New York - Jordan Brand, a division of Nike, Inc., announced today during a special ESPNU Selection Show that Tyreke Evans (Aston, PA/Undecided), Brandon Jennings (Mouth of Wilson, VA/Arizona) and Samardo Samuels (Newark, NJ/Louisville) will headline the nation’s top 21 high school senior basketball players at the 2008 Jordan Brand Classic, presented by Foot Locker and Boost Mobile, at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, April 19 at 9:00 p.m. EST. This year’s event will be televised nationally live on ESPN2.
The Jordan Brand Classic will also continue to include a regional game, showcasing the top prep players from the New York City metropolitan area in a City vs. Suburbs showdown. New to the event this year will be an international game featuring 16 of the top 17-and-under players from Europe, Asia and Africa. A portion of the proceeds will once again benefit the New York City-based charity, The Children’s Aid Society.
In addition to Evans, Jennings and Samuels, the Jordan Brand All-American Team also includes Al-Farouq Aminu (Norcross, GA/Wake Forest), William Buford (Toledo, OH/Ohio State), Ed Davis (Richmond, VA/UNC), Demar DeRozan (Compton, CA/Southern Cal), Michael Dunigan (Chicago, IL/Oregon), Devin Ebanks (Oakdale, CT/Indiana), Drew Gordon (San Jose, CA/UCLA), JaMychal Green (Montgomery, AL/Alabama), Jrue Holiday (N. Hollywood, CA/UCLA), Scotty Hopson (Hopkinsville, KY/Undecided), Malcolm Lee (Riverside, CA/UCLA), Greg Monroe (Harvey, LA/Georgetown), B.J. Mullens (Canal Winchester, OH/Ohio State), Delvon Roe (Lakewood, OH/Michigan State), Iman Shumpert (Oak Park, IL/Georgia Tech), Kemba Walker (New York, NY/Connecticut), Willie Warren (North Crowley, TX/Oklahoma), Tony Woods (Rome, GA/Wake Forest).
The 2007 Jordan Brand Classic was highlighted by a co-MVP performance from two of the top freshman in the Big East this year, Donte Greene from Syracuse and Corey Fisher from Villanova. Fisher posted 12 points and a game-record 10 assists as he led his team to a 127-119 victory. Greene finished with 20 points in only 17 minutes of action.
“Over the six-year history of the Jordan Brand Classic we have accumulated a prominent list of alumni,” said Garry Cook, President of Jordan Brand. “This year’s game is no different as the elite players in the country will once again step foot in the World’s Most Famous Arena and benefit a great cause in the Children’s Aid Society.”
Sponsored by Jordan Brand, the event is also annually attended by some of sport and entertainment’s biggest stars, who have included Michael Jordan, Spike Lee, LL Cool J, Warren Sapp, Terrell Owens, Floyd Mayweather, Kanye West, Fat Joe, Ludacris, Ahmad Rashad and Vince Carter.
Recent Jordan Brand All-Americans have included NBA stars Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Amarè Stoudemire, Dwight Howard and Kevin Durant as well as current NCAA standouts Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina), Derrick Rose (Memphis), Eric Gordon (Indiana), Jerryd Bayless (Arizona) and D.J. White (Indiana).
In addition to the game, the Jordan Brand All-Americans have a number of special events around New York City. Last year’s players held an autograph session at a local Foot Locker with hip hop/R&B artists Jim Jones and Trey Songz, participated in a slam dunk and three-point contest at the Boost Mobile Celebrity Challenge, visited ESPN studios in Bristol, CT, appeared on BET’s 106 and Park and attended an intimate awards dinner with Chris Paul and Spike Lee where they received their All-American rings.
This year’s event tripleheader will begin with an International Game at 4:00 p.m. followed by the Regional Game at 6:30 p.m., and the All-American Game at 9:00 p.m. The international and regional rosters will be announced in early March.
Tickets are now on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, the Madison Square Garden box office, online at ticketmaster.com or by calling 212-307-7171. For more information, please visit the official web site, www.JordanBrandClassic.com.
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