The Paradise Jam
An Island Paradise Basketball Tournament
Tournament Background
The U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam offers mens and womens
college basketball teams a chance for excellent early season competition in an
exotic island setting. Since the tournaments inception in 2000, many of
the nations finest men and womens teams have converged on St. Thomas
to test their skills and enjoy some fun in the sun.
Since 2001, the tournament has been played at the 4,000-seat UVI Sports and
Fitness Center. The first year of the tournament was played at Ivanna Eudora
Kean High School, in anticipation of the completion of the state-of-the-art
UVI facility in 2001. In June of 2003, a five-year contract extension was inked
between Basketball Travelers, Inc. and the University of the Virgin Islands,
ensuring the future of the Paradise Jam tournament in St. Thomas. The UVI facility
was praised as the best non-mainland tournament facility by several
tournament head coaches. Billy Hahn, LaSalle coach said, "Ive been
to Maui and San Juan and the U.V.I. venue is A#1 the best. The locker rooms
and floor are great its not even close!" Murry Bartow, who
was the head coach of UAB in 2001, said, "The facility is unbelievable.
Usually at [non-mainland] games not many people show up, but the atmosphere
was really good."
Tourism & Television
The two-week tournament in November draws more people to the Virgin Islands
than any other event except Carnival and brings much-needed dollars to the
territorys
businesses just before the tourist season gears up. From a tourism point of view,
college basketball fans are demographically desirable. The median household income
of NCAA basketball viewers, according to an ESPN-commissioned study by MRI Custom
Cable, is $9,000 higher than the national median. The data was drawn from the
cable companys advertising material and data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
In October 2004, Basketball Travelers, Inc. signed a deal with Fox College
Sports to televise two games each during both the men’s and the women’s
championship rounds of play. The live broadcasts reached an estimated audience
of nearly 60 million homes, thanks to Fox College Sports exercising their option
to extend the live broadcasts to regional coverage on sister network Fox Sports
Net. Tournament directors see the addition of television coverage as taking
the Paradise Jam to the highest level of college tournaments. The U.S. Virgin
Islands also greatly benefits from valuable national media coverage, exposing
potential tourists to the beauty and splendor of the islands. Boosting the
islands economy via tourism
also fulfills a core tournament objective.
Strong Fields
Since its inception in November 2000, the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise
Jam has been a prime location for stiff early-season womens basketball
competition. All four participants that first year were ranked Top-25 in pre-season
polls,
with Southwest Missouri State making it to the Final Four. The participants since
then have continued that tradition of excellence. Seven of the eight teams in
the 2002 field made it to the NCAA tournament, with Duke making it all the way
to the Final Four. Four of the eight
2003 participants earned trips to the 2004 NCAA tournament.
During the men's four year tournament tenure, each
of the mens field winners have advanced to the NCAA tournament in the
year following their participation in the Paradise Jam. Miami (unranked prior
to the tournament and ranked as high as 12th afterwards) and BYU both accepted
invitations to the 2003 Big Dance. 2003 Paradise Jam participants Boston
College and Monmouth both earned invites t the Men's NCAA tournament in 2004.
Thanks to a new ruling adopted August 1, 2006, teams may participate in a
Multiple Team Event (formerly called a certified or exempt tournament) like
the Paradise Jam every year. Previously teams could only compete in these
types of tournaments twice every four years. A Multiple Team Event effectively
creates a situation where a team may compete in a three- or four-game tournament
and only have it count as two games against their total season maximum of 29
contests. The authorization for teams to participate in Multiple Team
Events on an annual basis should allow the opportunity for more "big-name" teams
to compete in the Paradise Jam in the future. The 2006 men's Paradise
Jam field was immediately impacted by the new ruling, with the addition of Iowa
and Alabama. These two well-respected NCAA programs would not have
been eligible to participate in the 2006 Paradise Jam under the old 2-in-4 rule.
Tournament Goals and Objectives
As the second largest tourist event on the island behind Carnival, the Paradise
Jam provides an important boost to the local economy and tourism trade. "Thats
what we hang our hats on in November," said UVI Athletic Director Peter Sauer.
"The tournament brings in people who spend money. The main thing is that
its really good for the Virgin Islands people." The two-week, 14 team
tournament brings in an estimated 1000 people to the island who are spending their
tourism dollars on hotels, restaurants, transportation, services, and island memorabilia.
The future addition of national television coverage would serve to attract even
more tourism interest.
Bringing big-time college basketball to the islands for the enjoyment and
entertainment of the people is another objective of the Paradise Jam. The people
of the U.S.V.I.
are very basketball-savvy as well as talented. Several players
from the islands have earned scholarships to mainland colleges. The most famous
player from the U.S.V.I. is NBA Most Valuable Player Tim Duncan of the San Antonio
Spurs. Islanders have brought their raucous enthusiasm for basketball to the
Paradise
Jam since the tournaments inception, much to the surprise and joy of participating
players and coaches alike. The loud crowds inspire the players from mainland
colleges
to raise their early-season play to an even higher level. Many coaches comment
about the strong fan support they receive at the games, which especially for
many
of the womens teams is an unexpected bonus.
Education and youth involvement are also encouraged via the Paradise Jam tournament.
Promotion of the game of basketball to the youth of St. Thomas is achieved through
basketball clinics administrated by the participating college coaches or tournament
staff. Local high school youth are recruited as junior staff members to assist
the tournament administrators in running all aspects of the tournament. The youth
learn about service, sales, hospitality, media relations and many other skills
as they work side by side with experienced staff members. Other youth participate
in steel pan bands during welcome receptions or school bands performing at half-time
of games. These young community members are an integral part of the success of
the Paradise Jam tournament, while also learning valuable lessons in service and
organization.
The tournament also strives to educate and impress the incoming tournament
participants with the matchless beauty and attributes of the islands nature
and culture. Functions such as the Welcome
Reception with mocko jumbies dancing to the steel pan band, and the catamaran
snorkel tour show off the unique features of island life in St. Thomas. Many
tournament
participants comment that the memories they take with them of the people they
met, the reef habitats, the sunshine, and the beauty of the island will never
be forgotten.
Despite its youth, the Paradise Jam is already earning accolades around the
collegiate basketball community. In 2001, just after the first mens tournament,
AP basketball writer Jim OConnell wrote, "Move over, Maui. Step
aside, San Juan. Theres a new vacation venue moving onto the Division I
basketball scene."

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