Delaware Sports Commission Announces More Teams For 2015 Slam Dunk to the Beach Tournament

Sep 09, 2015 01:14 PM EDT

The Delaware Sports Commission has announced the national slate of high school teams that will participate in the Slam Dunk to the Beach basketball tournament, which will be held at Cape Henlopen High School from December 27-29, 2015. The field is headlined by several schools who finished the 2014-15 season ranked in the USA Today Top 50 rankings. Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, PA) finished as the 16th ranked team in the country, while Roselle Catholic (Roselle, NJ) and Ss. Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, PA) each cracked the USA Today Super 25 at 20th and 22nd, respectively. La Lumiere (La Porte, IN),  Christ the King (Middle Village, NY) and  St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, NJ) also finished the year amongst the top 50 teams in the country.

Eighteen teams-representing seven states and the District of Columbia-have now been announced to compete in this year's event, with a nineteenth and final team to be announced at a later date. This collection of elite teams will be three more than last season's Slam Dunk to the Beach total. Slam Dunk is returning to the Delaware beaches after a successful 2014 relaunch of the iconic tournament that over the years has hosted some of the nation's premier players, including  LeBron James (2001), Kevin Durant (2003),  Dwight Howard (2003) and  Carmelo Anthony (2000), all now NBA superstars. Slam Dunk to the Beach contributed more than $1 million to the local economy and well over 10,000 visitors watched the exciting action unfold over three days in December 2014.

Other national programs scheduled to participate include  Bishop McNamara (Forestville, MD), Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, VA), Friendship Collegiate (Washington, D.C.), Paul VI (Fairfax, VA),  St. Raymond (Bronx, NY) and  Westtown (Westtown, PA).

"Slam Dunk to the Beach is a well run event that garners respect nationally," said St. Benedict's Head Coach, Mark Taylor, who has led the Gray Bees to several USA Today Top Five finishes. "St. Benedict's is honored to be included. Our roster has players from NJ, Philadelphia, Delaware and Baltimore, so this is an opportunity to not only compete against elite players and nationally recognized teams from all over the country, but to play in front of family, friends and home. I am sure our players will come to play and have a great experience."

The Delaware teams were announced in March and include  Appoquinimink (Middletown, DE),  Cape Henlopen (Lewes, DE), Dover (Dover, DE),  Mount Pleasant (Wilmington, DE),  Sanford (Hockessin, DE) and  Saint Elizabeth (Wilmington, DE). 

The 2015 event will once again feature numerous ESPN top rated players from each graduating class.  V.J. King (Paul VI/Fairfax, VA),  James Banks (La Lumiere/La Porte, IN) and  Tony Carr (Roman Catholic/Philadelphia, PA) are all listed on the ESPN100 rankings for high school seniors. Representing the ESPN60 list for the Class of 2017 will be  Mohammed Bamba (Westtown/Westtown, PA),  Brian Bowen (La Lumiere/La Porte, IN) and Quade Green (Ss. Neumann-Goretti/Philadelphia, PA). Nazreon Reid (Roselle Catholic/Roselle, NJ) and  Cameron Reddish (Westtown/Westtown, PA) round out the list with their ranking in the exclusive ESPN25 for the sophomore class. 

"We are very excited about the caliber of teams that will be participating in this year's event. It truly is a who's who of high school basketball in the United States," said Slam Dunk to the Beach Chairman, Dr. Matthew Robinson. "Feedback from teams, college coaches and fans that were in attendance at last year's event has been overwhelmingly positive. They really enjoyed their trip to the Delaware beaches while taking part in a first class basketball tournament."

The Delaware Sports Commission has once again brought aboard Position Sports, Inc., a national sports marketing company, to manage all event operations and recruit the national teams to complete the 2015 field. Position Sports has worked with many of the world's leading brands, including current clients Nike, Jordan Brand, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and USA Basketball. 

The Delaware Sports Commission also announced that tickets for Slam Dunk to the Beach 2015 are now on sale at $55 for three day Tournament Passes. Tickets can be purchased online at  www.slamdunktothebeach.com or by calling  844-594-2557. For more information, visit  slamdunktothebeach.com or follow the tournament on Facebook at Slam Dunk to the Beach, via Twitter @SlamDunkToBeach and on Instagram @SlamDunkDE.

To learn more about the 2015 Slam Dunk to the Beach National Field, watch and share the 2015 Team Announcement Special at https://youtu.be/pwOKyoWD0pQ and visit SlamDunktotheBeach.com

About Delaware Sports Commission: 

The Delaware Sports Commission, a not-for-profit organization, was established to attract regional and national level sporting events to Delaware as an endeavor to positively impact Delaware's economy. The DSC also assists with the retention and growth of existing sporting events. To date, the DSC has partnered with over 50 regional and national events, paving the way for future large-scale events to be held in Delaware.