ESPN RISE Announces Complete Roster for Boost Mobile Elite 24 Event

Twenty Four of the Nation’s Top Players Selected

ESPN RISE today revealed the complete roster of players selected for the 2008 Boost Mobile Elite 24 event.  The 2008 event, which will be held on Friday, August 22 at New York City’s Rucker Park, will feature 24 of the top high school basketball players from across the nation.  Players are selected by a committee consisting of high school basketball experts from ESPN RISE Magazine, ESPN Scouts, Inc. and other leading talent evaluators.  Players are selected based on their performance at AAU tournaments and national summer camps.

Fans of high school basketball will be treated to match ups between rival New Jersey-based players - St. Benedict’s Tristan Thomas and St. Patrick’s Dexter Strickland and teammate Michael Gilchrist; between Florida-based American Heritage’s Kenny Boynton and Pine Crest’s Brandon Knight; and New York-based Lincoln High School’s Lance Stephenson and Rice’s Durand Scott.

Thirteen players from the Class of 2009 were selected for 2008 Boost Mobile Elite 24 event. The Class of 2010 is represented by eight players and three players will represent the class of 2011; the Class of 2012 will not be represented.

Six players from Class of 2009 have made verbal commitments to the colleges: Erik Murphy to University of Florida, Jereme Richmond to University of Illinois, Maalik Wayns to Villanova University, Dexter Strickland to University of North Carolina, Jared Sullinger to Ohio State University and Tristan Thompson to University of Texas.

States represented in the 2008 Boost Mobile Elite 24 are:  California – 2; Florida – 2; Georgia – 2; Illinois – 1; Massachusetts – 1; North Carolina – 4; New Jersey – 4; New York – 3; Ohio – 1; Pennsylvania – 1; Virginia – 1; Washington – 3;

The 2008 Boost Mobile Elite 24 Roster:

About Boost Mobile Elite 24

Launched in 2006 by RISE Magazine, the Boost Mobile Elite 24 is the only basketball event in the country to feature the top 24 high school male basketball players regardless of class year or shoe affiliation.  Played at New York’s famed Rucker Park, Boost Mobile Elite 24 touts alumni that include top 2008 NBA draftees Michael Beasley, Jerryd Bayless and Kevin Love, and college bound freshmen Brandon Jennings (Arizona), Tyreke Evans (Memphis) and Jrue Holiday (UCLA).  The game has featured guest coaches that include NBA stars Ben Gordon, Jason Kidd and Baron Davis; and its inaugural game was the subject of the documentary “Gunnin’ for that #1 Spot”, which debuted at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, and was produced by Beastie Boy Adam Yauch and his production company Oscilloscope. The Boost Mobile Elite 24 event is sponsored by Boost Mobile, Under Armour, Spalding and New York City-based radio station Hot 97 FM. Complete details on the Boost Mobile Elite 24 even can be found at risemag.com/elite24.

About ESPN RISE

ESPN RISE represents ESPN’s commitment to providing its core fans, high school athletes, and their fans with content that celebrates high school sports in a unique way – across all of ESPN’s platforms.  ESPN RISE assets include RISE, GIRL, Hardwood and Gridiron magazines; Hoopgurlz.com; and Student Sports and its StudentSports.com and DyeStat.com, as well as its more than 160 grassroots high school sports events including Elite 11, Area Code Baseball and Nike Combines/Nike SPARQ Mini Camps.  ESPN has a 20-year-history of covering high school sports (1980s) including boys’ and girls’ basketball, football and lacrosse competitions. 

- 30 -