'Hoos Well-Represented in All-Star Game
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By Jeff White
jwhite@virginia.edu
CHARLOTTESVILLE — UVa’s 2011-12 men’s basketball team will include four alumni of the Jack Jones Shootout.
James Johnson, a 6-9 freshman whom Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett redshirted this season, played in the inaugural Shootout last year in Memphis.
Virginia’s three incoming recruits — 6-8 power forward Darion Atkins, 6-7 small forward Paul Jesperson and 6-5 guard Malcolm Brogdon — played in the second Shootout, an all-star game named for John Paul “Jack” Jones.
The 1948 graduate of UVa’s School of Law is also the man for whom the University’s John Paul Jones Arena is named.
The second annual Jack Jones Shootout was held Sunday afternoon in Miami, in the arena that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade call home.
Jesperson, the Gatorade player of the year in Wisconsin, had 5 points and 2 rebounds to help the White team beat the Navy team 79-72 at American Airlines Arena.
For the Navy team, Brogdon was 4 for 6 from the floor and 1 for 1 from the line. He finished with 9 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. His teammates included Atkins, who contributed 6 points (on 3-for-3 shooting), 3 boards and 1 assist.
Other schools with recruits in the game included Arizona, Texas, Arkansas, St. John’s, Illinois, Minnesota and Georgia Tech.
Atkins, who attends Landon School in Bethesda, Md., is expected to make one of The Washington Post’s All-Metro teams. Landon finished No. 7 in The Post’s final rankings for the D.C. area.
Jesperson recently led Merrill High to the Division 2 state championship game in Wisconsin. The Associated Press named him the state’s player of the year.
Brogdon has collected major postseason honors as well. He recently was named the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s player of the year after leading Greater Atlanta Christian to a second straight Class AA title in Georgia.
Players in the Jack Jones Shootout practiced Friday in Miami under the direction of former NBA head coach Kim Hughes, who coached the White team Sunday. That night the all-stars attended the Heat-76ers game at American Airlines Arena.
On Saturday, the players held a camp for underprivileged children from the Miami area. They attended the Heat-Rockets game Sunday night.