Slam Dunk to the Beach schedule announced
Organizers of the Slam Dunk to the Beach basketball tournament released the 2019 schedule at a Nov. 6 press conference at Fish On in Lewes. This year’s tourney, slated for Dec. 27-29, will bring 19 teams from seven states to Cape Henlopen High School’s Big House. Three of those squads – No. 8 Paul VI (Va.), No. 13 Roselle Catholic (N.J.), and No. 29 Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) – rank among MaxPrep.com’s preseason top 30 nationally. The First State will be represented by defending state champions Sanford, 2019 state finalist Dover, and host Cape Henlopen.
The stars will shine brighter than ever this year at Cape, as 25 players listed in 247Sports’s rankings database are set to hit the hardwood. The headliner is probably 6-foot-6 wing A.J. Griffin from Archbishop Stepinac, the eighth-ranked junior in America and a recent Duke commit. The field also features 6-foot-10 center Franck Kepnang of Westtown (Pa.) (No. 19 in the junior class) and Duke-bound point guard Jeremy Roach of Paul VI (No. 20 among seniors). This edition of the Slam will ooze high-major Division I talent, as other scheduled attendees have committed to North Carolina, Florida, Xavier, Connecticut, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Penn State and Richmond.
Dr. Matthew Robinson, chairman of the Delaware Sports Commission, stressed the importance of bringing basketball’s best to the beach and building on the tournament’s storied history.
“People come to see the elite players and the elite teams, and I think that’s really what we’re positioned in the market to do,” Robinson said. “Sitting here at Fish On at dinner last night, watching Duke play, and knowing that a couple of our players this year will be going to Duke next year [is really special]. Then watching Kentucky – four of our alums are playing for Kentucky this year. So I like to think that we have brought elite players and teams … I think we deliver something that’s unique. The idea that you have a future NBA player running up and down Cape Henlopen’s court, I think that’s a neat thing.”
Schedule
Friday, Dec. 27
St. Raymond (N.Y.) vs. Cape Henlopen, noon
First Love Christian Academy (Pa.) vs. Hudson Catholic (N.J.), 1:30 p.m.
Rock Creek Christian Academy (Md.) vs. Our Saviour Lutheran (N.Y.), 3 p.m.
National Christian Academy (Md.) vs. Gill St. Bernards (N.J.), 5 p.m.
Sanford vs. Lake Clifton (Md.), 6:30 p.m.
Albany Academy (N.Y.) vs. Eleanor Roosevelt (Md.), 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 28
Immaculate Conception (N.J.) vs. Rock Creek Christian Academy (Md.), noon
Lake Clifton (Md.) vs. Albany Academy (N.Y.), 1:30 p.m.
Eleanor Roosevelt (Md.) vs. Dover, 3 p.m.
Hudson Catholic (N.J.) vs. Westtown (Pa.), 5 p.m.
Our Saviour Lutheran (N.Y.) vs. Legacy Charter (S.C.), 6:30 p.m.
Roselle Catholic (N.J.) vs. Sanford, 8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 29
Legacy Charter (S.C.) vs. Immaculate Conception (N.J.), noon
Gill St. Bernards (N.J.) vs. St. Raymond (N.Y.), 1:30 p.m.
Paul VI (Va.) vs. Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.), 3 p.m.
Dover vs. Cape Henlopen, 5 p.m.
First Love Christian Academy (Pa.) vs. Roselle Catholic (N.J.), 6:30 p.m.
Westtown (Pa.) vs. National Christian Academy (Md.), 8 p.m.
Top players
6-6 F A.J. Griffin, Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) - No. 8 in class of 2021 (Duke)
6-10 C Franck Kepnang, Westtown (Pa.) - No. 19 in class of 2021 (undecided)
6-2 G Jeremy Roach, Paul VI (Va.) - No. 20 in class of 2020 (Duke)
6-2 G Zion Cruz, Hudson Catholic (N.J.) - No. 22 in class of 2022 (undecided)
6-11 C Dereck Lively, Westtown (Pa.) - No. 27 in class of 2022 (undecided)
6-3 G Trevor Keels, Paul VI (Va.) - No. 36 in class of 2021 (undecided)
5-9 G Dug McDaniel, Paul VI (Va.) - No. 37 in class of 2022 (undecided)
6-10 C Cliff Omoruyi, Roselle Catholic (N.J.) - No. 47 in class of 2020 (undecided)
6-1 G R.J. Davis, Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) - No. 57 in class of 2020 (North Carolina)
6-5 F Andre Jackson, Albany Academy (N.Y.) - No. 70 in class of 2020 (Connecticut)
6-5 G Niels Lane, Roselle Catholic (N.J.) - No. 85 in class of 2020 (Florida)
6-4 F Jakai Robinson, National Christian Academy (Md.) - No. 86 in class of 2021 (undecided)
6-3 G C.J. Wilcher, Roselle Catholic (N.J.) - No. 93 in class of 2020 (Xavier)
6-10 C Nnanna Njoku, Sanford - No. 129 in class of 2021 (undecided)
6-5 G D.J. Gordon, First Love Christian Academy (Pa.) - No. 137 in class of 2020 (Penn State)
5-11 G Posh Alexander, Our Saviour Lutheran (N.Y.) - No. 153 in class of 2020 (St. John’s)
6-1 G Malachi Smith, St. Raymond (N.Y.) - No. 157 in class of 2021 (undecided)
6-7 F Noah Collier, Westtown (Pa.) - No. 162 in class of 2020 (Pittsburgh)
5-11 G Isaiah Wilson, First Love Christian Academy (Pa.) - No. 190 in class of 2020 (Richmond)
6-6 F Jyare Davis, Sanford - No. 232 in class of 2020 (undecided)
6-2 G Raejon Figures, Immaculate Conception (N.J.) - No. 249 in class of 2020 (undecided)
6-3 G Dylan Wusu, Our Saviour Lutheran (N.Y.) - No. 310 in class of 2020 (St. John’s)
6-9 F Oumar Koureissi, National Christian Academy (Md.) - No. 316 in class of 2020 (undecided)
6-4 G Josiah Freeman, Paul VI (Va.) - No. 324 in class of 2020 (undecided)
6-10 C Max Amadasun, Our Saviour Lutheran (N.Y.) - No. 345 in class of 2020 (Pittsburgh)
