What is the Collegiate
Basketball Invitational and how did this new national basketball
event come about?
 History
of the CBI
With the growth of basketball as
a worldwide phenomenon, the opportunities for players has grown
exponentially. Not only are many professional basketball
opportunities available in Europe, but Australia, South America and
countries throughout the world now support professional basketball.
On the home front, the NBA currently has 30 teams and has recently
created the National Basketball Development League (NBDL). The NBDL
is finishing up its first season (2005-06) with eight teams and has
already announced six expansion teams for the 2006-07 season. This
past year (2005-06) saw the resurgence of the American Basketball
Association (ABA) spread from coast to coast. In fact, 34 teams are
listed currently, and an astonishing 23 are slated as expansion
teams within the ABA for the 2006-07 season. With the recent NBA
age minimum restriction going into effect, this not only prevents
high schools seniors from jumping right to the NBA, but it also
slows the young foreign players from entering the draft. This fact,
along with the addition of the NBDL, ABA and additional foreign
professional leagues and teams, creates a need for additional
professional basketball players. In addition, the CBA and USBL have
now been sustained in the United States for many years.
While this has happened NCAA
Division II men’s basketball was celebrating the 50th anniversary of Division II championships and has seen a resurgence
of interest. The first-ever Division II All Star Game occurred on
March 24 in Springfield, MA, at the Naismith Memorial Basketball
Hall of Fame and was a rousing success. Not only was the talent
level astonishing to many who witnessed the game, but 12 NBA teams
requested a copy of the tape before the game was even played.
This information did not go
unnoticed by John McCarthy, a former college basketball coach who
was, at the time, the Athletic Director at Lynn University in Boca
Raton, FL. McCarthy had just completed his second year on the NCAA
Division II Men’s Basketball Committee and had – and has - a genuine
passion for the game of basketball – and he saw a niche that was
beginning to develop, and saw a window of opportunity for someone
with great enthusiasm, knowledge and an entrepreneurial spirit.
The Concept
With more opportunities both
within the United States and abroad, the concept is to create
additional visibility for the top senior basketball players among
the NCAA Division II, III and NAIA ranks. The concept is simple:
give these players an opportunity to display their talents and
abilities to the members of the NBA, NBDL, ABA, CBA, USBL, foreign
scouts and agents.
There will be 60 players chosen
for the event and it will be a three day event. This will be a huge
opportunity not only for the players, but also for the various
scouts in attendance. Between the three levels, there are
approximately 1,000 schools. This event will be the top seniors
among them all to one site for three days.
The Collegiate Basketball
Invitational is Born
John McCarthy left his position
as Athletic Director at Lynn University to create McCarthy Sports,
Inc. and the Collegiate Basketball Invitational on June 23, 2006.
Among other ventures, McCarthy set to work to make a dream become a
reality.
On April 19, 2007,
the first game of the Collegiate Basketball Invitational was held at
Wadsworth High School in Wadsworth, Ohio, thus making the dream
become a reality. In all, there were 60 players divided into six
teams that played a total of nine games over three days that were
followed by an All Star Game. The All Star Game consisted of 10
players per team for a total of 20 players and was a live national
television broadcast on ESPNU on Saturday, April 21, 2007.
The Inaugural Team Champion of the Collegiate Basketball
Invitational was the Galaxy Team and the Most Valuable Player from
the entire camp went to Zack Wright from the University of Central
Missouri. The All Star Game MVP’s were Eric Dawson from Midwestern
State and Greg Brown from Montevallo.
Head Coaches for the Inaugural event were David McLaughlin (Stonehill),
Danny Young (Montevallo), Joe Lombardi (Indiana – PA), Bill Brown
(California – PA), Geno Ford (Muskingum) and Kevin Gamble
(Illinois-Springfield).
For advertising comments,
questions, or additional information.
Please contact us at 330.786.5816
cmaxwell@collegiatebasketballinvitational.com |
