Abdul Gaddy made a commitment to the University of Arizona to join some of the top high school prospects in the country when he graduates high school. The 6’3 point guard from Tacoma, Washington fulfilled a life long dream in the summer prior to his junior year when he made the choice to attend the U of A. He will join an exceptional roster of young players including former GBOA star, Brandon Jennings.

Gaddy told Rivals.com, "Arizona has always been my dream school. When I was younger and watching college basketball, it always seemed that Arizona was playing. I would watch their great guards like Bibby and Terry and knew I wanted to play there. It's Point Guard U and there couldn't be a better place for me to play.”

After averaging 20 points and 8 assists per game as a sophomore at Bellermine Prep, Gaddy spent his summer gaining national attention and turning many heads with his all around athleticism, skill and smooth shooting.

Rivals ranks Gaddy as the #2 prospect at the point guard position and in the Top 15 overall for the class of 2009. This talented point guard looks to lead his Portland Legends team to another standout summer with high hopes of winning the GBOA Challenge of Champions crown.

GBOA West: May 3-4, 2008 (Los Angeles, CA)

For the 2008 GBOA season, the West region looks to have several teams with good chances of winning the Challenge of Champions title. The West has five teams in the early top 20 poll, and has a good shot at landing a team in the championship game in August. Perennial top California teams like SoCal All-Stars and California Supreme will be challenged by fairly new teams including LA Dream Team and Houston Hoops, which is playing in its first GBOA tournament. Early favorites to win the GBOA West are Pump N Run and LA Dream team, both of which are led by supreme young talents looking to make themselves known nationally.

The SoCal All-Stars feature a powerful front court led by UNC signees David and Travis Wear and sophomore sensation Dwayne Polee. The Wear twins, listed at 6’10" possess smooth inside-outside games that will allow the SoCal All-stars many different options on offense. The twins, matched with the extremely athletic Polee will prove to be difficult for other teams to match up with.

The LA Dream Team is highlighted by Renardo Sidney, who is touted by most as the class of 2009’s top player. Sidney’s ability around the hoop to finish strong and his athleticism on defense will cause problems for small guards and slashers looking to take the ball inside. Sidney’s supporting cast is meager but his star power and physical presence should be enough to put the LA Dream team as one of the front runners for the GBOA West title.

Another player to watch in the West region is point guard Elijah Johnson . Johnson is one of the finest point guards in the nation and is drawing major interest from big time college programs. Johnson, who is from Las Vegas, runs the point for Pump N run, playing along side 6’7" UCLA signee, Reeves Nelson.

From top to bottom the West region’s 16 teams are all capable of making runs to the Challenge of Champions final tournament in August. Look out for sleeper teams Like the Northwest Panthers and the Portland Legends who have the ability to surprise some teams. The Legends, whose alumni include the 2008 Pac-10 Player of the Year, UCLA freshman Kevin Love and ACC Freshman of the Year, Kyle Singler from Duke, boast a talented as do the Panthers who are led by Arizona signee, guard Abdul Gaddy.

GBOA North: May 10-11, 2008 (Chicago, IL)

Entering the 2008 season, GBOA North looks like the underdog. There are very few superstars in this class hailing from the upper Midwest, and only 3 GBOA North teams cracked the Pre-Season Top 20 Poll. But these underdogs have something to prove on the court in May, as they look for the chance to show the hometown crowds what they’re made of at the Challenge of Champions.

Carrying the torch for this year’s North teams at #15 on the GBOA pre-season poll is The Family, coach Speedy Walker’s Detroit-based team. The team is led by top prospect DaShonte Riley, who is a top 20 recruit for the Class of 2009 and one of the top centers in the class. Teammate Donnovan Kirk, nicknamed pogo for his quick jumping ability, a top 20 power forward. These two stars are also high school teammates at Detroit Country Day, so chemistry should not be a problem. Walker has a history of building top grassroots teams, so it remains to be seen whether Riley and Kirk will live up to The Family name.

One of last year’s top teams, the D1 Greyhounds, looks to prove it deserves Top 20 rank without a big-name prospect, while individual stars in GBOA North include two Chicago-area studs, Jordan Walker of Illinois Meanstreets and sophomore standout Crandall Head of the Illinois Warriors. Neither team cracked the Pre-Season Top 20, but with this type of talent, both teams certainly have a shot at a Challenge of Champions berth. The dark horse in this year’s North regional may be Indiana’s SYF Rising Stars, and Hoosier commit Derek Elston. But this is why these games are played on the court...you never know what will happen when the pressure is on.

