Drafts and Beasley to renew rivalry in all-star game
The top high school basketball players from Beaufort and Jasper counties will get their chance to shine at the inaugural Lowco Basketball Showcase on March 27-28 at Beaufort Academy.
LowcoSports has partnered with Beaufort Academy and the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lowcountry to organize the event, which will feature 96 of the best hoops stars in the Lowco.
The Lowco Basketball Showcase will include two “Rising Stars” games for the top 24 boys and girls players in 10th grade and below, slam dunk and 3-point shooting competitions, and two All-Star games for the top 24 junior and senior boys and girls in the area.
The Rising Stars games and skill competitions will be held on March 27, with the All-Star games on March 28. The event is tentatively scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. each day.
Tickets for the Lowco Basketball Showcase are $15 per day or $25 for both days.
Tickets are now on sale at LowcoSports.com/Lowco-Basketball-Showcase.
A significant portion of the proceeds from ticket sales, merchandise sales, a silent auction, and raffles will benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lowcountry, particularly the club’s programs in Northern Beaufort County and Jasper County.
“Our organization is extremely excited to partner with LowcoSports,” said James Dismond, Area Director of Resource Development for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lowcountry. “This event will not only highlight the amazing talent we have in the Lowcountry, but it will also contribute to our mission in helping all youth, especially those who need us most in the Lowcountry.”
The Lowco Basketball Showcase also will give fans a chance to see some legendary area coaches on the bench once again. Former Battery Creek coach John Drafts and former Beaufort High coach Bruce Beasley have agreed to serve as the head coaches for the boys all-star game on March 28, rekindling a crosstown rivalry that spanned four decades.
The event will be unique to the area and serve to shine a spotlight on the talent in an area that is often overlooked due to being in a smaller media market, LowcoSports founder Justin Jarrett said.
“BA athletics director Nick Field actually came to me with the idea of hosting a postseason all-star game last year, and I was too intimidated by the logistics to take on such a big project,” Jarrett said. “When he mentioned again this year, I said, ‘Let’s do it!,’ and we ran with the idea.”
When they stopped running, the idea had grown far beyond the scope of a simple all-star game and more closely resembled NBA All-Star Weekend – or week, as the case may be.
The week of festivities will tip off with a VIP sponsor party, at which team captains will draft their squads, and it will conclude with an awards presentation following the boys all-star game on Saturday.
A wide range of sponsorship packages are available, ranging from title and presenting sponsorships to supporting sponsorships starting at $250.
“We want every business in the community who wants to be a part of this special event to have that opportunity,” Jarrett said. “LowcoSports, much like the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lowcountry, is all about inclusion and building community. We want this to be an annual event that instills pride in our community and celebrates the talented student-athletes here in the Lowco that are too often overlooked.”
