Convention Center to Host Boardwalk Basketball Classic

WILDWOOD – The 15th annual Boardwalk Basketball Classic returns to the Wildwoods Convention Center Wednesday through Sunday, Dec. 26-30 and features an impressive lineup of more than 70 high school boys and girls basketball teams from the South Jersey and Delaware Valley areas.
Included in this year’s annual holiday basketball tournament is an additional day of competition on Dec. 22, titled Battle at the Boards, which features showcase games comprising of area and out-of-area boys and girls high school basketball teams. It will feature the popular Andrew Alameno Memorial Island Championship Games between Wildwood and Wildwood Catholic high schools.
The Boardwalk Basketball Tournament was founded in 1998 and continues to be the largest single-venue coed high school holiday basketball tournament in the United States. The tournament has raised nearly $300,000 in college scholarship money for graduating seniors at Wildwood and Wildwood Catholic high schools, the two host schools of the event, since its inception. The tournament is run by an all-volunteer board that solicits sponsorships, ticket sales and other support.
All games begin daily as early as 9:30 a.m. with select games broadcast live on 98.7-FM The Coast radio station. The last day of the tournament on Dec. 30 will recognize National Basketball Hall of Fame Coach Bob Hurley by featuring two Elite Showcase Games in his honor. The Bob Hurley Elite Showcase will feature four teams competing in two separate games. The first matchup at 6:30 p.m. features a pair of Philadelphia teams in Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School and Murrell Dobbins Tech. The second matchup at 8:15 p.m. puts St. Anthony High School of Jersey City, coached by Hurley, against Camden High School. This is one of the most anticipated games of the tournament.
Hurley has been coaching high school basketball for more than 39 years. He has led St. Anthony to 26 state championships, has recorded more than 1,000 wins and has led five teams to an undefeated record for the season. Hurley was the sole 2010 inductee into the National Basketball Hall of Fame and is only the third high school basketball coach to receive this honor.
The Boardwalk Basketball Classic Tournament is still seeking girls teams to complete this year’s event lineup. Interested teams can contact Brian Cunniff via email at boardwalkbballclassic@yahoo.com.
For further information about the tournament, including the complete schedule, past results, tournament records and ticket information, log on to www.bbclassic.net.
For more information about the Wildwoods, contact the GWTIDA at 1-800-WW-By-Sea (800-992-9732) or visit its web site, www.WildwoodsNJ.com.