Jordan Classic Rosters Announced

The Jordan Classic, which will be held at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, April 16th, announced their rosters as 18 of the top seniors were named to the event. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 and will include a regional game, showcasing the top prep players from the New York City metropolitan area.

The Jordan Classic was previously held in Washington, DC for 31 years, including the past three years with Jordan as the title sponsor. During that time, the participants included current NBA stars LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudamire and Dwight Howard and current NCAA standouts Chris Paul (Wake Forest), Rashad McCants (North Carolina), Sean May (North Carolina), John Gilchrist (Maryland), Dee Brown (Illinois), J.J. Redick (Duke) and J.R. Giddens (Kansas).

“We are thrilled to be showcasing the top national and local high school athletes at the world’s most famous arena,” said Michael Jordan. “The Jordan Classic will be an exciting showcase, which we look forward to hosting in New York City as an annual event.”

“New York City has a rich history in high school basketball and we are thrilled to host the nation’s top prep players in this prestigious event,” said Joel Fisher, Senior Vice President, Sports Properties for Madison Square Garden. “It will be great to have Michael Jordan back at the Garden and we anticipate tremendous support for the event from our loyal basketball fans.”

“We are delighted to welcome the 2005 Jordan Classic to New York City,” said New York City Sports Commissioner Kenneth J. Podziba. “There’s no better place to showcase the top high school talent in the country than Madison Square Garden-the Mecca of basketball.”

The event doubleheader will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the Regional Game, followed by the National Game at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now 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.JordanClassic.com.

The most interesting names on the Jordan Classic rosters were prep stantouts Andray Blatche and Shawne Williams. The two players are not eligible for the Mcdonald's All-American Game and will also play in the Roundball Classic (a Reebok event) in Chicago. Mississippi scorer Monta Ellis is on both rosters as is Duke signee Eric Boateng. High school players can only play in two All-Star games and since both are likely Mcdonald's All-Americans, especially Ellis, they wolud need to drop one of the games. If Ellis did play in all three games, that would be a clear sign that he is turning pro rather than planning on attending Mississippi State.

HOME TEAM
NAME	HGT	POS	SCHOOL	COLLEGE
Andray Blatche	6-10	PF	South Kent (CT) Prep
Eric Boateng	6-11	C	Middletown (DE) St. Andrews	Duke
Jon Brockman	6-8	PF	Snohomish (WA) High	Washington
Keith Brumbaugh	6-8	PF	Deland (FL) High
Lewis Clinch	6-4	SG	Cordele (GA) Crisp County	Georgia Tech
Micah Downs	6-7	SF	Bothell (WA) High	Kansas
Monta Ellis	6-4	SG	Jackson (MS) Lanier	Mississippi State
Richard Hendrix	6-8	PF	Athens (AL) High	Alabama
Martell Webster	6-6	SG	Seattle (WA) Prep	Washington
AWAY TEAM
NAME	HGT	POS	SCHOOL	COLLEGE
Andrew Bynum	7-0	C	Metuchen (NJ) St. Joseph	Connecticut
Levance Fields	6-1	PG	Brooklyn (NY) Xavierian	Pittsburgh
Tyler Hansbrough	6-9	PF	Poplar Bluff (MO) High	North Carolina
C. J. Miles	6-5	SF	Dallas (TX) Skyline	Texas
Kevin Rogers	6-8	PF	Dallas (TX) South Oak Cliff	Baylor
Magnum Rolle	6-9	C	Laurinburg (NC) Institute	LSU
Louis Williams	6-2	PG	Snellville (GA) South Gwinnett	Georgia
Shawne Williams	6-8	SF	Laurinburg (NC) Institute	Memphis
Julian Wright	6-7	SF	Flossmoor (IL) Homewood-Flossmoor	Kansas