Valley & Region Players to Portsmouth

Prim & Williamson Participating

Editor: Some of the following is taken from portsmouthinvitational.com.

(St. Louis, MO) – Missouri Valley Conference players and St. Louis area players are participating in this year’s prestigious Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. This annual tournament has multiple goals. One of those initiatives is to give graduating senior basketball players a chance to perform in front of NBA scouts and administrators.

“Each year for 67 years the P.I.T has invited 64 of the best college basketball players (seniors) from across the nation to participate in a four-day, twelve game tournament in front of representatives from every NBA team.” 

It’s mission includes donating money to local Portsmouth charities and award scholarship grants to area student athletes.

“The P.I.T. has always claimed to be “more than a basketball tournament”.  Each year the P.I.T. contributes back to the community by awarding seven $4,000 scholarships to student athletes from Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach.  In addition to the scholarships, approximately $11,500 from the tournament proceeds is presented to local non-profit organizations and charities to help them make a difference in the local community.”

Sixty-four players are placed on eight rosters and participate in a four-day tournament. They must be “seniors in good academic and athletic department standing.”

Valley Players

Missouri Valley all-conference players, Lucas Williamson (Loyola Chicago) and Missouri State’s Gaige Prim are a part of this year’s Portsmouth Invitational. Joining them will be Belmont University’s Ohio Valley all-league performer Nick Muszynski.

Prim and Muszynski recently participated in the Don Equis 3X3 Tournament.

Regional Interest

Texas guard Courtney Ramey is from St. Louis’ Webster Groves High School, where he was a state champion. North Carolina State’s Jericole Hellems is from St. Louis’ Chaminade College Prep. He is the school’s third leading all-time scorer behind NBA stars Bradley Beal and Jayson Tatum and ahead of former NBA veteran David Lee.

Hellems completed his Wolfpack career by scoring 1,244 points. Ramey scored 1,275 for the Longhorns.

Trevor Hudgins is this year’s NABC Division 2 ‘Player of the Year’ for national champion Northwest Missouri State University.

The tournament begins Wednesday and concludes on Saturday. For streaming information go to portsmouthinvitational.com.

Do Good