Hamilton Heights basketball Nickeil Alexander-Walker, left, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have been named to the World Select Team that will play the USA National Select team at the Nike Hoop Summit on April 7 in Portland, Ore. Walker is a Virginia Tech signee and Alexander will play at Kentucky.
photo by Contributed by Hamilton Heights, montage Dennis Norwood
Nike released its rosters for the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit, and two guards from Hamilton Heights Christian Academy have been named to the World Select Team.
Kentucky signee, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Virginia Tech signee, Nickeil Alexander-Walker were chosen to the 12-man world team.
The 20th annual Hoop Summit will take place on April 7 in Portland, Ore., and the annual game pits the World Team against the USA Basketball Junior National Select Team, which is composed of elite, American high school players.
“The World Team is chasing its fourth victory in the last six games,” according to the release. “They beat the USA 84-75 in 2012, 112-98 a year later and 103-101 in 2015 before the hosts responded by beating the World Team 101- 67 last year. Overall, the USA holds a 13-6 advantage in the annual game.”
Participation in the game is seen as a step toward possible professional play.
As of December 2016, 70 former U.S. players and 38 former World Team members were active in the NBA, nearly one-quarter of the entire league, and a total of 199 Hoop Summit alumni have been drafted professionally.
Hamilton Heights was the only school to have two representatives named to the team. The Hawks just completed a 32-7 campaign.
(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)