2007 PARADISE JAM – May 11, 2007

Seattle, Washington -- Eight division I men’s basketball teams will travel to St. Thomas to participate in the 8th annual U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam Tournament at the University of the Virgin Islands. Basketball fans can look forward to an impressive men’s field, with three of the 2007 participants earning berths to the NCAA tournament last March. Georgia Tech (20-12), Notre Dame (24-8), and Winthrop (29-5) each competed in the NCAA tournament, with Winthrop advancing to the second round with a win over fellow 2007 Paradise Jam participant, Notre Dame. Georgia Tech lost to UNLV in the first round. Although these three NCAA-hardened squads bring high expectations to the islands this November, they will be hard-pressed by the other five teams also seeking early season success. Wichita State (17-14), Baylor (15-16), Charlotte (14-16), Monmouth (12-18) and UIC (14-18) round out the eight-team Paradise Jam field, making it one of the most competitive, neutral court, early season tournaments in America. Three of the 2007 participants are returning to the islands for the second time to compete in the Paradise Jam: Winthrop (3rd in 2004), Wichita State (2nd in 2003), and Monmouth (3rd in 2003).

Competition begins on November 16 with consecutive-day action culminating in the championship round on November 19. The 2007 Paradise Jam will tip off with Georgia Tech playing Charlotte at 2:00 pm on the 16th. The day’s other matchups include UIC vs Winthrop at 4:30 pm, Baylor vs Wichita State at 7:00 pm and Monmouth battling Notre Dame at 9:30 pm. All game times are Atlantic Standard Time (one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time). Two games will be played daily on November 17 (losing teams from the 16th) and November 18 (winning teams from the 16th) at 7:00pm and 9:30pm. The final day of competition on November 19 will be structured similarly to the first day. The game times are set for 2:00 pm, 4:30 pm, 7:00 pm with the championship game at 9:30 pm. All games will be played at the state-of-the-art University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.

Notre Dame comes to St. Thomas following a very successful 2006-07 season. The Irish posted a 24-8 record that merited Coach Mike Brey Big East Conference Coach of the Year honors. The Irish earned a #6 seed, making their first NCAA Tournament appearance in three years. Their season ended at the hands of the Winthrop, who held off a valiant Notre Dame comeback to win 74-64. Notre Dame will rely on returning starter and senior captain Rob Kurz (12.6 points per game, 8.0 rebounds per game) for early season leadership on the court. The Irish will also look to a pair of sophomores, Tory Jackson and Luke Harangody, as well as junior Kyle McAlarney to help fill the gap left by the graduation of co-MVPs and First Team All-Big East selections, Colin Falls and Russell Carter. During the 2006-07 season Jackson averaged 7.8 points per game and 4.3 assist per game and was named, along with Harangody, to the All-Big East Rookie Team. Harangody averaged 11.2 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game. McAlarney, will return to the Irish squad after sitting out more than half of last season. The junior point-guard averaged 10.3 points per game and 5.1 assists per game in the first 12 games last season.

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets lost their two top scorers and their best one-on-one defender from last year’s team that went 20-12 and made the NCAA Tournament. But seven letterwinners who averaged double-digit minutes return, three highly-regarded recruits are on campus, and two other players who sat out last season join the fray. Those returning players, led by scoring guards Lewis Clinch and Anthony Morrow, were a big part of the Yellow Jackets hitting 49 percent of their shots from the floor, a high-water mark for the Hewitt era, and outscoring opponents by 9.2 points on average for the season. Tech also returns its leading rebounder in Jeremis Smith, who helped the Jackets set a school record and finish second in the Atlantic Coast Conference in rebound margin at plus-5.8 boards per game. That core group combined for 54 starts last season, and is backed up by a quartet of up-and-coming players in Alade Aminu, D’Andre Bell, Mouhammad Faye and Zach Peacock, all of whom were significant contributors and have 30 career starts between them. Add to that group point guard Matt Causey and forward Brad Sheehan, who sat out last season as a transfer and a red-shirt, respectively, as players who are familiar with Hewitt’s system and what the head coach expects in terms of effort. Hewitt welcomes a trio of talented recruits in Gani Lawal, a 6-8 forward from Norcross, Ga., Maurice “Moe” Miller, a 6-2 point guard from Memphis, Tenn., and Lance Storrs, a 6-4 shooter from Decatur, Ga., all of whom are expected to contend for playing time.

Winthrop is one of two Paradise Jam participants that come to the islands with a new coach at the helm. Randy Peele was named Winthrop head coach after serving as former Winthrop Coach Gregg Marshall’s top assistant four years. Under Coach Marshall, the Eagles posted a 29-5 overall record and went 14-0 in the Big South Conference. They won the Big South Conference Tournament for the sixth time in nine years and were seeded 11th in the NCAA tournament, where they beat Notre Dame before losing to Oregon in the second round. This is the second trip to the Paradise Jam for the Eagles, who placed 3rd in the 2004 tournament. Winthrop lost three starters, including NBA prospects and All-Big South selections Craig Bradshaw (13.5 points per game/6.5 rebounds per game) and Torrell Martin (14.5 points per game/5.7 rebounds per game), as well as starter, Phillip Williams (8.2 points per game/5.5 rebounds per game). This year, new head coach Peele will look to returning starting seniors Chris Gaynor (7.8 points per game/3.2 rebounds per game) and First Team All-Big South selection Michael Jenkins (14.8 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per game), as well as key reserve Taj McCullough (7.9 points per game/3.8 rebounds per game) and senior Antwon Harris.

