It's here!

JUCO all-stars from across the nation in town for Saturday's all-star classic, including Texas versus the nationals
ESPN's Fraschilla speaks at noon; II, III all-stars meet at 5:30; Texas team faces nationals at 7

Courtesy photo/ Longview News Journal - Courtney Case THE BIG SHOW - Kilgore College's Jonathan Leopaul, known better to his teammates as "Lake Charles," (he's from that Louisiana city), will, along with teammate Marcus Hubbard, represent KC as a part of Saturday's NJCAA Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Classic. Leopaul and Hubbard will be a part of the Region XIV Conference, or Texas, All-Stars when they face the Division I national all-stars at 7 p.m. The first game, tipping off at 5:30, pits the Division II all-stars against the Division III all-stars. Tickets at the door are just $5. Months of preparation and days of frantic last-minute situations have turned into hours before the tipoff of one of the biggest events of this year's NJCAA calendar.

The NJCAA Basketball Coaches Association's All-Star Classic, the first of its kind, is scheduled for Saturday, and coaches and players involved in the mega-event were to began arriving today.

BCA President Scott Schumacher, the Kilgore College men's head basketball coach, was on pins and needles Thursday afternoon anticipating the weekend.

SONNY WEEMS "We are so excited around here," said Schumacher, who has two players - Marcus Hubbard and Jonathan Leopaul - on the roster for the Region XIV Conference (or Texas) All-Stars. "One of the reasons that I was so fired up about bringing this game here to Masters Gym was the hope of seeing our players - not just Kilgore College, but a Texas allstar team - face off against the best players in the nation. And that's exactly what's going to happen."

Saturday's schedule is a busy one, but a dream come true for junior college basketball fans.

Schumacher's friend and noted ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla is the keynote speaker of a luncheon to be held at the main ballroom of the Charles Devall Student Center at noon on Saturday.

All-stars from the NJCAA's two smaller divisions, Division II and Division III, will meet at 5:30 p.m., and the Region XIV Conference all-stars will face off against a Division I national all-star team at 7.

Tickets are just $5 at the door. See a complete roster of all four teams on this page.

There are plenty of reasons to turn out, especially if you appreciate great basketball.

JAMES DAVIS Many of these young men involved in the contest have a l r e a d y signed to c o n t i n u e their careers, Leopaul (at Mc N e e s e State) and Hubbard (with Georgia Southern) included. Sonny Weems, a member of the Division I allstar team that Hubbard and Leopaul will face, is a University of Arkansas signee that just led his team to the NJCAA's Division I national championship.

Other all-stars that have already planned their destinations are Lee College's Mike White (Indiana University), San Jacinto's Robert McIver (the University of Houston), and Panola College's Mykal Riley (the University of Alabama-Birmingham).

O n e sought-after player that hasn't yet signed with a f o u r y e a r school is James Davis, a 7-foot center out of Schoolcraft College in Michigan. In fact, 21 of the 45 players participating in this all-star weekend are 6-5 or taller.

Schumacher believes there may be several four-year colleges on hand - some with famous faces - to see Davis and other players that haven't yet signed.

"This game has been approved, deemed OK for fouryear programs to visit," Schumacher said. "There's a very good possibility that there may be some well-known programs here."

M. HUBBARD The KC coach also points out the success of JUCO bask e t b a l l around the country in p roducing professional b a s k e t b a l l players. "There are a lot of people playing in the NBA right now that took the junior college path," he said. "This weekend, we could be watching some kids that may one day play in the NBA."

NJCAA Executive Director Wayne Baker will be in attendance for this weekend's activities, coming from Colorado Springs, Colo.

Baker, a longtime friend of former KC athletic director Jim Campbell, said Thursday he had been to Kilgore on several occasions, but was looking forward to this trip.

" W e haven't had a national allstar series like this for a number of years," Baker said, referring to allstar games in the past where Texas JUCO players faced national all-stars.

Baker complimented Schumacher's drive and work ethic with the event.

"He's a high-energy type of guy," Baker laughed. "But I think he's done a great job."

SCHUMACHER