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Morgan Wootten Invitational Information

Morgan Wootten Invitational to Tipoff Dec. 1
No. 1 Oak Hill Academy, City Champion DeMatha and Top Prospects to Participate in Benefit for the American Liver Foundation
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Defending national champion Oak Hill Academy will make its second appearance all-time in the sixth annual Morgan Wootten Invitational (formerly the DeMatha Invitational) as one of six teams battling in the high school basketball season's tip-off tournament at the University of Maryland's Cole Field House on Saturday, December 1, 2001 beginning at 3:30 p.m. Four different states will be represented and five consensus Top 25 prospects will be showcased in the three-game benefit for the American Liver Foundation.
The Oak Hill Warriors (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), who finished No. 1 in last season's USA Today Top 25 poll, will play against Massachusetts powerhouse Tabor Academy (Marion, Mass.) in the nightcap. Oak Hill features three of the nation's top prospects, including Baltimore native Carmelo Anthony (rated as the No. 2 prospect nationally by BlueChipHoops.com and committed to Syracuse), Sani Ibrahim and Chadd Moore (Cincinnati). Tabor, which has played in the New England prep championship game in each of the past five years, features 6-9 power forward Torin Francis (Notre Dame).
The second game of the evening, the Battle of the Big Men, pits DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.), the defending city champions, against two-time defending New York state champion Amityville High School. Power forwards Travis Garrison of DeMatha and Jason Fraser (rated No. 1 prospect nationally by RivalsHoops.com) of Amityville both emerged as two of the top players in the region last year.
The opening game of the event features many of the top underclassmen. Bishop O'Connell High School (Arlington, Va.) is led by 6-9 sophomore center Brian Johnson, while Georgetown Preparatory School (Bethesda, Md.), starts two 6-10 prospects, including 14-year-old All-America camp attendee Roy Hibbert.
Coach Wootten is now in his 46th year as the head coach at DeMatha and in that time, he has amassed over 1,200 career wins. He is the winningest coach in high school basketball and is the first basketball coach at any level -- high school, college or pro -- to reach 1,200 wins. Coach Wootten has recorded five national championships and has won 33 conference titles. In October of 2000, he was inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Morgan Wootten Invitational will benefit the American Liver Foundation's Washington DC Chapter. The ALF is the leading voluntary health organization dedicated to preventing, treating and curing hepatitis and other liver diseases through research and education. Coach Wootten created the Invitational to raise awareness for organ donation after he received a life-saving liver transplant in 1996.
Advance tickets are $10 for all three games, while premium seats are only $25. Please call Brett Olson in the Morgan Wootten Invitational offices at 301-762-7100 to reserve your tickets today.
SCHEDULE OF GAMES
2:30 PM Doors Open
3:30 PM Bishop O'Connell High School (Arlington, Va.) vs. Georgetown Preparatory School (Bethesda, Md.)
5:30 PM DeMatha Catholic High School (Hyattsville, Md.) vs. Amityville High School (Amityville, N.Y.)
7:30 PM Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) vs. Tabor Academy (Marion, Mass.)
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