Draper Competing at Portsmouth Invitational
4/5/2007 4:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
College of Charleston senior guard Dontaye Draper is showcasing his skills for professional scouts at this week's 55th annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in Virginia (April 4-7).
Draper, who led Charleston to a 22-11 record this past season, is playing for the Norfolk Sports Club. The Sports Club takes on Norfolk Naval Shipyard at 9:00 tonight.
The PIT is the nation's oldest amateur basketball tournament. It is recognized by NBA and European scouts as the premier showcase for future professional players. Not only are there PIT players on the rosters of 26 of the 30 NBA teams this season, but the professional leagues in Europe and Asia boast dozens of players that first came to the attention of scouts when the excelled at the PIT.
PIT alumni include former College of Charleston standout Anthony Johnson, four-time NBA All-Star Ben Wallace (Virginia Union) of the Chicago Bulls and three-time NBA champion Derek Fisher (Arkansas Little-Rock).
The PIT has an impeccable reputation as a showcase for senior college basketball players to display their talents and abilities before general managers and scouts from NBA teams. While it has served this purpose well for the past few decades of its 55-year existence, the tournament is much more than a proving ground for gifted basketball players. It has a dramatic impact on the lives of a wide-ranging group of people: fans, scholarship recipients, tournament sponsors, various local organizations and volunteers.
The money raised by the PIT provides scholarships to deserving high school student-athletes from the area and also enriches local non-profit organizations. The PIT has contributed over $500,000 to these causes over the years, and more than 100 scholarships have been awarded.
For basketball fans in Portsmouth and the surrounding area, the week offers an all-you-can-watch buffet of top-notch basketball played by the best college seniors in the nation.
All games will are held at Churchland High School.
