Elite 24, a behind-the-scenes look at the 2010 event, which showcased the 24 top boys high school basketball players from around the country, will debut on ESPNU Thursday, March 24, at 9 p.m. and then air on ESPN2 Monday, March 28, at 11 p.m. Elite 24 is an annual ESPN RISE event which debuted in 2006. The special was produced by James Dubose and Kevin Liles and directed by Andrew Jones.

The one-hour special will focus on the top five players and their experiences throughout the three-day event, held in Venice Beach, Calif. In addition to on-court competition, players are given training on how to handle media attention and learn how current NBA players deal with the pressures of playing in the league.

The five players featured in Elite 24 are:

Austin Rivers – Winter Park High School /committed to Duke
Quinn Cook – Oak Hill Academy/committed to Duke
Myck Kabongo – Findlay Prep /committed to Texas
Nick Johnson – Findlay Prep/committed to Arizona
Shabazz Muhammad – Junior at Bishop Gorman High School, not committed to a school

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Elite 24 participants learning to use a microphone…
The slam dunk contest.
Former Elite 24 participants and current NBA stars Michael Beasley (Minnesota), Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee) and Kevin Love (Minnesota) were also interviewed.

Jennings, who participated in the inaugural 2006 event, returned to coach in the 2010 event and stars for the Bucks: “Being chosen for the first game of the Elite 24 was very special….it was great competition and it was where I made my name.”

Other current NBA stars who played in Elite 24 include Tyreke Evans (Sacramento), O.J. Mayo (Memphis) and John Wall (Washington).

About ESPN RISE
ESPN RISE represents ESPN’s commitment to engage and elevate student athletes by providing them with recognition, resources, information and inspiration that can motivate them to improve their skills and achieve their goals on and off their fields of play. ESPN RISE assets include ESPN RISE, GIRL, Hardwood and Gridiron magazines; ESPNRISE.com; and more than 160 high school events including Elite 11, Boost Mobile Elite 24, ESPN RISE Games, ESPN RISE National High School Invitational, Faster to First, Area Code Baseball and Nike Combines/Nike SPARQ Mini Camps. ESPN RISE is uniquely positioned to provide student athletes and the company’s core fans with compelling high school sports content across all ESPN platforms.

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