, making Westtown the only school in the country with two players ranked in the top five of their class. Reid returns to Lewes, DE as the sixth ranked power forward in the ESPN60 list. Brandon Slater (Paul VI) and Juwan Gray (Gray Collegiate) finish off the outstanding group of ESPN ranked players who will be participating at the Slam Dunk to the Beach event in December. Slater ranks as the 10th best small forward in the junior class, while Gray makes the coveted ESPN25 listing of the nation’s best sophomores as the #5 small forward in the class of 2019.
Also Wednesday DSC also announced the matchups for the 2016 Slam Dunk, which breaks down into day and night sessions. Each day has a pair of exciting three-game blocks. Dec. 27 pairs New York and New Jersey powerhouse schools together. The alma mater of NBA Champion, Kyrie Irving, Patrick School and St. Raymond School for Boys square off in the day session. A rematch of a 2015 Slam Dunk to the Beach contest takes place in the night session when Paul VI plays Neumann-Goretti. Day two of Slam Dunk to the Beach brings St. Michaels from Toronto, Ontario to face Paul VI at 3:00 PM. Sagemont, traveling all the way from Florida, takes on St. Benedict’s at 7:30 PM before two USA Today Preseason Top 25 teams, Westtown and Gray Collegiate, close out the action at 9:00 PM.
The final day, Thursday, Dec. 29, showcases possibly the most anticipated matchup of Delaware teams this season when Sanford takes on Smyrna. Delaware’s Mount Pleasant also plays in the day session, going up against Canada’s St. Michaels. The night session features 16th ranked Gray Collegiate and 17th ranked St. Benedict’s going toe to toe. The full schedule, with start times for all 18 games, is listed below.
The Delaware Sports Commission has once again brought aboard Position Sports, Inc ., a national sports marketing company, to manage all event operations and recruit the national teams to complete the 2015 field. Position Sports has worked with many of the world’s leading brands, including current clients Nike, Jordan Brand, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and USA Basketball.
For more information on the tournament, follow @SlamDunkToBeach on Twitter and Facebook at Slam Dunk To The Beach.
About Delaware Sports Commission: The Delaware Sports Commission, a not-for-profit organization, was established to attract regional and national level sporting events to Delaware as an endeavor to positively impact Delaware’s economy. The DSC also assists with the retention and growth of existing sporting events. To date the DSC has partnered with over 50 regional and national events, paving the way for future large-scale events to be held in Delaware.
2016 Slam Dunk to the Beach Schedule:
December 27 Day Session
12:00pm Smyrna (DE) vs. Bishop McNamara (MD)
1:30pm The Patrick School (NJ) vs. St. Raymond (NY)
3:00pm Bishop Loughlin (NY) vs. Baltimore Poly (MD)
December 27 Night Session
6:00pm Archbishop Wood (PA) vs. Roselle Catholic (NJ)
7:30pm Ss. Neumann-Goretti (PA) vs. Paul VI (VA)
9:00pm Cape Henlopen (DE) vs. Mount Pleasant (DE)
December 28 Day Session
12:00pm Eleanor Roosevelt (MD) vs. St. Michael’s (ONT)
1:30pm Our Savior New American (NY) vs. Bishop McNamara (MD)
3:00pm Bishop Loughlin (NY) vs. Paul VI (VA)
December 28 Night Session
6:00pm Archbishop Wood (PA) vs. Sanford (DE)
7:30pm Sagemont (FL) vs. St. Benedict’s (NJ)
9:00pm Westtown (PA) vs. Gray Collegiate Academy (SC)
December 29 Day Session
11:00am Mount Pleasant (DE) vs. St. Michael’s (ONT)
12:30pm Sanford (DE) vs. Smyrna (DE)
2:00pm Sagemont (FL) vs. Baltimore Poly (MD)
December 29 Night Session
6:00pm Our Savior New American (NY) vs. Westtown (PA)
7:30pm Gray Collegiate Academy (SC) vs. St. Benedict’s (NJ)
9:00pm Cape Henlopen (DE) vs. Eleanor Roosevelt (MD)