Today’s High School Hoops All-Stars Could Be Tomorrow’s NBA Superstars

By Guest Blogger Rob Yunich:

The Capital Classic, the country’s longest running high school basketball all-star game, has built up quite the impressive list of alumni: Mark Aguirre, Carmelo Anthony, Elton Brand, Brad Daugherty, Patrick Ewing, Grant Hill, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Michael Jordan, Moses Malone, Danny Manning, Chris Paul, Doc Rivers, Ralph Sampson, Amare Stoudemire, Dominique Wilkins, and James Worthy.

This year’s edition, the 38th annual event, will be held this Sunday, April 17, at Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Md. The event includes a doubleheader: the District All-Stars battle the Suburban All-Stars at 1 p.m. and the U.S. All-Stars play the Capital All-Stars at 3 p.m.

The 2011 event will feature several of the nation’s top 100 players: Dorian Finney-Smith (Norcom HS, Portsmouth, Va./Virginia Tech), Malcolm Gilbert (Academy of the New Church, Bryn Athyn, Pa./Pittsburgh), Adjehi Baru (The Steward School, Richmond, Va./College of Charleston), Tyrone Johnson (Montrose Christian, Rockville, Md./Villanova), Trevor Cooney (Sanford School, Hockessin, Del./Syracuse), Maurice Harkless (South Kent School, South Kent, Conn./St. John’s), Achraf Yacoubou (Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y./Villanova), Myles Mack (St. Anthony, Jersey City, N.J.), Mikael Hopkins (DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md./Georgetown), and Jabarie Hinds (Mount Vernon HS, Mount Vernon, N.Y./West Virginia).

Other notable alumni of the Capital Classic, which was first contested in 1974, include Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, who just won a national championship at the University of Connecticut; Villanova’s Mouphtaou Yarou; Syracuse’s Kris Joseph; Minnesota’s Ralph Sampson III; and Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez.

More information is available at www.TheCapitalClassic.com. Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster and the Show Place Arena box office.