Slam Dunk to the Beach returns to Lewes Dec. 26-29

Hoophall East Slam Dunk to the Beach will return to Lewes Tuesday, Dec. 26 through Friday, Dec. 29, at its one and only home – Cape Henlopen High School.

This year’s 14-game, 22-team slate boasts as much blue-chip talent as ever and features intriguing matchups in every session. Three of ESPN’s top 25 teams in America will take the hardwood, as will 26 players ranked among the top 250 in their respective classes by 247 Sports. The headliners surely must be Slam Dunk mainstays Paul VI (Va.), the nation’s No. 6 squad. The Panthers suit up a pair of Duke signees in big man Patrick Ngongba and off-guard Darren Harris, while No. 16 Combine Academy (N.C.) and No. 20 Bullis (Md.) also bring multiple high-major prospects to the floor. High-scoring Moravian (N.C.) deserves a special mention, as its sharp-shooting backcourt duo of brothers Eli and Isaac Ellis is a must-see attraction. This year’s event also has a distinctly Philly flavor, as five teams from in and around the City of Brotherly Love will see action. Tickets are available at slamdunktothebeach.com.

Schedule

Tuesday, Dec. 26

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Md.) girls vs. Cape Henlopen (Del.) girls, 6 p.m.

Caravel (Del.) boys vs. Cape Henlopen (Del.) boys, 7:15 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 27

Roman Catholic (Pa.) vs. Cardinal Ritter Prep (Mo.), 3:30 p.m.

No. 20 The Bullis School (Md.) vs. Moravian Prep (N.C.), 5 p.m.

No. 16 Combine Academy (N.C.) vs. Penn Charter School (Pa.), 6:30 p.m.

College Achieve Charter (N.J.) vs. Salesianum School (Del.), 8 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 28

Christ The King (N.Y.) vs. Friendship Tech Prep (D.C.), 3:30 p.m.

Blair Academy (N.J.) vs. Bella Vista Prep (Ariz.), 5 p.m.

The Phelps School (Pa.) vs. No. 20 The Bullis School (Md.), 6:30 p.m.

Westtown School (Pa.) vs. Bishop McNamara (Md.), 8 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 29

St. Raymond (N.Y.) vs. Archbishop Carroll (Pa.), 3:30 p.m.

Cardinal Ritter Prep (Mo.) vs. No. 6 Paul VI (Va.), 5 p.m.

Friendship Tech Prep (D.C.) vs. Blair Academy (N.J.), 6:30 p.m.

Bella Vista Prep (Ariz.) vs. Westtown School (Pa.), 8 p.m.

