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Christopher Lawlor

Jordan Brand Classic rosters announced; 21st annual senior all-star game will be played Hope Academy in Chicago on April 15

CHICAGO — It’s back.

The Jordan Brand Classic, now in its 21st year, will host elite level female and male high school senior basketball players as they take the big stage in the same city where Michael Jordan cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players of all time on April 15 at Hope Academy.

Honoring MJ’s legacy, the Jordan Brand Classic is a celebration of the next generation of basketball stars and regularly features the best and brightest high school talent in the country. The event has been canceled each of the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The girls game tips off at 6 p.m. ET followed by the boys at 8 p.m.

The boys roster (listed alphabetically):

Amari Bailey, Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth, Calif.); Adem Bona, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.); Jaden Bradley, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.); Skyy Clark, Montverde (Fla.) Academy; Kam Craft, TSF Academy (Atlanta); Kyle Filipowski, Wilbraham (Mass.) & Monson; Keyonte George, IMG Academy; Jalen Hood-Schifino, Montverde Academy; Jett Howard, IMG Academy; Vincent Iwuchukwu, Southern California Academy (Los Angeles); Dior Johnson, Southern California Academy; Dereck Lively III, Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.); Chris Livingston, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.); Brandon Miller, Cane Ridge (Nashville, Tenn.); Dillon Mitchell, Montverde Academy; Julian Phillips, Link Academy (Branson, Mo.); Tarris Reed, Link Academy; Malik Reneau, Montverde Academy; Ty Rodgers, Thornton (Harvey, Ill.); Nock Smith, North Little Rock (Ark.); J.J. Starling, La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.); Jordan Walsh,  Link Academy; Kel’el Ware, North Little Rock; Cason Wallace, Richardson (Texas); Dariq Whitehead, Montverde Academy and Cameron Whitmore, Archbishop Spalding (Severn, Md.).

The boys head coaches are Steve Smith of Oak Hill and Luke Barnwell of Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.).

The girls roster (listed alphabetically):

Ryanne Allen, Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.); Janiah Barker, Montverde (Fla.) Academy; Raegan Beers, Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.); Lauren Betts, Grandview (Aurora, Colo.); Isuneh Brady, Cathedral Catholic (San Diego); Paris Clark, Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.); Timea Gardiner, Fremont (Plain City, Utah); Aaliyah Gayles, Spring Valley (Las Vegas); Chance Gray, Winton Woods (Cincinnati); Jennah Isai, Valley Vista (Surprise, Ariz.); Ashlon Jackson, Jefferson (Sour Lake, Texas); Gabriela Jaquez, Camarillo (Calif.); Flau’Jae Johnson, Sprayberry (Marietta, Ga.); Londynn Jones, Garden Grove (Santiago, Calif.); Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Classen SAS (Oklahoma City, Okla.); Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda, Washington (Sioux Falls, S.D.); Indya Nivar, Apex (N.C.) Friendship; Maya Nnaji, Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.); Kyla Oldacre, Mason (Ohio); Paulina Paris, Saddle River (N.J.) Day; Ayanna Patterson, Homestead (Columbus, Ohio); Justine Pissott, Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic; Kiki Rice, Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.); Grace VanSlooten, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.); Ashlynn Watkins, Cardinal Newman (Columbia, S.C.) and Ruby Whitehorn, Edison Public Academy (Detroit).

Senior Writer and national analyst for Blue Media and compiles the Blue Star Elite 25 national boys and girls high school basketball and football rankings during the season. Lawlor, an award-winning writer, is a voting committee member and advisor for several national high school events, including the McDonald’s All-American Games. He previously wrote for USA TODAY and ESPN.com, where he was the national preps writer, while compiling the national rankings in four sports.

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