Slam Dunk announces All-Tournament Team
Slam Dunk to the Beach upheld its reputation as one of the premier high school basketball tournaments in the country, as it returned to Cape Henlopen High School Dec. 27-29. More than 12,000 spectators gathered to take in the high level of basketball competition that included a contest between Westtown (Pa.) and Gray Collegiate Academy (S.C.) that many have described as the best high school basketball game of the season. With the continued success of the event and growing interest nationwide, the Delaware Sports Commission is also proud to announce that the tournament will once again return Dec. 27-29, 2017, with tickets for next season’s event available soon at SlamDunktotheBeach.com.
"The atmosphere was electric and the house was packed," said Dr. Matt Robinson, chairman of the Delaware Sports Commission. "We are thrilled with this year's turnout and the continued support of our sponsors, fans and community. The event was another slam dunk for the state of Delaware."
The Delaware Sports Commission also released the Slam Dunk to the Beach All-Tournament Team. The honorees include seven representatives from the field's 20 teams. Mohamed Bamba (Westtown), Jyare Davis (Sanford), Collin Gillespie (Archbishop Wood), Jalek Felton (Gray Collegiate Academy), De’Vondre Perry (Baltimore Poly), Jeremy Roach (Paul VI) and Keith Williams (Bishop Laughlin) represent six players from the national field and one from Delaware.
The nation’s highest-rated uncommitted senior, Mohamed Bamba, led Westtown (Pa.) to a thrilling 70-68 victory over Gray Collegiate Academy (S.C.) Dec. 28. The 6-foot-11 center made the game-winning layup as the final buzzer sounded to finish with a team-high 27 points. He added game-high stats of 13 rebounds and four blocked shots. Bamba followed up that performance with 14 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks in a 71-39 win against Our Savior New American (N.Y.).
Representing the First State on the All-Tournament team is ninth-grader Jyare Davis of Sanford. The youngster paced the Warriors with a double-double of 26 points and 12 rebounds in a 64-54 win against Smyrna. The freshman also led his team with three steals and three three-pointers in the highly anticipated in-state matchup. The day prior, 18 points from Davis made him the only Warriors player to reach double figures against Archbishop Wood (Pa.).
Archbishop Wood left Lewes with a 2-0 record thanks in part to the play of senior Collin Gillespie. The 6-foot-2 guard led all scorers in the Vikings’ 83-72 victory over USA Today 15th-ranked Roselle Catholic. On the second day of the tournament, Gillespie filled the stat sheet with 18 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals in a 72-47 win against Sanford.
In a performance that fans at Cape Henlopen High School will not soon forget, Gray Collegiate Academy’s Jalek Felton scored a tournament-high 39 points against Westtown (Pa.) Dec. 28. The exciting contest was highlighted by Felton’s seven three-pointers, dazzling dunks and outstanding court vision. The War Eagles couldn’t replicate their performance on Day 3 of the tournament, losing 88-51 to St. Benedict’s Prep (N.J.). The University of North Carolina commit still reminded fans of his uncle and NBA veteran, Raymond Felton, with 12 points and three steals against the Gray Bees.
Senior De’Vondre Perry represented Maryland well in his three days in neighboring Delaware. Despite Baltimore Poly’s two losses at the event, Perry shined for the Engineers with 41 total points. Highlighted by alley-oop dunks and high-rising blocks, the Temple commit also grabbed 17 rebounds and swatted four shots against Bishop Loughlin (N.Y.) and Sagemont (Fla.).
Paul VI’s Jeremy Roach was another freshman playing like a veteran in Lewes. The 6-foot-2 ninth-grader led his Panthers team with 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting in a tightly contested battle against Bishop Loughlin (N.Y.) Dec. 28 and 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting in a victory over USA Today 17th-ranked Neumann-Goretti (Pa.) on the first day of the event. The first-year point guard shot an amazing 73 percent from the floor during his two games at Cape Henlopen. Roach, Davis and Cameron Reddish (Haverford, 2014) are the only three freshmen to be named to Slam Dunk to the Beach All-Tournament Team since the event returned three seasons ago.
The tournament’s leading scorer, Keith Williams of Bishop Loughlin (N.Y.), rounds out the 2016 All-Tournament team. Williams quickly became a fan favorite Dec. 27 with flashy dunks that led to a game-high 26 points and a 73-67 win over Baltimore Poly (Md.). On Dec. 28, the Cincinnati basketball commit upped the ante with a double-double of 32 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Lions to an 82-79 win against Paul VI (Va.). The 6-foot-4 senior led all Slam Dunk to the Beach performers with 58 total points during his two-day trip to the Delaware beaches.
The 12,000-plus fans were able to watch the future of basketball up close as many of the nation’s top recruits shined and entertained over a three-day span. The All-Tournament Team was chosen by select members of the media and the Slam Dunk to the Beach committee.
See the Cape Gazette’s coverage of Slam Dunk:
