April 15, 2016 Louisville, KY. A crowd of 4,017 was on hand tonight at Freedom Hall as the White Team defeated the Maroon Team 144-132 in the 44th annual Kentucky Derby Festival Basketball Classic presented by Papa John’s. Eron Gordon (Undecided) was named Maroon Team MVP. Auburn signee Mustapha Heron was named MVP of the White Team. University of Kentucky signee Brad Calipari was named the “Fan Favorite” in online voting by fans and spectators at the game.
This game featured players ranked in the Top 100 nationally by recruiting services Rivals.com, Scout.com, and 247sports.com; UK recruit Brad Calipari; Indiana signees Curtis Jones and De’Ron Davis; as well as University of Louisville walk-on Tyler Sharpe. At halftime, it was announced that the team of Jared Harper (Auburn signee) and Carson Williams (Northern Kentucky signee) won Friday night’s 2-on-2 finals at New Albany High School during the Horseshoe Foundation Derby Festival Night of the Future Stars.
“It’s always basketball season in Kentucky,” said Derby Festival President and CEO Mike Berry. “We have the most dedicated fan bases in college basketball. Tonight they were treated to a game with outstanding talent and we’ll be watching these young players closely as they continue their careers.”
The Finals for these competitions were held at halftime of tonight’s game.
3 POINT SHOOTING CONTEST
| Temple Gibbs | 16 points | Attending: Notre Dame |
SLAM DUNK CONTEST
| Quentin Goodin | 48 points | Attending: Xavier |
First held in 1973, the Derby Festival Basketball Classic is the oldest high school all-star game in the nation. The game has featured such players as Jamal Mashburn, Rex Chapman, Moses Malone, Isiah Thomas, Dominique Wilkins, Eric Bledsoe, Deron Williams and Nolan Smith, among many others.
The Basketball Classic is presented by Papa John’s, with Contributing Sponsor Horseshoe Foundation of Floyd County. Media Sponsors are 99.7 DJX, B96.5 FM, Old School 105.1 and SLAM Magazine.
Follow @DerbyBBClassic on Twitter and hashtag #KDF2016.
The Derby Festival is an independent community organization supported by 4,000 volunteers, 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. It entertains more than 1.5 million people annually. This involvement has made the Festival the largest single attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.
