April 5, 2005
FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Deng Gai (Sudan) begins his quest for an NBA roster spot this week as a participant at the Portsmouth Invitational, which runs April 6-9. He will play in his second camp since last summer, participating at the Chicago Pre-Draft Camp in June, 2004.
Gai is on the MD Designs team, one of eight squads in Portsmouth Invitational. The forward will team up with Oklahoma State's Ivan McCarlin (6-8, 240), Cincinnati's Jason Maxiell (6-7, 250), UNLV's Odartey Blankson (6-7, 220), Virginia Tech's Carlos Dixon (6-7, 200), San Francisco's John Cox (6-4, 210), Buffalo's Turner Battle (6-3, 190), and Washington's Will Conroy (6-2, 195).
MD Designs will play on the opening day of the tournament, battling Norfolk Sports Club which includes Duke's Daniel Ewing and Louisville's Larry O'Bannon. Game time is slated for 9 pm on April 6. The rest of the schedule will announced as the tournament progresses based upon results.
Gai finished the 2004-05 season as the nation's leading shot blocker with 5.5 blocks per game (165 rejections in 30 outings). He ended his career tied for sixth all-time in Division I history with 444 blocks, while 4.4 career blocks per game is eighth all-time in Division I. Gai placed 11th all-time in school history with 699 rebounds, and 13th all-time with 1,268 points. He capped his senior season with All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) first team honors, and his third MAAC defensive player of the year award.
The Portsmouth Invitational began in 1953, and will play its 53rd consecutive tournament in 2005. The four-day event consists of 11 games, with 64 college seniors gaining an invitations. Approximately 200 NBA representatives are expected to be in attendance. Last season, NBA-TV televised the final three games of the tournament.
In it's 52-year history, the tournament has raised more than $450,000 for local charities and high school scholarships. More than 200 Portsmouth Invitational alums have gone on to play in the NBA.
