IXth NIKE HOOP SUMMIT -- 2006

Memphis, Tennessee
April 8, 2006

USA 6-4 guard Wayne Ellington put on a show in the first half of the 2006 Nike Hoop Summit that was held April 8 at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., scoring 21 of his game high and USA record tying 31 points as the USA rolled to a 109-91 victory. With the victory, the USA's fifth consecutive in the series, the United States expanded its overall advantage in the annual contest to 7-2.

2006 USA Junior National Select Team

Ellington's 31 point showing, which came on 11-16 shooting overall and 5-of-6 accuracy from 3-point range, tied the previous high scoring mark for a USA Team member in the Nike Hoop Summit, tying Tyler Hansbrough in 2005 and Casey Jacobsen in 1999. The U.S. also set a Hoop Summit record for most points scored, surpassing the 107 record established in 1999, and for most field goals made with 39 which bested the mark of 38 set in 2004 and 2005.

'The focus of the game was to play quality defense,' remarked USA and Lake Clifton High School (Baltimore, Md.) head coach Herman Harried. 'We knew this World Select Team had shooters and would execute, so our focus was not to leave anybody open and the guys did a pretty good job of doing that.'
Said Ellington, 'I just got in a zone. I knocked down my first one and it felt good, so I knew I had a few more coming. I got hot and coaches kept calling plays for me � I was wide open and kept knocking them down.'

Harried was impressed. 'Anyone who watched the game � it speaks for itself. We ran some sets for Wayne and he finished them for us. I had no idea Wayne could shoot that well,' added Harried.

Nine of the USA's 10 players scored, including five in double digits. The USA victorious cause was also aided by 6-10 Kevin Durant who finished with 20 points and seven rebounds, Tywon Lawson contributed 17 points and U.S. best six assists, while Ellington's Episcopal Academy teammate Gerald Henderson Jr. accounted for 13 points, and Memphis' own Thaddeus Young added11 points.

The Nike Hoop Summit is the country's premiere annual basketball game featuring America's top senior boy high school players taking on a World Select Team comprised of the world's top players who are 19-years-old or younger.

Making just one of its first five shots, the USA fell behind early 12-4. However, the U.S. found its shooting touch and battled back and the two teams fought for control the rest of the opening quarter. After the first 10 minutes were completed, the World Select Team held a one point advantage, 26-25.

Ellington, who had five points in the game's first 10 minutes, got the hot shooting hand and the U.S. team repeatedly went to him. With the U.S. leading 37-34 with 5:31 left in the second quarter, Ellington drained four consecutive 3-pointers as the American squad jetted out ahead 51-36 with 3:20 left. Episcopal Academy teammate Henderson added 12 first half points on flawless 5-of-5 shooting.

The U.S. made 22-of-32 shots (.688 percentage) overall in the game's first 20 minutes, including a sizzling 7-of-12 (58.3 percent) from 3-points. The World Team managed to make 18-of-37 (48.6) of its shots, including 4-of-7 (.571) from 3-point.

The World Select Team cut the USA's advantage to 60-49 following a Dragan Labovic (Serbia & Montenegro) 3-pointer with 8:45 remaining in the third quarter, but the U.S., behind five points from Young, went on a 7-2 sprint to grab a 67-51 lead.

Getting seven points from Durant during an 11-5 offensive spurt, the U.S. opened its largest lead of the game moving ahead 78-56 with 3:51 left in the third period.

But the World Team was unwilling to fold and with Great Britain's Dan Clark scoring six points inside, it closed the period riding a 13-2 run that closed the gap to 80-69.

The World Team's hopes of rallying back were ended after the United States scored the first nine points of the final quarter to open an 89-69 advantage. Memphis prep All-American Young got things started with a jumper, Durant added a layup on a pass from Lawson, Ellington added to his point total with a traditional three point play, and the run was capped by a thunderous dunk by Durant that came off a feed from Ellington.

The U.S. cruised in from there to post the 109-91 victory.

The USA finished shooting 49.4 percent (39-79 FGs) from the floor and 45.0 percent (9-20 3pt FGs) from beyond the 3-point line, while the World squad shot 46.5 percent (33-71 FGs) from the field and 40.0 percent from 3-point (6-15 3pt FGs).

The World Team out rebounded the U.S. 40 to 39, but committed 10 more turnovers than the U.S. after being whistled for 25 turnovers compared to 15 for the United States.

The World Team's scoring was led by Milenko Tepic (Serbia & Montenegro) who finished with 16 points, Senegal's 7-0 center Mouhamed Saer Sene recorded 15 points, six rebounds a Nike Hoop Summit record equaling nine blocked shots (tying Kevin Garnett's mark set in 1995). The World also received 13 points from Luigi Datome (Italy) and Labovic, and the 6-10 Clark grabbed a game best 10 rebounds.

The 2006 Nike Hoop Summit was preceded by a preliminary game, the Memphis All-Star Classic, a game that showcased the top prep senior players from the Memphis area. Austin Peay-bound Wes Channel from Ridgeway High School scored a team-high 17 points and was one of six players in double figures as the Black defeated the Red, 92-71, for a second straight year. The Black took a narrow 37-34 halftime lead and outscored the Red 28-15 in the third quarter in the runaway victory. Jeremy Williams (Hamilton H.S.) and University of Memphis recruit Willie Kemp (Bolivar Central) each had 13 points for the Black. Jay Watkins (Hamilton H.S), who is headed to San Francisco, had a game-high 19 points for the Red Team.