K-Stated

The field for the first-time Elite basketball event being organized by Heartland Hoops of Kansas City includes the nationally recognized DC Assault, which features high school seniors-to-be Wally Judge and Rodney McGruder. Both players have made verbal commitments to sign with Kansas State to play beginning in the 2009-10 season.

“Fans of college basketball will get a preview of the 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 men’s basketball classes by coming to Bramlage Coliseum and seeing Wally Judge and Rodney McGruder of the nationally ranked DC Assault team,” said event spokesperson Matt Suther.

With 40 teams from Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Arkansas, Alabama, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, Texas and the District of Columbia basketball fans will be able to see firsthand some of the top basketball talent in the Midwest.  Two divisions will compete in 16 and under and 17 and under age groups. With players like McGruder and Judge playing for the DC Assault, the talent-rich field also includes teams from the Spiece Indy Heat, Dallas Heroes, Team Texas, Spiece MO-Kan Players and the Texas DI Ambassadors.

Other top players include 2009 recruits Ivo Baltic of Kansas City’s Park Hill South High School, who is listing K-State, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa State, Nebraska and Missouri Valley teams all as recruiting him, and Grandview, Missouri’s Alex Burks, who also has a similar list of schools.

Also, 2010 recruit Will Spradling a point guard from Shawnee Mission South, who is being recruited by K-State, UNLV, St. Louis, Stanford, Vanderbilt as well as many Missouri Valley schools, will play. Also seeing action will be Perry Ellis, who is considered one of the top five players in the nation in the class of 2012.

Tickets are available now at the Kansas State Super Store at 520 McCall Road in Manhattan and are priced at $10 per day for general admission tickets. Special offers will be made available at local Pizza Hut stores for discount tickets and additional information will be posted at www.manhattanclassic.org.