MPAC basketball tournament up and running in Dubai

Jay Asser 15:58 19/06/2014
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  • Future stars: Some of the best US school teams are in action in Dubai.

    The first annual MPAC Elite International Tournament is already in full swing, but basketball fans can still catch the conclusion of the talent- filled event this weekend at Al Shabab Club in Dubai.

    Four high school teams from the US have sent top players to represent their respective regions against the MPAC squad consisting of players from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

    The teams are Montverde Academy from Florida, Huntington Prep from West Virginia, Lone Peak from Utah and Simeon from Chicago.

    All five sides have been battling in a round robin format since June 14, with Thursday and Friday’s fixtures setting up the third-place match and championship games on Saturday afternoon.

    The MENA team is representing 10 different countries and the players were selected after a year-long recruiting process to compete in the tournament sponsored by the Dubai Sports Council.

    “It’s a big thing for our boys. They get to play against top high school US players,” said Luqman Rashad, founder and executive director of MPAC Sports Basketball.

    “We are thrilled to put this historic event by hosting top players from the US and making them play against our boys. This will be a basketball showcase unlike anything this region has ever seen,” added Rashad.

    Spectators can get a look at some of the next Division I college basketball stars and even potential NBA draftees with the US schools having produced a number of recognisable names over the years.

    Chicago Bulls star point guard Derrick Rose went to Simeon before playing in college at Memphis and then being drafted No1 overall by his hometown franchise in the 2008 draft.

    Rose is a three-time All-Star and won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award in 2011.

    Another Simeon product is Jabari Parker, former Duke star and potential top-three pick in this summer’s draft.

    Huntington Prep has its own history of developing NBA players, including OJ Mayo, Patrick Patterson and Gorgui Dieng, up-andcoming centre for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

    Former Kansas star Andrew Wig- By Jay Asser 05 Four US and a MENA team at the tournament Water Polo gins, another potential top-three pick in the draft and top recruit in his high school class, also went to the West Virginia school.

    Montverde Academy has produced NBA players Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Solomon Alabi, while Justin Hamilton was from Lone Peak.

    The invited schools get the opportunity to experience competition at an international level, while increasing their reputation worldwide as youth basketball continues to grow in popularity, especially in the Gulf region.

    “The school teams are extremely excited to come to the UAE,” said Rashad. “MPAC, which is a basketball academy based in the UAE, follows the US basketball culture and is highly respected in America. They know the quality of our coaching and that’s the reason they wanted to be part of this.”

    Don’t miss out on the exciting finish to the region’s first annual elite showcase and a glimpse at potential future stars.

    The third-place game will take place on Saturday at 16:00, while the championship will be played right after at 17:45.

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