SECOND ANNUAL ACADEMY NATIONAL INVITATIONAL
SET TO TIP OFF IN DECEMBER
Top Boys’ High School Teams to Meet in Nation’s Premier Holiday Tournament
HOUSTON, TX. (November 21, 2002) – Sixteen of the nation’s elite prep basketball teams will once again convene in Houston to participate in the 2nd annual Academy National Invitational (ANI) presented by Nike. Last year, the tournament saw the nation’s top two boys’ high school basketball teams face off in the championship game. This year’s National Division field boasts the following teams (all rankings according to USA Today):
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, VA.) – Four national titles in the last nine years – Ranked #1
Rainier Beach (Washington) - Defending state champion – Ranked #2
St Patrick (New Jersey) – Top ranked prep team on east coast with a freshman phenom – Ranked #4
RJ Reynolds (North Carolina) – Three-time defending state champion – Ranked #6
Rice (New York) - Big Apple powerhouse - has five city titles in the last eight years – Ranked # 15
Westchester (California) - Defending state champion – Ranked #18
Westbury Christian (Texas) - Houston team featuring national Player of the Year candidate - Ranked #20
Booker T. Washington (Tennessee)– Dominates the competition in basketball-rich Memphis
In addition to the elite National Division, eight teams from the host state will make up the Texas Division. All games will be played at the state-of-the-art 4,700-seat Aldine ISD Campbell Center Dec. 27-30.
In last year’s inaugural tournament, USA Today’s top two teams in the nation faced each other in the finals of the National Division. Oak Hill, which was ranked number two in 2001, defeated then number-one ranked Westchester 77-61. Oak Hill finished the season 32-1, while Westchester lost only one more game the entire year to finish 32-2. The Texas division championship saw Cypress Springs defeat Westfield by a score of 50-44.
“We are looking forward to hosting the second annual Academy National Invitational,” said Hal Pastner, Tournament Director of Vision Sports. “We will once again have an outstanding collection of high school basketball talent from across the country and around the state of Texas. The city of Houston has embraced this event and is looking forward to watching the premier high school basketball tournament in the nation.”
The National Division boasts seven teams ranked in the nation’s Top 25. The division includes perennial power and ANI defending champ Oak Hill, led by guard JR Reynolds and Ohio State-bound forward Ivan Harris.
ANI 2001 National Division finalist and California State Champs (Los Angeles) Westchester High was led by 6’8” All-American candidate Trevor Ariza, who returns for a second year.
The St. Patrick High School Celtics, led by point guard Mike Nardi, boast the most heralded freshman in recent memory in 6’9” Derrick Caracter, who wowed the fans at the Nike All-American Camp last summer.
Other National Division key players include:
Shagari Alleyne - Rice High (New York)
Ndudi Ebi – Westbury Christian High School (Houston, TX)
Lodrick and Rodrick Stewart - Rainier Beach High School (Seattle, WA)
Reyshawn Terry - R.J. Reynolds High (Winston Salem, NC)
Andre Allen - Booker T. Washington High School (Memphis, TN)
Derrick Caracter - St Patrick (New Jersey)
“Nike’s affiliation with the top high school basketball teams and players across the country has allowed us to create a truly competitive tournament – the best playing against the best,” said Tony Dorado, national manager of high school basketball at Nike. “If a team loses at this tournament, it may very well be their only blemish of the entire season. That is how intense the competition is.”
The Texas Division will feature several of the top teams from Texas:
Heritage Christian (Cleveland) – Led by shooting guard Vakeaton Wafer
Jesse H. Jones Sr. (Houston) – Led by guard Daniel Gibson
Cedar Hill High (Dallas) – Led by point guard Jason Horton
Westfield High (Houston) – Led by Adam Galbreath
Aldine Nimitz (Houston) – Coached by Randy Gilmer, former Cypress Springs coach
Strake Jesuit Prep (Houston) – Record of 30-6 last season
Port Arthur Memorial (Port Arthur)) – Coached by David Green (120-40 career record)
Aldine High School (Houston) – Led by junior combo guard LaMarrio Kersee
“Academy Sports & Outdoors is proud to team with Nike and Vision Sports to bring the country’s top high school basketball teams together for this tournament,” said Casey Ramm, executive director of Communications for Academy Sports & Outdoors. “The competition will be exciting and we are thrilled to bring this caliber of basketball to Houston.”
Tickets for all ANI games go on sale November 22nd at all 19 Houston-area Academy Sports and Outdoors stores. Ticket prices are $10 and are good for all games that particular day and night. Full tournament coverage including rosters, tournament brackets, stats and scores can be found at
www.visionsports.com.
NIKE, Inc., based in Beaverton, Ore., is the world’s leading designer and marketer of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Bauer NIKE Hockey Inc., the world’s leading manufacturer of hockey equipment; Cole Haan, which markets a line of high-quality men’s and women’s footwear, accessories and outerwear, and Hurley international LLC, which markets action sports and teen lifestyle apparel.
Academy Sports & Outdoors currently operates stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and Tennessee. The stores carry a full selection of athletic and casual footwear and apparel; fishing, hunting, camping and marine equipment; and a full line of sporting goods equipment.
Vision Sports is a growing Houston based company dedicated to producing high quality basketball tournaments, camps, and leagues for youth and amateur athletes nationwide.
Second Annual Academy National Invitational
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