Tourney Brings Top Hoop Stars

For annual Rose City ShowcaseThe annual Rose City Showcase tips off Friday, June 12 at Lewis and Clark College in southwest Portland.

Before Dwight Howard became an NBA All-Star, before Josh Smith and Gerald Green won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, before O.J. Mayo, Michael Beasley, and Kevin Love became all All-Americans and before Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers led Kansas to the 2008 NCAA Championship, they all had one thing in common - they participated in the Rose City Showcase.

The tournament, organized by Portland’s Canaan Chatman and Courtside Entertainment, Inc., is now in its seventh year, serving as the host to the nation’s top grassroots basketball players and future college and NBA stars.

Six of the eight teams competing on opening night will come from the states of Oregon and Washington. But the talent level will stick to tradition as 40 of the top 100 players high school basketball players in the nation will be featured on the main court.

AAU National powers Mississippi Basketball Academy, Seattle Rotary Select and the Derrick Rose All-Stars will blend a crop of blue chippers with a crew of local blue collar programs such as I-5 Elite, Friends of Hoop Seattle, Team A.C.C.E.S.S, Team Oregon and Emerald City Basketball Academy.

Four power-packed, super 17 match-ups will feature the top players in the country from the classes of 2010 and 2011. The intensity continues through Sunday evening when the 2009 Rose City Showcase champion will be crowned.

Divisional tournaments will be held at Inner City Players Practice Facility, Beaverton Hoop, Warner Pacific College, and Benson High School, (8 a.m. - 8 p.m.) on Saturday and Sunday.

For maps and detailed schedules, visit RoseCityShowcase.net.

Proceeds will benefit Inner City Players Athletics, a local non-profit “Providing a foundation for student athletes to succeed personally, academically and athletically.”

For more information on ICP, visit InnerCityPlayers.org

Copyright 2006, Portland Observer.

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