Posted by Mike (24.26.44.141) on December 18, 2006 at 16:06:52:
WHEN: December 27-30
WHERE: Vanguard High School (Ocala, Fl)
WHO: Total of 16 schools from Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio & California
The adidas Kingdom of the Sun National Classic is the South's original 16 team tournament beginning in December of 1974 when a small school named Lake Weir, led by former Phoenix Suns head coach Frank Johnson, defeated three large schools to capture the first Kingdom title.
A new concept was introduced in the deep South as standing room only crowds packed into a 1,100 seat hot gymnasium to see the top players & teams the Sunshine State had to offer. To no one's surprise, southern style hoops arrived and thrived with the dream of Vanguard High School's coach Jim Haley becoming a reality. Haley came from Midwest basketball hotbed Illinois where these events thrived in a basketball state but selling it in Football crazy Florida was a huge challenge. 29 years later things haven't changed as 126 different Florida schools and 89 out-of-state schools have visited the Kingdom from 22 different states plus Canada & the Bahamas.
In the early days, the tourney champions were Florida dominated until 1982 when Decatur, Georgia won the title. Other out-of-state powers that have won the prestigious title include national powers St. Anthony's (1983 & 1996) under legendary coach Bob Hurley; USA national champion Washington DC Spingarn with Sherman Douglas (1984); Washington DC Dunbar (1989); Christian Brothers, NJ (1990); Christ the King, NY (1991); Alcoa, Tennessee (1993); Memphis East, Tenn. With Tony Harris (1994); Mercer Island, Washington (1998); Glynn Academy, Ga. With #1 NBA draft picks Kwame Brown in (1999). The first non-USA team champion was Eastern Commerce of Toronto, Canada with Jamaal Magloire (1995). National power Miami Christian has captured back-to-back titles in 2000 & 2001. Cincinnati, Ohio LaSalle won the 2002 title.
Other NBA notables that have visited Ocala are Jumaine Jones, Christian Laettner; Jamal Mashburn; Kerry Kittles; John Amaechi; Derek Harper; Travis Mays; Chris Corchiani; Matt Geiger; Vernon Maxwell; Tom Hammonds; Dyron Nix; Alvin Jones Jr; and Michael Smith. 11 NFL players including former Vanguard and current Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Daunte Culpepper have showed their skills in the cozy atmosphere that resembles a Kentucky hoop environment like no other in the deep south. The number one projected NBA draft pick Dwight Howard from Georgia played in the Kingdom as a junior with Southwest Atlanta Christian.
Over the years the Kingdom is known for Southern hospitality, frenzy SRO crowds, sleeper teams capable of winning state titles and being nationally ranked at the end of the season, outstanding underclassmen with All-American potential, and seniors who haven't been gobbled up by the big budget tourneys around the country. The tourney scene has changed over the past 3 decades with a lot of new tourneys sprouting up nation-wide but the Kingdom has probably been the "miracle worker" of them all with the lowest budget of all the national events. It remains in the top 15 in the country according to the basketball recruiting services that cover the national prep scene.
For more information, please visit the official website of the Kingdom of the Sun at:
http://kingdomofthesun.net/