April 17, 2008
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The 2008 Collegiate Basketball Invitational (CBI), an all-star event of out-going men's basketball seniors from the NAIA Division I & II, NCAA Division II & III ranks, will take place from April 24-26. The event consists of 13 contests culminating in the All-Star Game scheduled for Saturday, April 26 at 8 p.m. EST and aired lived on ESPNU.
Overall, there are 22 NAIA players listed on eight rosters. NAIA Division I Player of the Year, Ollie Bailey of Oklahoma City and Division II Player of the Year, Ryan Fiegi of Oregon Tech, headline the list of NAIA players.
Eight teams, which are sponsored by area businesses, will compete in Wadsworth, Ohio at Wadsworth High School. This year's event, which features 65 of the country's top basketball players, is the second annual event. Last year, there were 60 players split up into six teams that played a total of nine games over three days.
John McCarthy, founder of McCarthy Sports, Inc. and organizer of the event, mentioned that this was created in 2007 to give non-NCAA Division I players just as good of a chance to play professionally.
"I sincerely congratulate the 65 players that have been selected to compete in this prestigious event," said McCarthy, who also is the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Director. "We are proud and excited to have the top NAIA seniors from both Divisions I and II participating in the Collegiate Basketball Invitational.
"Like many tremendous NAIA players that have gone before them, I think that these players will show the public, the media and the professional team representatives the high level of basketball that is available in the NAIA today. In the process of selecting players, there is a great deal of research about the character of the players. With this in mind, we are proud to have these young men represent the Collegiate Basketball Invitational."
A couple of NAIA coaches were selected to lead their respective teams, Dale Faber of Friends (Kan.) will guide the MBM Logistechs team while Kevin Bille of Notre Dame (Ohio) will coach the Summa Health System team.
There will be a tip-off banquet, sponsored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), on Wednesday, April 23 at 6:30 p.m. EST. The banquet will feature CBI participant Josh Porter. The Clarence Walker story will be highlighted as well.
For more information, click here.
NAIA players in 2008 Collegiate Basketball Invitational:
|
Player (Sponsor Team) |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Pos |
School |
|
Eder Araujo (Premier Pontiac) |
7-0 |
245 |
C |
Walsh (Ohio) |
|
Ollie Bailey (Wadsworth) |
6-7 |
235 |
F |
Oklahoma City |
|
Antonio Bolton (Summa Health) |
6-2 |
185 |
G |
Voorhees (S.C.) |
|
Gus Chase (FirstMerit) |
6-2 |
250 |
F |
Georgetown (Ky.) |
|
Glen Dandridge (Wadsworth) |
6-6 |
220 |
F |
Lambuth (Tenn.) |
|
Jeff Ferguson (FirstMerit) |
6-10 |
230 |
F/C |
Pikeville (Ky.) |
|
Ryan Fiegi (Galaxy) |
6-7 |
212 |
G/F |
Oregon Tech |
|
Kameron Gray (Galaxy) |
6-1 |
170 |
G |
Oklahoma City |
|
Brad Harris (Renacci Doraty) |
6-3 |
180 |
G |
Lee (Tenn.) |
|
Adam Hepker (Louis Perry) |
6-1 |
165 |
G |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
|
Willie Irick (MBM Logistechs) |
6-6 |
220 |
F |
Oklahoma City |
|
Jarvis Jackson (FirstMerit) |
6-0 |
165 |
G |
Mountain (W.Va.) State |
|
Othyus Jeffers (FirstMerit) |
6-5 |
210 |
F |
Robert Morris (Ill.) |
|
Adron Marshall (Galaxy) |
6-4 |
190 |
G |
Mountain (W.Va.) State |
|
Scott O'Gallagher (Wadsworth) |
6-2 |
175 |
G |
Warner Pacific (Ore.) |
|
Jerome Pierce (Premier Pontiac) |
5-8 |
140 |
G |
Notre Dame (Ohio) |
|
Josh Porter (MBM Logistechs) |
6-3 |
185 |
G |
LSU-Shreveport |
|
Danny Reeder (MBM Logistechs) |
5-10 |
170 |
G |
Westminster (Utah) |
|
James Spencer (Premier Pontiac) |
6-4 |
205 |
G |
Mountain (W.Va.) State |
|
Chad Schuiteman (Premier Pontiac) |
6-6 |
215 |
F |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
|
Tramaine Stevens (Renacci Doraty) |
6-5 |
205 |
G/F |
Florida Memorial |
|
Jeremy Weddle (FirstMerit) |
6-1 |
180 |
G |
Lambuth (Tenn.) |
|
|
 |