Top-rated players

Jordan Smith 6-3 G Paul VI (Va.) Uncommitted No. 16 in ‘26

Patrick Ngongba 6-11 C Paul VI (Va.) Duke No. 22 in ’24

Will Riley 6-8 F The Phelps School (Pa.) Uncommitted No. 30 in ’25

Deron Rippey 6-0 G Blair Academy (N.J.) Uncommitted No. 31 in ‘26

Rakease Passmore 6-5 G Combine Academy (N.C.) Kansas No. 48 in ’24

Darren Harris 6-6 G Paul VI (Va.) Duke No. 57 in ’24

Isaiah Abraham 6-7 F Paul VI (Va.) Connecticut No. 67 in ’24

Adlan Elamin 6-7 F Paul VI (Va.) Uncommitted No. 83 in ’25

Eli Ellis 6-1 G Moravian Prep (N.C.) South Carolina No. 89 in ’25

Matt Gilhool 6-10 F Penn Charter (Pa.) Uncommitted No. 94 in ‘25

Dwayne Pierce 6-5 F Christ The King (N.Y.) Iowa St. No. 95 in ’24

Caden Diggs 6-7 F The Bullis School (Md.) Old Dominion No. 99 in ’24

Jayden Williams 6-9 C Bella Vista Prep (Ariz.) Uncommitted No. 100 in ’24

Brandon Stores 6-4 F St. Raymond (N.Y.) Uncommitted No. 101 in ‘25

Makhan Diouf 6-11 F Bella Vista Prep (Ariz.) Uncommitted No. 102 in ’24

Adrien Stevens 6-4 G The Bullis School (Md.) Uncommitted No. 102 in ’25

Eric Reibe 7-0 F The Bullis School (Md.) Uncommitted No. 111 in ‘25

Jahseem Felton 6-5 G Combine Academy (N.C.) Seton Hall No. 129 in ’24

Garrett Sundra 6-10 F Paul VI (Va.) Notre Dame No. 143 in ’24

Naas Hart 6-9 F College Achieve Charter (N.J.) Uncommitted No. 146 in ‘25

Tai Turnage 5-10 G St. Raymond (N.Y.) Uncommitted No. 170 in ‘25

Ben Hammond 5-11 G Paul VI (Va.) Rhode Island No. 179 in ’24

JaQuan Womack 6-7 F Paul VI (Va.) Uncommitted No. 186 in ‘25

Qin Pang 6-9 F Christ The King (N.Y.) Uncommitted No. 188 in ’24

Jack Bailey 6-10 F Blair Academy (N.J.) Uncommitted No. 207 in ‘25

Marcus Wilson 6-3 G Bella Vista Prep (Ariz.) Washington St. No. 218 in ’24

Team capsules

Cape Henlopen (Lewes, Del.) Vikings girls

Coach: Pat Woods

Last year: 20-3, No. 5 in Delaware

Look out for: 6-0 F Amalia Fruchtman, 5-8 G Faith Re, 6-1 F Hayden Hudson

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Baltimore, Md.) Cougars girls

Coach: Martez Vaughan

Last year: 8-14, No. 40 in Maryland

Look out for: 5-10 G Amya Goodsell, 5-10 F Caryne Nelson, 5-7 G Jaden Washington

Archbishop Carroll (Radnor, Pa.) Patriots

Coach: Francis Bowe

Last year: 15-9, No. 20 in Pennsylvania 

Look out for: 6-6 F Munir Greig, 5-9 G Ian Williams, 6-9 C Drew Corrao

NBA alums: Derrick Jones Jr.

Bella Vista Prep (Scottsdale, Ariz.) Bears

Coach: Tony Miller

Last year: 21-10, No. 20 in Arizona

Look out for: 6-9 C Jayden Williams, 6-11 F Makhan Diouf, 6-3 G Marcus Wilson

Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.) Mustangs

Coach: Martin Keithline

Last year: 27-9, No. 6 in Maryland

Look out for: 6-4 G Prince-Alexander Moody, 6-5 G Qayden Samuels, 6-0 G Jaren Curtis

NBA alums: Ty Lawson

Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.) Bucs

Coach: Joe Mantegna

Last year: 14-4, No. 4 prep school nationally

Look out for: 6-0 G Deron Rippey, 6-10 F Jack Bailey, 6-9 C Eric Ihekwaba

NBA alums: Luol Deng, Charlie Villanueva, Royal Ivey

Cape Henlopen (Lewes, Del.) Vikings

Coach: Steve Re

Last year: 12-9, No. 18 in Delaware

Look out for: 6-3 G Jameson Tingle, 6-4 F Jack Schell, 5-10 G Jayden Dukes

Caravel (Bear, Del.) Buccaneers

Coach: Mark Tobin

Last year: 15-7, No. 8 in Delaware

Look out for: 6-1 G Ryan Black, 6-3 G Trevor Webster, 6-4 F Zane Bohn

Cardinal Ritter Prep (St. Louis, Mo.) Lions

Coach: Ryan Johnson

Last year: 29-4, No. 4 in Missouri, state champs

Look out for: 6-2 G Clay Jackson, 6-5 F Nashawn Davis, 6-0 G Derrick Rivers

NBA alums: Jahidi White, Loren Woods

Christ The King (Middle Village, N.Y.) Royals

Coach: Joe Arbitello

Last year: 23-6, No. 2 in New York, No. 72 nationally

Look out for: 6-5 F Dwayne Pierce, 6-9 F Qin Pang, 6-2 G Markell Alston

NBA alums: Jayson Williams, Speedy Claxton, Khalid Reeves

College Achieve Charter (Asbury Park, N.J.) Knights

Coach: Dave Boff

Last year: N/A (first-year program)

