Some of the top prep basketball players in the nation will be on hand for the adidas Derby Festival Basketball Classic on Saturday, April 20, at Freedom Hall and the adidas Derby Festival Night of the Future Stars on Friday, April 19, at Bellarmine University’s Knights Hall. Live coverage on 105.1 WLRS.

Said Recruiting Chair Dan Owens: “The Derby Festival Basketball Classic has for years been a great place to see stars in the making. These young men represent the best talent in the country and the Classic is a unique opportunity to see the players while they’re still in high school.”

In 2007, a crowd of 9,223 was on hand to watch the Classic which featured two McDonald’s All-Americans, two University of Louisville recruits and two University of Kentucky signees. The Black Team defeated the Gold Team 140-117. Kansas State recruit Michael Beasley scored 23 points and grabbed 16 rebounds and was named Black Team MVP. Texas A&M recruit DeAndre Jordan scored 18 points and grabbed 7 rebounds and was named MVP of the Gold Team.

At halftime, it was announced that the team of Nolan Smith and Michael Beasley recruits for Duke and Kansas State, respectively, won Friday night’s 2-on-2 finals at Bellarmine University’s Knights Hall during the adidas Derby Festival Night of the Future Stars.

Steffphon Pettigrew, of Western Kentucky University, won the three-point shooting competition. University of Kentucy recruit, A.J. Stewart, won the slam dunk competition.

Players such as Derek Anderson, Moses Malone, Jamal Mashburn, Rex Chapman, Dominique Wilkins, Pervis Ellison, Isiah Thomas, Darrell Griffith and Dajuan Wagner have appeared in the Classic.

Start Date: Saturday, April 19, 2008
Location: Freedom Hall
Time: 7 PM
Tickets: $10 and $15 reserved. On sale Jan. 3rd.
Admission: Ticket & $5 KEC Parking Fee
Event Chair: Jay Hillebrand
Sponsored By: Adidas
Contributing Sponsor: Delta Airlines, DeVry University and 105.1 WLRS
Media Partner: Live Coverage on 105.1 WLRS

* 2008 Roster
* Former All-Star’s
* Ticket Info
* Tickets sold at all TicketMaster locations and the Fairgrounds Ticket Office. (Phone 502-361-3100 or 1-800-487-1212).

via KDF.org

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UPDATE:

In the adidas Derby Festival Basketball Classic, the teams exploded for 73 points in the final period as Kansas signee Travis Releford and Georgia signee Howard Thompkins combined for 40 points to lead the Black team past the Gold squad 128-121 last night before 10,193 fans at Freedom Hall.

Releford, a 6-foot-5 wing player from Shawnee Mission, Kan., hit 10 of 16 shots for 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Gold. Thompkins hit 9 of 15 shots and added eight rebounds.

But the win didn’t come without drama as the winners blew a 16-point lead in the second half.

The Black team led 78-62 midway through the third quarter before the Gold team stormed back behind the perimeter shooting of Florida signee Ray Shipman, who hit 4 of 6 three-point tries and had 18 points.

Shipman scored 10 points in one three-minute span, tying it at 88 by the end of the third quarter.

“Actually, I’m more of a slasher,” said Shipman, from Opa Locka, Fla. “The three-pointer is my fourth choice.

“It was fun out there. The Kentucky fans were booing me a little, but those fans told me it was just a part of the game. I had fun in Kentucky.”

The Gold couldn’t finish the rally as the Black pushed its lead back to 109-100 midway through the final period.

Maurice Sutton, who is undecided, added 17 points for the Black team, and North Carolina signee Tyler Zeller had 15 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots. Ater Majok added 14 points, hitting 6 of 10 shots, and five rebounds.

Catch the Rest HERE!