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The Kentucky Derby Festival is pleased to announce the lineup for the adidas Derby Festival Basketball Classic. Scheduled for Saturday, April 16, the Classic will feature some of the top prep players in the nation, including four McDonald’s All-American players, as well as recruits from the University of Louisville, University of Kentucky and Indiana University. The Derby Festival is also pleased to welcome adidas as the new title sponsor of the Classic. The 33rd annual game will tip off at 7 p.m. at Freedom Hall.

Local hoops fans will get a preview of players committed to play at some of the top collegiate programs, including Duke, Syracuse, Mississippi State, UCLA and Arizona. Of special interest to area basketball fans will be UL-bound Chad Millard, Jonathon Huffman, Clarence Holloway, Andre McGee and Terrance Williams, as well as UK signee Jared Carter and IU-bound Joey Shaw.

“We are thrilled about our new partnership with adidas,” said Dan Owens, KDF Chairman and Basketball Classic Recruiting Chairman. “This year’s Basketball Classic will showcase some of the best basketball talent in the country. Several players from last year’s Classic played important roles for teams advancing to the NCAA Tournament. This is a great chance for local hoops fans to see these future stars up close and personal.”

The week’s roundball activities will kick off with the adidas Derby Festival Night of the Future Stars on Friday, April 15, at 7 p.m. at Bellarmine University’s Knights Hall. Admission is free with a ticket to the Basketball Classic. Some of the event’s most exciting moments have come during the Slam Dunk and 2-on-2 contests and the 3-point shootout. The competition will also feature an autograph-signing session immediately following the event.

First held in 1973, the Derby Festival Basketball Classis is the second-oldest continuously-held high school all-star game in the nation. In 1987, the Classis set a record for attendance with a crown of 19,041 at Freedom Hall. Players such as Jamal Mashburn, Moses Malone, Rex Chapman, Pervis Ellison, Isiah Thomas, Dominique Wilkins, Darrell Griffith, Anfernee Hardaway, Jared Jeffries, Darius Miles, Derek Anderson and Dajuan Wagner have starred in the Classic.

adidas Derby Festival Basketball Classic BLACK TEAM

Player	          Position College	   
Mario Chalmers	  PG	   Kansas	   
Andre McGee	  PG       Louisville	   
Antonio Anderson  SG	   Memphis	   
Shane Clark	  SG	   Maryland	   
Terrance Williams SF	   Louisville	   
Tyler Smith	  SF	   Tennessee	   
Ryan Ayers	  SF	   Notre Dame	   
Brandon Costner	  PF	   NC State	   
Chad Millard	  PF       Louisville	   
Jonathon Huffman  PF	   Louisville	   
Clarence Holloway C	   Louisville	   
Luke Zeller	  C	   Notre Dame	 

Player	         Position College	   
Greg Paulus	 PG	 Duke	   
Dominic Tilford	 PG 	 Undecided	   
Darren Collison	 PG	 UCLA	   
Marcus Williams	 SG	 Arizona	   
JP Prince	 SG	 Arizona	   
Joey Shaw	 SF	 Indiana	   
Brandon Rush	 SF	 Undecided   
Alonzo Gee	 SF	 Alabama	   
Ryan Wright	 PF	 UCLA	   
Uche Echefu	 PF	 Undecided
Jared Carter	 C	 Kentucky	   
Vernon Goodridge C	 Miss. St.