Look out for: 6-9 F Naas Hart, 6-10 F Eunique Rink, 6-2 G Deuce Jones

No. 16 Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.) Goats

Coach: Mike Wright

Last year: 36-5, No. 3 in North Carolina

Look out for: 6-5 G Rakease Passmore, 6-5 G Jahseem Felton, 6-9 F Rivers Knight

Friendship Tech Prep (Washington, D.C.) Titans

Coach: Dwayne Shackleford

Last year: 25-6, No. 6 in Washington, D.C.

Look out for: 6-4 G David Bumpass, 6-8 F Aidan Haskins, 6-2 G Joebari Parsons

Moravian Prep (Hudson, N.C.) Lions

Coach: Jeremy Ellis

Last year: 31-4, No. 2 in North Carolina  state champs

Look out for: 6-1 G Eli Ellis, 6-0 G Isaac Ellis, 6-7 F Abu Yarmah

NBA alums: Josh Hall

No. 6 Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) Panthers

Coach: Glenn Farello

Last year: 31-4, No. 1 in Virginia, state champs, No. 9 nationally

Look out for: 6-11 C Patrick Ngongba, 6-3 G Jordan Smith, 6-6 G Darren Harris

NBA alums: Erick Green, Josh Reaves, Trevor Keels

Penn Charter School (Philadelphia, Pa.) Quakers

Coach: Brandon Williams

Last year: 24-4, No. 33 in Pennsylvania

Look out for: 6-10 F Matt Gilhool, 6-1 G Jake West, 6-5 G Kai Shinholster

NBA alums: Sean Singletary, Rob Kurz, Steve Goodrich

Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) Cahillites

Coach: Matthew Griffin

Last year: 27-4, No. 1 in Pennsylvania, No. 49 nationally

Look out for: 6-8 F Shareef Jackson, 6-5 F Sammy Jackson, 6-3 G Nnanyelu Ezeukwu

NBA alums: Eddie Griffin, Jalen Duren, Lamar Stevens

Salesianum (Wilmington, Del.) Sals

Coach: Taylor Trevisan

Last year: 17-7, No. 2 in Delaware, state champs

Look out for: 6-4 G Isaiah Hynson, 6-5 F Justin Hinds, 6-4 F RJ Johnson

NBA alums: Donte DiVincenzo

St. Raymond (Bronx, N.Y.) Ravens

Coach: Jorge Lopez

Last year: 10-17, No. 108 in New York

Look out for: 6-4 F Brandon Stores, 5-10 G Tai Turnage, 6-1 G Anderson Diaz

NBA alums: Allan Ray, Julius Hodge, Terrence Rencher

No. 20 The Bullis School (Potomac, Md.) Bulldogs

Coach: Bruce Kelley

Last year: 26-5, No. 5 in Maryland

Look out for: 6-7 F Caden Diggs, 6-4 G Adrien Stevens, 7-0 F Eric Reibe

NBA alums: Doug Moe

The Phelps School (Malvern, Pa.) Lions

Coach: Trey Morin

Last year: 9-10, No. 301 in Pennsylvania 

Look out for: 6-8 F Will Riley, 6-10 F Onyx Nnani, 6-3 G Jacob Hudson

Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) Moose

Coach: Seth Berger

Last year: 15-11, No. 86 in Pennsylvania 

Look out for: 6-5 G Cam Wallace, 6-6 F Malik Rasul, 6-5 G Jayden Kelsey

NBA alums: Cam Reddish, Mo Bamba, Dereck Lively