The Kentucky Derby Festival is pleased to announce the lineup for the adidas Derby Festival Basketball Classic. Scheduled for Saturday, April 16, the Classic will feature some of the top prep players in the nation, including four McDonald’s All-American players, as well as recruits from the University of Louisville, University of Kentucky and Indiana University. The Kentucky Derby Festival is also pleased to welcome adidas as the new title sponsor of the Classic. The 33rd annual game will tip off at 7 p.m. at Freedom Hall.
Local hoops fans will get a preview of players committed to play at some of the top collegiate programs, including Duke, Syracuse, Mississippi State, UCLA and Arizona. Of special interest to area basketball fans will be UL-bound Chad Millard, Jonathon Huffman, Clarence Holloway, Andre McGee and Terrance Williams; UK recruits Uche Echefu and Jared Carter; and IU-bound Joey Shaw.
“We are thrilled about our new partnership with adidas,” said Dan Owens, KDF Chairman and Basketball Classic Recruiting Chairman. “This year’s Basketball Classic will showcase some of the best basketball talent in the country. Several players from last year’s Classic played important roles for teams advancing to the NCAA Tournament. This is a great chance for local hoops fans to see these future stars up close and personal.”
The week’s roundball activities will kick off with the adidas Derby Festival Night of the Future Stars on Friday, April 15, at 7 p.m. at Bellarmine University’s Knights Hall. Admission is free with a ticket to the Basketball Classic. Some of the event’s most exciting moments have come during the Slam Dunk and 2-on-2 contests and the 3-point shootout. The competition will also feature an autograph-signing session immediately following the event.
First held in 1973, the Derby Festival Basketball Classic is the second-oldest continuously-held high school all-star game in the nation. In 1987, the Classic set a record for attendance with a crowd of 19,041 at Freedom Hall. Players such as Jamal Mashburn, Moses Malone, Rex Chapman, Pervis Ellison, Isiah Thomas, Dominique Wilkins, Darrell Griffith, Derek Anderson, Anfernee Hardaway and Darius Miles have starred in the Classic.
adidas joins contributing sponsors: BellSouth, Delta Air Lines, Powerade and Radio One in presenting the 33rd Derby Festival Classic.
ON SALE NOW, Basketball Classic tickets are $12.50 and $8 at TicketMaster locations, Freedom Hall Ticket Office, or by phone (502) 361-3100 or (800) 487-1212.
ROSTERS TENTATIVE AS OF 3/29/2005
adidas BASKETBALL CLASSIC BLACK TEAM
Position Player College
* PG Mario Chalmers Kansas
PG Andre McGee Louisville
2G Antonio Anderson Memphis
2G Shane Clark Maryland
WF Terrance Williams Louisville
WF Tyler Smith Tennessee
WF Ryan Ayers Notre Dame
*PF Brandon Costner NC State
PF Chad Millard Louisville
PF Jonathon Huffman Louisville
C Clarence Holloway Louisville
*C Luke Zeller Notre Dame
- Coaches:
- Ronnie Chalmers Dave Omer
Bartlett High School Washington High School
Anchorage, AK Washington, IN - Ronnie Chalmers Dave Omer
adidas BASKETBALL CLASSIC GOLD TEAM
Position Player College
*PG Greg Paulus Duke
PG Dominic Tilford Undecided (TCU, South Carolina and others)
PG Darren Collison UCLA
2G Marcus Williams Arizona
2G JP Prince Arizona
WF Joey Shaw Indiana
WF Brandon Rush Undecided (UL, Illinois, and
others)
WF Alonzo Gee Alabama
PF Ryan Wright UCLA
PF Uche Echefu Undecided (UK, Duke, and others)
PF/C Arinze Onuaku Syracuse
C Jared Carter Undecided (UK, NC, Illinois)
C Vernon Goodridge Miss. St.
- Coaches:
- Lloyd “Pinky” Gardiner Billy Hicks
Fairdale High School Scott Co. High School
Louisville, KY Georgetown, KY - Lloyd “Pinky” Gardiner Billy Hicks
* McDonald’s All-American