This year’s tournament showcased some of the top teams in the East Bay.  The tournament gave coaches and players a good look at the talent around the area that they would be facing in regular season play.  The fans got to see great head to head match ups between some of the top guards, power forwards, and centers in the Bay Area.

            The Women’s Division consisted of seven teams, The Lady Knights (Oakland), Lady Bulldogs (Oakland), Lady Mustangs (Oakland), Swish (Albany), The Lady Wolverines (Antioch), Bay Area Magic (Richmond), and The Lady Pirates (Marin).

The women’s division was won by the Lady Bulldogs, led by the tournament MVP Janine Jackson who’s three point shot seemed to never miss.  Janine was accompanied by a great supporting cast, Devanei Hampton (last years MVP), and All Star Alexis Lawson.  Both of these young women are being heavily recruited by colleges because of their great work on and off the court.  Taking second place in the Mark Curry Tournament were the Lady Wolverines.  The Wolverines were led by the great guard play of Nala Thomas whose quickness and defense got her team to the finals.  Necolia Simmons was a dominant force in the paint with numerous amounts of blocks and rebounds.

            The Men’s Division consisted of six teams, The Knights (Oakland), Wolverines (Antioch), Eagles (Hayward), Richmond Pal (Richmond), Hi-Five (Oakland), The Jaguars (Vallejo).  The defending champs, Hi-Five, won this division.  Without their star guard in the line up for the finals (Antonio Kellog), Phil Woods, a senior, stepped up and put big points on the board to secure the win for his team.  Consistent rebounding and clutch shots earned Phil MVP honors.  Another stand out player on Hi-Five was the EOYDC’s very own Terrence Wilder.  Terrence played on our 14 and under team last year and has matured to be a very dominant threat in the middle in High School.  Coming in second in the tournament were the Knights of Oakland.  This team battled back after a first round loss to a four game win streak to get to the finals. With the help of some of EOYDC’s very own, Chris Oakes, Derrick Moseby, and Josh Acosta, the Knights played a great game for the fans and coaches against the reining champs.  All these young men are young players so we should hear a lot about them in the future.

WOMEN’S AWARDS

Most Valuable Player:  Janine Jackson (Lady Bulldogs)

Women’s All Tournament Team:  Devanei Hampton (Lady Bulldogs), Alexis Lawson (Lady Bulldogs), Necolia Simmons (Lady Wolverines), Nala Thomas (Lady Wolverines), Kiosha Pehlps (Lady Knights), Latina Wicket (Lady Knights), Larita Wicket (Lady Knights).

Academic Acheivement:  Natasha Reed 3.8 GPA (Lady Wolverines)

Sportsmanship Award:  Jessica Samiere (Lady Wolverines)

MEN’S AWARDS

Most Valuable Player: Phil Woods (Hi-Five)

Men’s All Tournament Team: Chris Oakes (Knights), Derrick Moseby (Knights), Josh Acosta (Knights), Ramone Wellington (Jaguars), Daryl George (Jaguars), Terrence Wilder (Hi-Five)

Academic Achievement:  Muhammed Ali   3.6 GPA   (Knights)

Sportsmanship Award:  Yahya Mateen (Hi-Five)

 One of the highlights of the tournament came at the end of the final game, when we held our All Comers Dunk Contest.  Fans and players were allowed to participate in this highflying event.  The young man who captured the glory won with an astounding 360-windmill dunk driving his peers and fans crazy in the stands.

            Dunk Contest Winner:  Tim Pierce