LITTLE ROCK — Seven years ago, Bill Ingram was modest in his expectations for the grassroots basketball tournament that evolved into Real Deal in The Rock.
In 2005, the event hosted 72 teams on 10 courts throughout Fayetteville.
Now, it’s moved to Little Rock, taken up a command post at the Jack Stephens Center and spans three days with 500 teams and 6,000 players on up to 49 courts across the city.
“I’m ’fessing up,” Ingram said Thursday after a news conference promoting this year’s edition. “I’d never thought we’d get to this level.”
Touting itself as the largest grassroots basketball gathering in the nation, past editions showcased 17 players selected in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft, including top pick John Wall of the Washington Wizards.
Ingram said this year’s event, which begins April 15, figures to have “300 [NCAA]Division I recruits coming.”
Right now, nine of the top 10 players in the ESPNU Top 150 are slated to take part, Ingram said.
“This will probably be the best class we’ve had since the first one,” Ingram said, “the one with Greg Oden, Kevin Durant, Michael Beasely and Derrick Rose.”
Ingram said Real Deal in the Rock’s allure stems from the fact that it allows prized recruits, such as top overall prospect Andre Drummond, and top AAU programs, such as the Atlantic Celtics, to square off toe-to-toe.
“When you have great teams, other great teams follow,” Ingram said. “If you want the best competition, this is the place to come.”
Logistics also sets the event apart, with a plethora of courts no more than a 10-minute drive from Jack Stephens Center at the UALR campus along South University Avenue.
“What makes us different is that we have an entire city behind us,” Ingram said. “I’m going to be honest, our hospitality, the way we run our tournament, our timeliness and the way we treat people set us apart.”
It’s a partnership lauded by Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola, who spoke briefly during Thursday’s news conference.
“We’re excited to have this here,” Stodola said. “We recognized that this is a great opportunity to not only help our city, but see some excellent basketball being played by not only future college stars in this country but future professionals.”
Asked whether Real Deal in the Rock had hit its ceiling, Ingram smiled and shook his head.
“We’re going to level off right here,” he said. “Any program in the country would love to have this deal, and we’re just working to perfect it.”
Sports, Pages 27 on 03/25/2011