April 9, 2008

KANSAS CITY, MO. --- McCarthy Sports, Inc. is proud to announce the 65 players who will compete in the Collegiate Basketball Invitational in Wadsworth, Ohio, April 24-26.

Casey Holt, a senior for the University of North Alabama, was one of the 65 players selected. He set a UNA single-season scoring record with 640 points. The record that he broke had stood since 1961-62. He led UNA to a 27-9 record that included the South Region Championship and a berth in the Division II Elite Eight. He scored more than 30 points in a game five times this season and scored in double-figures in 32 of the 36 games that he played. He also had 11 double-doubles this season.

He was selected GSC Player of the Week three times this season, was first-team All-GSC, GSC East Division Player of the Year, first-team All-South Region by Daktronics and NABC and was honorable mention All-American by Division II Bulletin.

His 123 career games played is a school record and his 1,220 career points ranks him ninth in school history. He helped lead UNA to two NCAA Tournaments during his career. This season he averaged 17.8 points and 8.6 rebounds, had 92 assists, 32 blocked shots and hit 54 three-pointers. Holt was one of three GSC players selected (Matt Hall, Harding and Devario Hudson, Valdosta).

The Collegiate Basketball Invitational (CBI) is a major national basketball event that will gather the finest 65 senior men's basketball players from all of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II and Division III and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

The event will take place at Wadsworth High School in Wadsworth, Ohio, and will consist of eight teams of eight players (one team with nine players) in an eight-team tournament. Each team will play a total of three games that will be played Thursday and Friday, culminating with the championship game being played Friday night at 8 p.m. The CBI will conclude with an all-star game Saturday evening in front of a live, ESPNU audience as 20 players will be selected to play in the game.

“I sincerely congratulate the 65 players that have been selected to compete in this prestigious event,” said CBI Founder John McCarthy. “I am very excited about these 65 players and I am proud and honored to welcome them to Wadsworth for the Collegiate Basketball Invitational. I am confident that this class of players will help make the public aware of the high level of talent at the NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA levels.”

“I would like to thank our selection committee and the many, many coaches from around the country who have shared their insights and taken their time to provide valuable information about the top seniors in the country. With approximately 1,000 colleges and universities within these divisions, the selection of players has truly been a challenging task. Narrowing this field to 65 players has been very difficult, as there are many other players at these levels that are very talented players of high character. We have worked hard to handle this selection process with class and integrity.”

“The outpouring of support for this event from around the country has reinforced my faith in the value of the Collegiate Basketball Invitational. The event is simply good for the game of basketball on several levels and this announcement makes me personally proud.”

The All-Star Game will consist of the top 20 players from among the 65 players selected to compete at the (CBI). The players at the CBI are the top seniors from all of NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and the NAIA. At the three-day event, players will have the opportunity to compete in front of the professional team representatives, agents and national media, while competing against the best of the best from around the country.