Photo by Jim Donnelly
By: Jim Donnelly
This December, 36 teams will converge in Coral Springs to compete in the 26th Annual Kreul Classic. The Kreul, which is synonymous with elite high school basketball attracts top-caliber teams and recruiters who annually attend the Kreul events, which garner which national attention and deliver some of the fiercest contests of the hardwood season.
This year is no exception. The action tips-off with the Kreul Showcase, December 4 and 5 at Monarch High in Coconut Creek then culminates with the Kreul Classic national tournament, December 18 to 22 in Coral Springs.
Kreul Showcase
The ten-game Kreul Showcase features stand-out programs and players from South Florida’s tri-county area. In a long-anticipated match-up, perennial national power Weston Sagemont will take on Pompano Beach Blanche Ely who is following up an undefeated season and invitational appearance at Dick’s Sporting Goods National Championship. Undeclared five-star recruit Dewan Huell will lead Miami Norland when they are tested by highly-touted Hollywood Chaminade; rising stars Victor Uyaelunmo (Miami Gulliver) and Anthony Polite (Boca Raton St. Andrew’s) – both juniors – will go to battle with their teams; and one of Florida’s 6A favorites Ft. Lauderdale Dillard will square off against Ft. Lauderdale University fueled by 6-11 sophomore Balsa Koprivica ranked second in his class by Future150.
“This two-day event was added last year to provide increased exposure for South Florida teams to demonstrate the exceptional level of basketball our local coaches are working tirelessly to develop,” said Kreul Director Jim Reilly.
Kreul Showcase Schedule (Monarch High, 5050 Wiles Road, Coconut Creek)
Friday, December 4th
• 4:00p: Monarch (Coconut Creek) vs. Cypress Bay
(Weston)
• 5:30p: Coral Springs vs. Archbishop Carroll (Miami)
• 7:00p: Zion Lutheran (Deerfield Beach) vs. Mater Academy (Hialeah Gardens)
• 8:30p: Dillard (Ft. Lauderdale) vs. University (Ft. Lauderdale)
Saturday, December 5th
• 1:30p: Stoneman Douglas (Parkland) vs. Coral Springs Christian
• 3:00p: St. Andrew’s (Boca Raton) vs. Gulliver (Coral Gables)
• 4:30p: Deerfield Beach vs. WT Dwyer
(Palm Beach Gardens)
• 6:00p: McArthur (Hollywood) vs. Miami Christian
• 7:30p: Chaminade (Hollywood) vs. Miami Norland
• 9:00p: Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach) vs. Sagemont (Weston)
Kreul Classic
This December, 36 teams will converge in Coral Springs to compete in the 26th annual Kreul Classic. Through the years, the prestigious charity tournament has featured some of the most coveted college recruits and the event is widely regarded as one of the best high school basketball tournaments in the nation. Past participants include Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) and Julius Randle (Los Angeles Lakers) who were the third and seventh overall picks in the 2013 NBA draft respectively and Brandon Knight, the eighth overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft now leading the Phoenix Suns.
The 2015 field will represent nine states (New York, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Massachusetts, Florida) and the District of Columbia. Most games will be played at the main venue, Coral Springs City Gymnasium, 2501 Coral Springs Drive, Coral Springs, FL 33065, 954-341-2200. Brackets and schedules will be released in mid-November.
Below is a complete list of 2015 participants.
2015 Kreul Classic Teams
(36 teams from OK, GA, DC, PA, MA, MD, VA, NY, NJ, FL will compete in five different divisions – four 8-team brackets and one 4-team pool play bracket)
· American Heritage, Plantation, FL
· Archbishop Carroll, Miami, FL
· Barringer, Jersey City, NJ
· Bishop Kenny, Jacksonville, FL
· Blanche Ely, Pompano Beach, FL
· Calvary Christian, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
· Campbell, Smyrna, GA
· Cardinal Gibbons, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
· Chaminade – Madonna, Hollywood, FL
· Collegiate, NYC, NY
· Coolidge, Washington, DC
· Coral Springs, FL
· Coral Springs Charter, FL
· Coral Springs Christian, FL
· Deerfield Beach, FL
· Douglas, Parkland, FL
· Dwyer, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
· Ed White, Jacksonville, FL
· IMG, Bradenton, FL
· McArthur, Hollywood, FL
· Pines Charter, Pembroke Pines, FL
· Pope John, Sparta, NJ
· Potomac, McLean, VA
· Putnam City West, OK
· South Miami, FL
· South Shore, Brooklyn, NY
· Springfield Central, MA
· St. Andrew’s, Boca Raton, FL
· St. Thomas Aquinas, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
· Steinbrenner, Lutz, FL
· Strong Vincent, Erie, PA
· Taravella, Coral Springs, FL
· University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
· University Christian, Jacksonville, FL
· Winter Haven, FL
· Zion Lutheran, Deerfield Beach, FL
Follow the Kreul
The mobile event app currently features Kreul Showcase information and will be updated with Kreul Classic tournament information in early December. The free app is available for Apple and Android devices by searching Kreul Basketball in your store.
A re-designed website (kreul.com) will launch in mid-November with event details and background information on the Kreul organization.
High school basketball fans can also follow them on twitter @kreulclassic and at facebook.com/thekreul.
About the Kreul
One of the premier high school basketball tournaments in the country, the Kreul Classic features top-caliber boys’ teams from across the nation. Held annually the week before Christmas in Coral Springs, Florida, the volunteer-administered event is considered a model of excellence by which other events gauge their performance. Since 1989, the Kreul has positively affected the lives of more than 17,000 student-athletes representing 26 states, Canada, and the Bahamas. The Kreul has hosted numerous high-profile sports celebrities including the late Chuck Daly, Billy Donovan, Mike Jarvis, Tim Hardaway, John Salley, Lou Carnesecca, Tubby Smith, and more. The organization’s work continues off the court through a variety of philanthropic efforts, most notably their scholarship program which has proudly awarded 70 four-year academic tuition scholarships to Florida Atlantic University and more than 100 monetary awards in varying amounts. A registered non-profit 501(c)3, the Kreul operates primarily on corporate sponsorships and attendance revenues.
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