Findlay Invited to ESPN Rise National High School Invitational April 1-3

Findlay has been invited to the ESPN Rise National High School Invitational April 1-3.  Last season, Findlay won the inaugural event and was consensus national champions.  This season, the Pilots enter the event at #2 in the USA Today and PrepNation polls.  Findlay has played 7 of the top 16 ranked teams in the USA Today poll all on the road or on neutral courts and has played 4 of the other 7 NHSI teams.  All of the games will be televised on the ESPN family of networks.

Findlay opens with Charlotte Christian (29-4) on Thursday, April 1 at 8pm EST on ESPNU.

The semifinals are on Friday, April 2 and televised on ESPN2 and the finals are Saturday, April 3 on ESPN.

The games will be played at Coppin State University's Physical Education Complex in Baltimore.

For pre- and post-event details follow along here:

http://rise.espn.go.com/boys-basketball/events/2010/04/national-high-school-invitational.aspx

http://www.nhsihoops.com/boys-bracket/

For the official press release:

http://rise.espn.go.com/boys-basketball/articles/2010/03/15-NHSI-boys-teams-announced.aspx

Ticket Sales:

-Tickets for the NHSI are on sale now.  If anyone requests how to get tickets, please direct them to http://www.nhsihoops.com/.  Adult tickets are $10 and Student Tickets are $5.  These tickets will provide entry for the entire day of games.  However, because this is a GA event, a ticket will only guarantee a seat for the first game of each day.

Hotels:

Sheraton Baltimore North Hotel

903 Dulaney Valley Road

Baltimore, MD 21204

http://www.sheratonbaltimorenorth.com/

Marriott Burkshire
10 West Burke Ave
Towson, MD 21204

FINDLAY PROGRAM NOTES

*On the road, Findlay has beaten USA Today #6 St. Patricks 71-70, #11 Bishop Gorman 65-52, #13 Winter Park 86-75, #14 Trenton Catholic 63-57, #16 Christ School 80-64, and ESPN Rise #37 Arlington Country Day 75-68, as well as preseason ranked teams Quality Education 69-63, Chicago De La Salle 78-47, Mountain State 79-54, and #7 ranked prep school team Westwind Prep 120-106 with its only losses coming in final seconds to ESPN's #12 Columbus Northland in Columbus, and #8 Montverde at Montverde.

*Findlay was the 2009 consensus national champion at 33-0.  In 2008, Findlay was the national prep runner up at 32-1. 

*Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph, and Avery Bradley are Findlay's Jordan Brand and McDonald's All-Americans.  Last season, DJ Richardson and Avery Bradley were named Parade All-Americans.  In 2008, DeAndre Liggins was named to the Adidas Derby Classic.

*Last season, Avery Bradley was ESPN and Hoopscoops #1 ranked player

*Findlay finished this regular season 29-2 averaging 86.5 points per game and allowing 62.0.   Findlay has finished each of the last 2 regular seasons 30-0. 

*Findlay has beaten teams from 22 states in 3 years

*At Home:

-The Pilots finished 10-0 (34-0 all-time under Coach Peck) at home averaging 115.3 and allowing 76.5 on their home floor this season

-Findlay has scored over 100 points in 8 of 10 games at home

-Findlay averages 115.3 at home and allows 76.5    

*Findlay has 4 unsigned seniors.  Cory Joseph, Thomas Laerke, Godwin Okonji, Marko Petrovic.

*Findlay is led by Seniors  Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph,  Marko Petrovic, Godwin Okonji, and Thomas Laerke. The underclassmen include junior Nick Johnson, sophomores Winston Shepard, Dekeeba Battee Aston, and Henry Uwadiae, and freshman Nigel Williams-Goss