Wichita State (17-14) also travels to the Virgin Islands with a new coach at the helm, ironically the former Winthrop head coach Gregg Marshall. Marshall inherits a team that lost three key players to graduation, including starters Kyle Wilson (13.7 points per game/5.2 rebounds per game) and Ryan Martin (7.6 points per game/5.8 rebounds per game) and reserve Karon Bradley (8.0 points per game/2.1 rebounds per game). Coach Marshall will look to returning starters P.J. Couisnard (11.8 points per game/5.8 rebounds per game/ 3 assists per game) and Matt Braeuer (6.1 points per game/ 2.1 rebounds per game), to provide early season leadership. The Shockers will also look to reserves Phillip Thomasson (6.1 points per game/3.7 rebounds per game), point guard Gal Mekel, the team’s most improved player and Wendell Preadom. Marshall is counting on an immediate impact from junior college transfers Mantas Griskenas, who was rated by JucoJunction.com as the 22nd best Junior College prospect in the nation, and Ramon Clemente, an NJCAA 3rd Team All-American. This is the 2nd trip to the Virgin Islands for the Shockers, who were defeated 84-81 by Boston College in the 2003 Paradise Jam championship game.

The Baylor Bears finished 15-16 last season. The only question mark on the Bears roster was Aaron Bruce (11.7 points per game/4.2 rebounds per game), who declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft as an early entry prospect. Bruce did not hire an agent and decided to return to college prior to the draft. Head Coach Scott Drew will bring the most seasoned roster to the US Virgin Islands. Baylor returns 10 of 14 players from the 2006-07 season. The Bears return all five starters, including Bruce, leading scorer Curtis Jerrells (15.0 points per game/4.7 rebounds per game/ 3.8 Assist per game), Henry Dugat (11.7 points per game/4.2 rebounds per game), Kevin Rogers (12.8 points per game/7.6 rebounds per game) and Mamadou Diene, one of the Big 12 conference’s best shot blockers. Also returning is sophomore Tweety Carter, who started 13 games for the Bears and is the most highly regarded recruit to ever attend Baylor. Carter averaged 8.7 points per game in the 2006-07 season. Baylor signed three players to Letters of Intent, including Lacedarius Dunn, who was ranked the 18th best high school prospect in the nation by Scout.com.

Charlotte travels to the Paradise Jam after posting a 14-16 mark in the 2006-07 season. They are coached by 10th year coach Bobby Lutz, who has guided them to seven post season appearances in nine years. They lost six players (two starters), including leading scorer, De’Angelo Alexander to graduation. Coach Lutz will look to Leemire Goldwire (14.5 points per game/3.1 rebounds per game) Goldwire led A-10 in three-pointers made per game (3.03/gm) and ranks fifth all-time for the 49ers in career threes. The 49ers also return Ian Andersen, who started 14 games add that Charlotte also welcomes 6-10 center Phil Jones, who sat out last season but was enrolled at the university and Charles Dewhurst, a red-shirt freshman who was impressive in the early season before suffering a season-ending leg injury.. Additionally, Coach Lutz will look to his recruiting class, ranked 13th in the nation, Keys to the incoming recruiting class: Three-time Georgia 3A High School Player of the Year An’Juan Wilderness and Charlie Coley and Lamont Mack, a pair of junior college all-Americans.

Monmouth returns to the Paradise Jam coming off a 12-18 season. The Hawks played in the 2003 Paradise Jam and placed third by coming back from a tournament-record 18 point deficit in the second half to beat Hampton 64-52. Guided by head coach Dave Calloway, Monmouth hopes their 2007 Paradise Jam experience will be the start of a very successful season that culminates in an NEC Tournament Championship and NCAA tournament berth, just as it did in the 2003-04 season. The Hawks lost three starters Dejan Delic (14.6 points per game/3.6 rebounds per game), Corey Hallett (7.1 points per game/3.5 rebounds per game) and Marques Alston (11.5 points per game/3.5 rebounds per game) to graduation. Coach Calloway will look to Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year Jhamar Youngblood (12.3 points per game/3.5 rebounds per game) to pick up some of the slack. Starter Whitney Coleman (9.1 points per game/3.1 rebounds per game), who started 10 games for the Hawks, will also help provide early season leadership for the team.

UIC completes the eight-team Paradise Jam field. After finishing the 2006-07 season 14-18, the Flames will look to a strong mix of returning veterans and new talent for success from beginning to end. Head Coach Jimmy Collins will rely on 2007-08 Preseason All-Horizon League junior guard Josh Mayo to take the reigns of the Flames as the team’s go-to player. Mayo averaged 12.2 points while dishing out a team-best 86 assists in 27 games last year, showing off clutch shooting in wins over the likes of eventual Sweet 16 team Butler. The Flames will also benefit from the return of All-Horizon League Defensive Team selection Scott VanderMeer. The 7-foot VanderMeer racked up a Horizon League and UIC record 105 blocked shots, which was more than the total for six of the Horizon League teams during the 2006-07 season. UIC also returns senior guard Robert Bush, who averaged 9.8 points per game down the stretch and poured in 21 points in the Flames’ Horizon League Tournament win over Milwaukee. Robert Kreps, the 2007 Illinois Mr. Basketball runner-up, and high-scoring Illinois prep standout Tori Boyd could contribute immediately for the Flames as rookies.

In 2006 Paradise Jam action, Alabama defeated Xavier 63-56 to take home the Paradise Jam crown. Villanova beat Iowa to take third place (89-60), Toledo captured fourth place with a 60-59 win over Virginia Commonwealth and College of Charleston finished ahead of Middle Tennessee State with a 64-56 win.

Contact:
Jennifer Ashby
Paradise Jam Tournament Director
Basketball Travelers, Inc
425.776.2775
425.776.4094 FAX
Email: Jenn@BasketballTravelers.com

Read the 2006 Team Overview.
Read the 2005 Team Overview.
Read the 2004 Team Overview.
Read the 2003 Team Overview.