The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

WHILE many of the top high school players for the class of 2016 and 2017 have been drawn to the Bahamas this weekend by Nike, the top overall recruit and Bahamian native will compete at another showcase hosted by a rival shoe company.

DeAndre Ayton was one of 24 players named to the roster to compete at the Under Armour Elite 24 All-Star Game, set to take place August 22 in Brooklyn, New York.

The Under-Armour Elite 24 has quickly become one of the premier events during the summer as the bidding war between major shoe companies heats up in an attempt to claim top college prospects and is televised live on ESPN.

Ayton, out of the Balboa School in San Diego, will lead team “EZ Pass” alongside several other “blue chip recruits” from the junior and senior classes. His teammates include Josh Jackson, the No.3 recruit in the class of 2016 who has already committed to UNLV.

Other members of the class of 2016 include No.9 TJ Leaf, No.14 and Alabama committee Terrence Ferguson, No. 18 Dewan Huell and No. 31 Seventh Woods.

The class of 2017 team members will be highlighted by sixth ranked Troy Brown Jr and 13th ranked Trevon Duval.

Team “Doo be Doo” will be led by class of 16 No.6 recruit, Kobi Simmons, No.8 Edrice Adebayo, No. 17 Jarret Allen and No. 19 Udoka Azubuike.

Class of 2017 players include No.9 Jalek Felton, already a commit to North Carolina and No. 20 Billy Preston.

It will be the first nationally televised game for Ayton, who has become one of the most sought after high school prospects in recent memory.

Ayton has been active at the Under Armour Association circuit, including at the Finals Showcase hosted in Atlanta, Georgia, with his “Supreme Court” team.

In his final game of the showcase, Ayton, the 7’0 foot tall, 235-pound centre and No.1 ranked player in the class of 2017, went head-to- head with Jackson.

Jackson and his Michigan-based “1 Nation” team got the better of “Supreme Court” in the final score 63-56 to eliminate them from the tournament.

Ayton finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds and shot 8-15 from the field in 28 minutes while Jackson finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds.

Also at the finals showcase, he scored 14 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a loss against “Team Breakdown.”

He missed the first two weekends of the circuit in April hosted in New Orleans, Louisiana and Louisville, Kentucky.

At the third stop on the circuit in Ardsley, New York, he was dominant with 28 points and 12 rebounds in his return. He also posted games of 15 points and 15 rebounds and an 18-point, 19-rebound and five blocked shot performance during the series.

The Under Armour grassroots basketball circuit has quickly grown to establish a reputation as one of the premier spring AAU events on the prep basketball calendar.

The shoe company which boasts NBA MVP Stephen Curry as its signature athlete and made waves in the offseason with their pursuit of Kevin Durant, looks to have a similar impact on the grassroots basketball circuit.

“Our mission is to make all athletes better through passion, design and the relentless pursuit of innovation. This is a mission that we take extremely seriously and are committed to bringing to life through our UA Association programmes and events,” said a release issued on the Under Armour Association website.

“This year we will ‘relentlessly pursue innovation’ by enhancing the format and structure of the UA Association and introducing new properties that will make all athletes better. In 2015, our UA Association league will give our programmes and players the much-deserved opportunity to pursue their passions and dreams through the game of basketball.”

The two teams that make up the Elite 24 will be coached by four-person staffs that each include a former and present NBA player. Team “EZ Pass” will include former North Carolina Tar Heel Jeff McInnis and Denver Nuggets rookie Emmanuel Mudiay on the coaching staff. Team “Doo Be Doo” will have former Texas Longhorn TJ Ford on the sidelines along with Brandon Jennings of the Detroit Pistons.