Tickets Now On Sale For 2012 All-American Championship

Tickets Now On Sale For 2012 All-American Championship
Second-annual high school boys basketball showcase to be held in New Orleans

PRINCETON, N.J. - Tickets for the second-annual All-American Championship, a showcase of the best boys high school basketball players in the country, are now on sale.

The All-American Championship will be held on Sunday, April 1, at the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, La., site of the 2012 NCAA division I men's basketball championship. The event consists of four teams representing each region of the country and will be aired on ESPNU and ESPN3. Teams are comprised of the best boys high school players in the country, be they juniors, seniors, or postgraduate players. Head coaches for the All-American Championship will be selected from some of the nation's premier high school programs while assistant coaches will be from New Orleans programs.

Further details regarding the All-American Championship can be found at www.allamericanchampionship.com.

In the first game of the inaugural All-American Championship played in Houston last year, Josiah Turner's (Sacramento, Calif./University of Arizona) layup at the buzzer gave the South a 93-91 overtime victory against the North. Turner scored four of his 13 points in the extra session, including the game-winner. He also handed out seven assists and had six steals. The North also received 17 points from B.J. Young (Florissant, Mo./University of Arkansas), who was named Most Outstanding Player for the squad. Tony Parker (Lithonia, Ga./Miller Grove H.S/Uncommitted) was named the South's Most Outstanding Player for netting a game-high 21 points and hauling down nine rebounds.

In the nightcap, the West led by 20 points with 6:31 remaining in the fourth quarter and then withstood a furious comeback by the East to hold on and earn a 107-104 win. Perry Ellis (Wichita, Kan./Wichita Heights H.S./University of Kansas commit) earned Most Outstanding Player honors for the West for scoring 14 points and hauling down a team-high eight rebounds. The East was paced by team Most Outstanding Player Mo Harkless (Jamaica, N.Y./St. John's University) and his 15 points.

Last year's All-American Championship featured 41 players, including Shabazz Muhammad, considered the top high school basketball player in the nation this year. In all, 27 seniors and 14 juniors participated in last year's event. Thirty-eight of those players committed to high-major college programs while three, including Muhammad and Parker, have yet to commit.

Rosters for the 2012 All-American Championship will be announced in late February.

A panel of the nation's most respected media covering high school basketball serves as the selection committee for the All-American Championship: Paul Biancardi (ESPN.com); Eric Bossi (Rivals.com); Frank Burlison (Long Beach (Calif.) Press-Telegram); Evan Daniels (Scout.com); Clark Francis (Hoop Scoop); Joel Francisco (ESPN.com); Rob Harrington (Prep Stars); Jason Hickman (Max Preps); Jim Hicks (RCS Sports, Houston); Tom Konchalski (High School Basketball Illustrated); Chris Lawlor (New York Daily News); and Adam Zagoria (SNY.tv).

Tickets may be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com, by calling TicketMaster (800-745-3000), or by calling the Lakefront Arena box office (504-280-7222).

Below are testimonials from several players who participated in last year's All-American Championship.

Shabazz Muhammad, Top-ranked senior high school prospect in the nation (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman H.S.) - "This is a great opportunity for me to play against a lot of these seniors and see how I go up against these guys and compare my skills to theirs."

B.J. Young, University of Arkansas (Florissant, Mo./McCleur North H.S.) - "This is a great experience. I’m down here with great players. I’m having a great time. We have great coaches. I’m just thankful to be down here and get a chance to play on ESPNU."

Michael Gbinije, Duke University (Chester, Va./Benedictine School) - "Playing in the All-American Championship is a great experience because it gives you the chance to play against some of the best players in high school and we’re here in Houston, where the Final Four is, so it is pretty fun. It’s just a good environment."

Dai-Jon Parker, Vanderbilt University (Alpharetta, Ga./Milton H.S.) - "I feel honored to play in the All-American Championship because this is the first and us being able to kick it off and keep the tradition going next year is great. We can always say we started this. Being a part of this is awesome."

Perry Ellis, University of Kansas commit (Wichita, Kan./Wichita Heights H.S.) - "It feels good to be a part of something that just started out. We’re the first group to be here and it’s a good experience."

Tracy Abrams, University of Illinois (Chicago, Ill./Mount Carmel H.S.) - "It’s been a great experience; an experience I will never forget. Being around these guys who I have never been around before and bonding with these guys, it’s just a great experience."

Cameron Ridley, University of Texas commit (Richmond, Texas/Bush H.S.) - "It feels good to be around all these good players. It gets me ready for the next level where I am going to see most of the players again."

The All-American Championship is produced by the Gazelle Group of Princeton, N.J. The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production and management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting. Gazelle produces numerous nationally-recognized events, such as the 2K Sports Classic, Progressive CBE Classic, TicketCity Legends Classic, Gotham Classic, and the CBI presented by Zebra Pen. The Gazelle Group is a member of USA Basketball. For more information on the Gazelle Group, please visit www.gazellegroup.com.