NORFOLK, Va. – Senior guard D’Shon Taylor of the Norfolk State basketball team will compete in the Gotham Hoops Invitational on April 9 in the third annual showcase to highlight players to fans, media and professional personnel from around the world. The event will take place at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, N.Y.
The invitational offers seniors a stage to compete in public and private settings throughout the day to showcase their talents in front of professional agents, coaches, executives and scouts. Since the event started in 2014, alumni have competed in leagues across more than 20 countries.
Former Spartan Malik Thomas competed in the event last year.
Taylor recently finished his two-year NSU career after arriving from junior college in 2014. He appeared in 67 games and made 62 starts, averaging 13.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game over those two seasons. He finished his career 15th at NSU in 3-pointers (94) as well as 16th in attempts (265) and 17th in 3-point field goal percentage (.355).
The 2016 Gotham Hoops Invitational gets underway at 10:20 a.m. on April 9 with guest speakers, warmups and then workouts. The showcase games, the first events open to the public, begin at 3 p.m. Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $5 for students. For more information, visit www.gothamhoops.com.
Bethune-Cookman senior Mario Moody will join Taylor as the only two players from the MEAC to take part in the invitational. A total of 36 seniors from various levels of collegiate basketball will compete in a new tournament-style setting this year in which four teams will play semifinal games and then either a consolation or championship game to claim the inaugural Championship Cup.