The high school hoops season in near the midway point and there are three big events this weekend.

It starts on Friday night with the first night of the Prime Time Shootout. Four games over at Rutgers with some great local matchups and a national game featuring Duncanville TX vs. LeFlore AL.

The 2009 Primetime Shootout will benefit the Children's Specialized Hospital.

For Primetime ticket information, please contact Joanne Wilson at: jwilson@themegagroup.com or by calling 609-637-0080 x120

Tickets

January 23rd games are at Rutgers University

Online: http://www.primetimeshootout.net/

Phone Sales: 1-866-445-GORU (4678)

****Walk-up tickets will be available the day of the event at all Primetime Shootout venues.

2009 PrimeTime Shootout Schedule

Friday, January 23, 2009, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.

5:00 PM – Immaculata (NJ) vs. St. Joseph's (NJ)

6:30 PM – Duncanville (TX) vs. LeFlore (Mobile, ALA)

8:00 PM - Paterson Catholic (NJ) vs. Lincoln (Brooklyn, NY)

9:30 PM – Plainfield (NJ) vs. Piscataway (NJ)

The 2009 Primetime Shootout will feature five dates. The event will tip off on Friday, January 23rd at Rutgers University. The following weekend, the Primetime will host a two-day event on Friday, January 30th and Saturday, January 31st at Villanova University.

As usual, the Primetime saves the best for last. On Saturday, February 14th and Sunday, February 15th the Primetime Shootout returns to the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, NJ for two full days of basketball.

This event was the Brian Doherty Classic and has now expanded in scope and moved from St. Benedict's gym to the beautiful Prudential Center in Newark. It is an all day affair on Saturday.

The event will also feature a girls' game pitting two of New Jersey's premiere teams against each other when Bloomfield Tech takes on reigning Tournament of Champions titleholder, Shabazz, as part of the six-game showcase.

GAME 1 (12:30 p.m.): St. Peter's Prep vs. Pinewood Prep (S.C.)

St. Peter's will have a fresh new look when the Newark National Invitational converges on The Rock. That's when Myles Davis (6-1, Soph. G) and Ron Roberts (6-6, Jr. F) are eligible to join Keith Lumpkin (6-8, So. F/C) in the lineup after transferring from St. Benedict's and Bayonne, respectively. Nationally-ranked Pinewood Prep, which captured its sixth state title in the last 15 years under long-time coach Pat Eidson, counters with the No. 4 rated power forward in America in Clemson-bound Milton Jennings (6-9, Sr.), while its backcourt is led by K.J. Manigault (6-4, Sr. G) and the athletic Bruce Haynes (6-2, Jr. G).

GAME 2 (2:00 p.m.): Don Bosco Prep vs. Neumann Goretti (Pa.)

Don Bosco Prep lost four starters from a team that reached the New Jersey sectional finals last year, but coach Kevin Diverio's club has a solid base that received some valuable playing time in the rotation last year. Kenny Click (6-8, Sr. F), Vaughn Gray (6-5, So. F), Matt Rybak (6-5, Sr. F) and Max Brewer (6-2 Sr. G) give the Bergen County school plenty of firepower to be among New Jersey's Top 20 teams. Philadelphia's Neumann-Gorretti, which has won back-to-back Catholic League crowns, is led by Wake Forest-bound Tony Chenault (6-1, Jr. G) and Andrew Gillette (6-9, Sr. F).

GAME 3 (Girls) (3:30 p.m.): Bloomfield Tech vs. Malcolm X. Shabazz

Two of the most talented girls teams in New Jersey will go head-to-head in this one. Shabazz, which is paced by junior twins at guard, Ka-Deidre and Desiree Simmons, last year won the state Group 3 title and its fourth Tournament of Champions title. Bloomfield Tech will counter with a loaded back court in Diana Hubbard (Sr.), who had 56 treys a year ago, Charmaine Tay (Jr.), one of the more highly-recruited prospects nationally in the Class of 2010, and Rayven Johnson (Sr.), who is heading to NJIT.

GAME 4 (5:00 p.m.): St. Anthony vs. Whitney Young (Ill.)

Future Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley Sr. has a re-loaded cast as St. Anthony defends its National Championship. The Jersey City squad is led by Villanova-bound Dominic Cheek (6-6, Sr. G), rated sixth nationally among shooting guards, Quinnipiac signee Jamee Jackson (6-7, Sr. F), and transfers Derrick Williams (6-6, Jr.), Devon Collier (6-7, Jr.) and Ashton Panckey (6-8, Jr.), which give Hurley one of the deepest front courts in the nation. Whitney Young is one of the premier teams in Chicago behind the strong backcourt of Marcus Jordan (6-3, Sr.) (the youngest son of NBA legend Michael Jordan), Chris Colvin (6-3 Sr.) and Purdue-bound Anthony Johnson (6-3, Sr. G).

GAME 5 (6:30 p.m.): St. Benedict's Prep vs. Abraham Lincoln (NYC)

The featured game of the tournament, St. Benedict's has one of the deepest talent pools in the nation, while Lincoln has one of the best players in the country in Lance Stephenson. St. Benedict's coach Dan Hurley, son of Bob Hurley Sr., has an all-around balanced attack that is led by future Texas Longhorn Tristan Thompson (6-9, Jr. F), Rice-committed Tamir Jackson (6-3, Sr. G) and lightning quick Myck Kabongo (6-1, Soph. G). Stephenson (6-5, Sr. G), the blue-chip prospect who's rated as ninth best player in the nation, has helped the team from Brooklyn win the last three city titles for coach Dwayne Morton. Stephenson is aided in the backcourt by Darwin Eillis (5-8, Sr.) and St. Patrick of Elizabeth transfer Shaquille Stokes (6-0, Soph.).

GAME 6 (8:00 p.m.): Union vs. LeFlore (Ala.)

Union coach Tony DiGiovanni, a disciple of the legendary coach Bob Hurley Sr., has an up-and-coming program that is considered one of New Jersey's better Group 4 programs this year. DiGiovanni's club is bolstered by the play of Aishon White (6-2, Jr. G), Dion Nesmith (6-0, Sr. G), Josh Kolas (6-4, Sr. F) and James Daniels (6-5 Jr. F). LeFlore of Mobile, Ala. has the nation's No. 2 rated player and big man DeMarcus Cousins (Sr.,6-9 F) , who is joined in the front court by transfer Kentari Nettles (6-9, Sr. F/C). D.J. Woods (6-5, Sr. G) and J.J. Watkins (6-5, Sr. G) anchor the backcourt.

BOX OFFICE SALES

$20 (reserved seats)

$12 (general admission)

$9 (students and seniors)

Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com

This annual event held at Parkland High School right across the border in Orefield PA features three NJ teams mixed with a few to out of state teams.

1:30 Bethlehem Catholic vs. Emmaus

3:00 St. Patrick's NJ vs. Blair NJ

4:30 Bishop McNamara MD vs. St. Benedict's NJ

6:00 Norristown vs. Parkland

Go to www.hoopgroup.com for more information

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