Nov. 9, 2007 — Since its inception in 2000, the annual Paradise Jam basketball tournament has featured some of the nation's top college teams, brought in thousands of dollars to the territory and attracted international media coverage, and this year is no exception, event organizers said Friday.
This year the tournament should bring in a seven-to-one rate of return, meaning the government will get $7 back for every dollar spent on the event, for a total of about $1.5 million, said Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty during a press conference at Marriott Frenchman's Reef Resort on St. Thomas. As a sponsor of the tournament, Tourism contributes about $250,000 and, in return, tournament organizers guarantee a minimum of hotel room stays and other perks.
"This is one of those events where we get a really great return on our investment," Nicholson-Doty said, adding that additional money is also spent each year on things such as food, beverages and transportation. With events such as Paradise Jam steadily gaining in popularity, the local government is working to make sports tourism one of its top priorities, she said, marketing, among other things, the state-of-the-art sports complex at the University of the Virgin Islands.
Though Paradise Jam first found its footing at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School's gymnasium, it has since moved to the UVI Sports and Fitness Center, which seats about 4,000 people and boasts a court ready for heavy basketball competition. In June 2003, Basketball Travelers — the tournament's organizers — signed a five-year extension with UVI, guaranteeing the return of Paradise Jam to the territory.
"Out of all the events we put on, this is our crown jewel," said Craig Jonas, Basketball Travelers' marketing consultant. When asked what's different about the tournament this year, Jonas said that the organization is trying to "do a better job" giving back to the local community by offering such things as free Five-Star basketball clinics for students on both St. Thomas and St. Croix.
Additionally, the tournament will boast more national media coverage than ever before, with seven of the games broadcast on Fox College Sports, Direct TV and other networks. Live coverage of the games will also stream online throughout the tournament, Jonas said.
This year's women's bracket is the best in tournament history, featuring ten top Division I teams, including Duke, the University of Connecticut, Purdue, Stanford, Old Dominion and Texas A&M, Jonas said. Seven of the teams ended the 2006-2007 season ranked in the final Associated Press Poll, with Duke and UConn finishing first and second, respectively, followed by Stanford, Purdue, Texas A&M, Old Dominion and Temple. The teams all earned sports in the NCAA, with UConn and Purdue making it to the Elite Eight.
Tournament play on St. Thomas is split into two brackets — the Reef Division and the Island Division — consisting of three teams each. In the Reef Division this year, Duke, Purdue and Temple will play one another, while the Island Division features UConn, Stanford and Old Dominion. The tournament beings with three days of pool play within the two divisions Nov. 22-24, with each team playing two games. These games will determine which teams finish up on the final day of play Nov. 25.
The men's field is equally as competitive, Jonas says, featuring Division I teams such as Wichita State, Baylor University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Notre Dame, Winthrop and Georgia Tech made the NCAA tournament in 2006, with Winthrop and Notre Dame meeting in the second round. Rounding off the group is Monmouth, looking to rebound from last year's disappointing 12-18 record, and the University of Illinois at Chicago, whose veteran depth will make them a team to look out for on the court.
Competition begins late next week with consecutive-day action culminating in the championship round Nov. 19. The 2007 Paradise Jam will tip off with Georgia Tech playing UNC-Charlotte at 2 p.m. Nov 16.
For a list of games and times, visit paradisejam.com and click on the link for each bracket.
Five-Star basketball clinics kick off on St. Croix at 11 a.m. Nov. 17 at the Central High School gym. Clinics for older students begin at 1:15 p.m.
Tickets for the games can be purchased at the door, beginning at 1 p.m. on Nov. 16.
Prices:
$60: Men's tournament pass (good for all games Nov. 16-19)
$55: Women's tournament pass (good for all games Nov. 22-25)
$25: Non-V.I. resident (single-game ticket)
$10: V.I. resident with identification (single-game ticket)
$5: children (ages 5-17), students and UVI students
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