Some of the top rising talent in the game will be hooping in The Bronx, NY, on Sunday as part of the fifth annual Jim Couch National Training Showcase. See full announcement from the game organizers below:
Nationally ranked players in the classes of 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 participate in training showcase that assists the Jim Couch Foundation’s Open Gym Free Training and Conditioning programming for the NYC basketball playing community. Selected 2016 men and women will be included in the Saturday training session.
Alumni include ESPN Top 100 players Wendell Carter, Trevon Duval, Thon Maker, Rawle Alkins, DJ Harvey, Mohamed Bamba, Omari Spellman, Mario Kegler, Jordan Tucker, Quade Green, Ira Lee, Jalek Felton, PJ Washington, Cody Riley, Mustapha Heron, Payton Pritchard, Ty Jerome, Temple Gibbs, and Taurean Thompson.
Saturday: Morning Coach’s Clinic with USA BASKETBALL’S Don Showalter, the organization’s developmental youth coach and winner of seven gold medals.
Saturday: Afternoon training session from 2–6 pm and NYC vs Westchester
Uptown Challenge Girls HS All-Star Game starting at 7:00 pm.
Sunday: Jim Couch Foundation NYC Training Grind Session 8:30 –11:00 am
Sunday:National Freshman Game at 12:00 pm, National Sophomore Game at 2:00 pm, NYC versus Long Island 2017 Game at 3:30 pm and NYC versus International 2016 Game at 5:15 pm.
On the weekend of October 17-18, 2014, 64 of the Nation’s top freshmen, sophomore and junior basketball players will descend on New York City to participate in the Jim Couch National Training Showcase presented by Combinator Magazine. The event, benefiting the Jim Couch Foundation’s Free Basketball Conditioning and Fitness Clinic programming, is in its fifth year and has been attended by actor Morris Chestnut, MTV2 Converse Band of Ballers host Bobbito Garcia, Sports Illustrated model Damaris Lewis, hip-hop mogul Irv Gotti, and ESPN 30 for 30 Director Dan Klores. Saturday’s program starts at 9:30 pm EST at Mott Haven Educational Complex located at 730 Concourse Village West, Bronx, NY 10451.
Players who have committed to participate in the Jim Couch Super 16 National Training Showcase: 2016 – Ty Jerome, Iona Prep NY, Mustapha Heron, Sacred Heart HS CT, Ray Salnave, Benjamin Cardozo, NY, Ben Rabinowitz, Ramaz School, NY. 2017 – Jordan Tucker, Archbishop Stepinac, NY, Isaiah Washington, St. Raymond HS, NY, Keith Williams, Bishop Loughlin, NY. 2018 – Isaiah Mucius, St. James School MD, Marcus Little, Academy of New Church PA, Brennan Schofield, Fishers Hamilton Southeastern IN, and 2019 – DJ Jefferies, Olive Branch HS, TN, Isaiah Stewart, McQuaid Jesuit HS, NY, Kyle Rode, Lexington Christian HS, KY, and Maxwell Lorca- Lloyd, Northfield Mount Hermon HS, MA.
The Super 16 National Training Showcase celebrates the career of Mr. Jim Couch, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s first coach. This showcase is in honor of Couch’s work in the New York City community as a leader and innovator of basketball training and mentorship. This event is an evolution: its genesis comes from the 2007 launched Jim Couch Reunion Games that featured the NBA’s Kemba Walker and Tobias Harris as headliners; the 2008 Girls High School game featuring the best of Westchester vs. the best of NYC metro; the 2009 expansion that included regional teams from Boston, Connecticut, Albany, and New Jersey; and the 2010 Freshman Game that featured the top 9th graders from the New York Metro region vs. Long Island’s top entering freshman.
2011 launched the Jim Couch Super 16 Training Showcase with 2015 ESPN top ranked players Stephen Zimmerman, Thomas Bryant, Isaiah Briscoe, and Cheick Diallo. In 2012 Thon Maker, Kassoum Yakwe and Mario Kegler all participated with USA Basketball’s BJ Johnson speaking at the showcase. In 2013, 12 ESPN Top 50 players participated and in 2014 Top 100 ESPN players Mustahpa Heron, Rawle Alkins, Ty Jerome attended.
Full rosters can be found on the Gotham Hoops website.
