Elite AAU basketball tournament coming to C-H, Canon-Mac
Some of the top high school basketball players in the country will be competing before Division I coaches this weekend in Washington County.
Chartiers-Houston High School and Canon-McMillan High School are two of the 14 sites hosting the Pittsburgh Jam Fest, one of the premier AAU tournaments and run by Hoop Group. Each year, college coaches and the top AAU teams ascend upon the area to compete in five age divisions: 14-and-under, 15-and-under, 16-and-under, 17-and-under and open (unsigned seniors). The games begin Friday at 6 p.m. and will run throughout the weekend with the final Sunday at 2 p.m. Games begin Saturday at 8:45 a.m. and the last game of the day is scheduled for 8:45 p.m.
C-H will mainly host 17-&-under teams, which will compete in front of Division I head coaches.
This is a live recruiting period in the NCAA and coaches are permitted to talk with potential recruits.
Mike Rice, the former coach at Rutgers and Robert Morris, is the director of team tournaments for Hoop Group. He helps organzie exposure camps and tournaments, including this weekend’s events.
The Pittsburgh native saw the region as a perfect place to display the country’s top amateur talent.
“In the 362 teams coming to Pittsburgh this weekend, you’ll easily have 500 or 600 future Division I athletes, in all different age groups,” Rice said. “This tournament is about helping players fulfill their dreams and helping them get exposure.”
Games also will also be held at Mt. Lebanon, Chartiers Valley, South Fayette, North Hills, Northgate, Montour, Avonworth, Chatham, Brashear, Carrick and the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh. Weekend passes are available for adults ($20) and students ($10) or daily admission charges are $10 for adults Friday, $14 Saturday and $5 for students.
Hoop Group counts current NBA players John Wall, Deron Williams, Kyrie Irving, Dwight Howard and Chris Paul among its alumni.
Rice is a firm believer that AAU basketball helps high school players catch the attention of coaches such as West Virginia’s Bob Huggins, who attended games at Chartiers-Houston in 2013.
“I have a tremendous passion for teaching the game and being involved,” Rice said.
“There isn’t a better organization that helps young basketball players, whether it’s developing their game through teaching or helping them with exposure to colleges. It’s a one-stop shop.”