All-Met's 14 Points Not Enough in Loss: Black 107, White 96 By Alan Goldenbach Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, April 18, 2004; Page E15 Even though NBA-bound center Dwight Howard was the game's most valuable player, All-Met Player of the Year Rudy Gay of Spalding clearly was the featured attraction at last night's 31st annual Capital Classic at Comcast Center. Howard had 18 points, along with 15 rebounds and 6 blocked shots to lead the Black team to a 107-96 victory over Gay's White team. The majority of the announced 9,725 fans, meantime, seemed to have strong opinions about Gay. One set of voices came from the area near Gay's family in Section 102, cheering loudly for the 6-foot-8 forward who signed with Connecticut. But there was an equally boisterous group sitting behind one of the baselines who booed every time Gay touched the ball. Some Maryland fans were disappointed with his college choice, hoping Comcast Center would be Gay's future home court. "It was an experience, man," said Gay, who finished with 14 points and struggled with foul trouble for much of the game. "I guess I'm getting ready for the future, where a lot of people won't like me." Gay was clearly unnerved by the razzing, and after a ferocious breakaway slam-dunk midway through the first half, he grabbed his headband and tossed it into the section of the crowd that was taunting him. "I was about to take it off anyway," Gay said. "Why not take it off then?" Howard, who received plenty of national fanfare this season, showed some of the skills that might make him the top pick in the NBA draft in June. Even at 6-11, 235 pounds, Howard moves well, both in the low post and on the perimeter. Perhaps his most impressive sequence came four minutes into the second half, when he grabbed a rebound, dribbled to midcourt, and then past two defenders, before firing a no-look pass to Detroit forward Malik Hairston for a dunk. "I don't think I had the greatest game," Howard said calmly. "There's still a lot of other things I can do." Oak Hill Academy point guard Rajon Rando, leading the White team, was the most exciting player on the court for much of the game. Midway through the first half, the 6-1 Rondo, who has signed with Kentucky, threw a beautiful, behind-the-back pass to future college teammate Joe Crawford for a layup. Three minutes later, he scored two of his 12 points on a twisting, off-balance layup over 6-9 Arkansas recruit Al Jefferson. The Black team was in control nearly the entire way, staking itself to leads of 10-2 and 23-11 in the first eight minutes. The margin never got closer than nine until the game's final five minutes. Rondo keyed a 10-0 run that cut the Black team's 75-55 margin in half. But after that, the lead fluctuated between eight and 12 points the rest of the way. Dorrell Wright, a 6-8 forward who signed with DePaul but entered the NBA draft on Friday, scored a game-high 24 points. Wright has not hired an agent and thinks he might return to school. "I still think I'm not ready," Wright said. "But if the opportunity is there, I think I should take it." © 2004 The Washington Post Company ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Howard steals show in win NBA-bound Atlanta player has 18 points, 15 rebounds, earns game's MVP honors By Lem Satterfield Sun Staff Originally published April 18, 2004 COLLEGE PARK -- The Jordan Capital Classic's national game has gone from being a "Who's Who" contest showcasing America's best college-bound senior high school basketball recruits to a star-studded affair of "Who's bypassing college to go straight to the NBA?" Last night's 31st annual classic at the University of Maryland's Comcast Center featured 19 of the country's top prep basketball players performing before celebrities such as Red Auerbach, John Thompson, Michael Jordan, Morgan Wootten, LeBron James and Terrell Owens. But the man of the evening clearly was Dwight Howard, a 6-foot-11 forward out of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy who might be the No. 1 pick in the NBA's June 24 draft. Howard decided last fall to turn pro before making it official last week. He ran the floor as well as most guards and played with finesse. He also swatted away shots with the authority and power of the big man he is when getting back on defense. He did all this to finish as the night's Most Valuable Player, as his 18 points, 15 rebounds, six blocked shots and three assists led the Black team over the White team in the national game, 107-96. "I just wanted to go out there and have fun. It was my last high school game. I just wanted to have fun tonight, and it feels great, because I ended up on top," said Howard, who joined Dorell Wright, a 6-8 forward out of South Kent Prep School who had signed with DePaul, as the two players who have chosen to become professional players. Another, Archbishop Spalding's 6-8 forward Rudy Gay, The Sun's All-Metro Co-Player of the Year, hinted late last week at a growing desire to join them -- meaning he would eschew his signed scholarship to NCAA champion Connecticut. But Gay, who finished with 14 points and two blocked shots, said, last night, "I'm not thinking about the NBA. It's been brought to me, but I'm not thinking about it seriously." Howard, on the other hand, if picked first would follow the path of James, who drew a crowd when he arrived late in the first half. "I always wanted to go to the NBA since I was 3 years old," Howard said. "I wanted to be the first, but obviously, I wasn't." But Howard proved himself worthy of acclaim, establishing his dominance in the first half. He made a baseline jumper over 6-9 Arkansas-bound Al Jefferson, later blocked shots by Jefferson and Wright, and then ran by Gay in the lane for a dunk. Gay also showed glimpses of the talents required to make the jump to the next level -- all while playing on the floor of the program that lost a recruiting battle to the Huskies and while being booed and jeered from Terps fans each time he touched the ball. Gay once sailed a three-pointer over Howard's outstretched hands. He used his wingspan, defensively, to later block a shot by Howard. And there was his one-handed dunk after stealing a pass -- after which he ripped off his head band and slung it into the stands. "I guess I was getting ready for the future where a lot of people won't like me," Gay said. "It was an experience." In the regional game, the White team beat the Red, 121-96. Abdulai Jalloh of National Christian Academy, a 6-1 guard who is headed for Saint Joseph's, scored 19 points, and was named Most Valuable Player for the White team. Maryland-bound 6-7 forward James Gist scored eight of his 11 points in the second half, including six in the third quarter, to go with seven rebounds for the Red team. Eleanor Roosevelt's 6-9 forward Jared Gaither scored all of his eight points in the second half for the losing team. Copyright © 2004, The Baltimore Sun | Get home delivery