A plethora of the nation’s best boys high school basketball stars will participate in the 5th Annual Ballislife All-American Game presented by U.S. Army set for May 2 at Long Beach City College in Long Beach, Calif. Internet sensation Thon Maker and eight local Southern California natives headline the participants.
The 5th Annual Ballislife All-American Game presented by U.S. Army in Long Beach, Calif., will feature many of the nation’s top high school boys basketball players. The national high school all-star game is set to take place May 2 at Long Beach City College’s Hall of Champions Gymnasium (3931 Faculty Ave. Long Beach, Calif. 90808).
The 2015 BIL A-A Game begins at 5:00 pm PT and is preceded by the The BIL Slam Dunk Contest presented by Eastbay beginning at 3:15 pm PT.
The 2015 edition of the BIL All-American Game figures to be its best collection of talent yet. Scheduled to make his only national all-star game appearance at the event is 7-foot Thon Maker, one of the most viral talents in recent high school basketball lore. After reclassifying to the Class of 2015 during the high school season, Maker is already projected as a top prospect for the 2016 NBA Draft.
At least 16 players who will earn All-American acclaim this season from reputable organizations are scheduled to participate. Eleven were named McDonald’s or Jordan Brand All-Americans.
The game will also feature eight local Southern California products along with nine Pac-12 recruits. The locals include USC recruits Benny Boatwright (Village Christian, Sun Valley, Calif.) and Chimezie Metu (Lawndale, Calif.), SDSU-bound Jeremy Hemsley (Damien, La Verne, Calif.), Notre Dame-bound Rex Pflueger (Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif.), Arizona-bound Chance Comanche (Beverly Hills, Calif.), Oregon St.-bound Stevie Thompson Jr. (Bishop Montgomery, Torrance, Calif.) and Oregon-bound Tyler Dorsey (Maranatha, Pasadena, Calif.). The BIL A-A game will also mark the return of Arizona-bound Justin Simon, who previously prepped at Temecula Valley (Temecula, Calif.) and explosive point guard Marcus Lovett Jr., who attended San Gabriel (Calif.) Academy before playing his senior year in Chicago.
Past participants in the Ballislife All-American Game include Nick Johnson (Arizona/Rockets), Jahii Carson (Arizona St/Overseas), Jordan Adams (UCLA/Memphis Grizzlies), Aquille Carr (Overseas/Streetball phenomenon), Jabari Brown (Missouri/Los Angeles Lakers), early NBA Draft entry candidates Stanley Johnson (Arizona) and Kevon Looney (UCLA), and Zach Lavine (UCLA/Minnesota Timberwolves).
In 2013, Lavine won Ballislife Slam Dunk Contest, one of the best high school dunking exhibitions of recent memory and a prelude to him capturing the 2015 NBA All-Star Game dunk content title.
The BIL Slam Dunk Contest presented by Eastbay begins at 3:15 pm PT and the 2015 game begins at 5:00 pm PT.
Tickets for the BIL All-American Game and Slam Dunk Contest are $10 (plus an administrative fee) and can be purchased at ballislifeallamerican.com or EventBrite.
If you wear a Ballislife Original T-Shirt to the event, you entry to the event is FREE. You can order your BIL original tee here.
2015 BallIsLife All-American Game Roster
Team Future
Paris Austin, Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) 6-0 PG (Boise St.)
Dwayne Bacon, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-6 SG (Florida State)
Bennie Boatwright, Village Christian (Sun Valley, Calif.) 6-9 PF (USC)
Isaiah Briscoe, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-3 PG (Kentucky)
Tyler Dorsey, Maranatha (Pasadena, Calif.) 6-5 SG (Oregon)
Jeremy Hemsley, Damien (La Verne, Calif.) 6-4 SG (SDSU)
Derrick Jones, Archbishop Carrol (Radnor, Pa.) 6-7 SF (UNLV)
Skal Labissierre, Reach Your Dreams (Memphis, Tenn.) 6-10 C (Kentucky)
Dejounte Murray, Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.) 6-5 SG (Washington)
Horace Spencer, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 6-8 PF (Auburn)
Stevie Thompson Jr., Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) 6-2 SG (Oregon St.)
Stephen Zimmerman, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-11 C (Undecided)
Team Elite
Jalen Adams, Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) 6-2 PG (UConn)
Malik Beasley, St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.) 6-4 SG (Florida State)
Marquese Chriss, Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove, Calif.) 6-8 PF (Washington)
Chance Comanche, Beverly Hills (Calif.) 6-11 C (Arizona)
Brandon Ingram, Kinston (N.C.) 6-8 SF (Undecided)
Marcus LoVett Jr., Morgan Park (Chicago, Ill.) 6-0 PG (Undecided)
Thon Maker, Orangeville Prep (Mono, Ontario, Can.) 7-0 C (Undecided)
Chimezie Metu, Lawndale (Calif.) 6-9 PF (USC)
Donovan Mitchell, Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) 6-2 SG (Louisville)
Rex Pflueger, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 6-5 SG (Notre Dame)
Justin Simon, Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) 6-4 SG (Arizona)
Allonzo Trier, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 6-4 SG (Arizona)
Ronnie Flores is the Publisher and Editor of GrassrootsHoops.net. He can be reached at ronlocc1977@yahoo.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores
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