GBOA East: May 17-18, 2008 (New York, NY)

The east coast is historically known for its talented players and teams that dominate summer basketball. In the 2008 GBOA season, we will see more of the same from these talented teams. The GBOA East Region will see some of the toughest competition and the best players in every game. Perennial powerhouse teams including DC Assault and the New York Panthers will look to battle for the top spot in the region along with New Jersey Playaz, Metro Hawks and Juice All-Stars. The early polls show the East with five teams in the top 20 and a good chance more will find their way into the rankings before the Challenge of Champions in August.

GBOA East is highlighted by some of the top young talent along with teams that have a winning tradition unmatched by anyone else. DC Assault looks to be the early favorite to win the East crown, led by talented forward Dante Taylor and Kansas State signees, Wally Judge and Rodney McGruder. Judge’s ability to defend along with his athleticism makes him a perfect match with McGruder’s shooting and scoring ability. The three prospects combined should make a solid team with very strong chances of taking the title.

The Metro Hawks will challenge DC Assault’s strive for the title in 2008. The Hawks are led by Rutgers bound center Greg Echenique, a native of Venezuela who plays high school baskeball for the legendary St. Benedict’s out of New Jersey. The New York City based team is a perennial powerhouse with former players such as Ben Gordon, Elton Brand and Jerry Stackhouse. The Hawks had a solid 2007 summer season, finishing with a 30-10 record. In 2008 they will look to increase their wins and compete for the GBOA East Title as well as a run at the Challenge of Champions.

It will come as no surprise that the New York City area as usual, will be chocked full of talented teams. In addition to the Metro Hawks the Juice All-Stars and Panthers stand to be early contenders for the East crown. Juice is led by arguably the top player in the 2009 class, Lance Stephenson. Any team that has a player like Stephenson is a threat to win it all but will be put to the test against other solid teams like the Panthers and the New Jersey Playaz and their super shooting guard Dominic Cheek.

The GBOA East teams will be strong across the board because of the immense talent on each of the teams. Players to watch out for include: Stephenson, Cheek and Maalik Wayns of Team Philly. Wayns is a point guard from Philly and follows a long tradition of talented point guard’s from the area. The Villanova bound junior is a pass first guard who can still score from outside. His unselfishness and scoring ability will make defending him difficult.

Lance Stephenson is a player who needs little introduction. As a junior he averaged 26 points per game for LincolnHigh School. Not even 18 years old, Stephenson is already a legend that will be among the past New York City Stephenson’s Juice All-Stars chances to win the GBOA East, depend on him; good showings early could prove to be just what Juice needs to get to the C of C in August. greats.

The New Jeresey Playaz’ Dominic Cheek is another player top player in the East. The 6’5 shooting guard matches up well with Stephenson. Cheek’s superb ability to score puts the Playaz in a position to test Juice and DC Assault for a GBOA East title.

Coming from a basketball rich area, the GBOA East tournament will be filled with marquee match-ups no basketball fan will want to miss, complete with rosters filled with talented young stars and those on the brink of breaking out on to the national scene.

GBOA South: June 28-29, 2008 (Atlanta, GA)

GBOA South will round out the regional tournaments on June 29-30, 2008 in Atlanta. Some might say we have saved the best for last as the South is stacked this year! Seven of the GBOA Pre-Season Top 20 teams will play in Atlanta, and 15 of the Rivals Class of 2009 Top100 prospects hail from the South.

Leading the charge is top ranked Atlanta Celtics and star power forward Derrick Favors, the #3 overall prospect for 2009. Considered a skilled post player with soft touch, Favors and teammates Noel Johnson and Terrence Shannon should continue the tradition of great Celtics teams. The Celtics are off to a strong start on the AAU season, defeating the Georgia Stars to win the Riverfest tournament on March 22-23.

The top ranked player in the region is shooting guard Xavier Henry of Oklahoma-based Athletes First. As the second ranked prospect by Rivals and the top shooting guard in the country, Henry will be hard to miss in Atlanta. Teammate Daniel Orton, the top ranked center in the country, stands 6’10” and can play both the low and high post. These two make quite an intimidating presence, and when combined with power forward Kyle Hardrick, Athletes First is poised to make a statement and surpass its #4 pre-season ranking.

Perrennial power Boo Williams comes in at number two entering the 2008 season, despite only two players ranked in the top 50. Center Deshawn Painter and small forward Marshawn Powell are both Top 30 recruits, and these two and their supporting cast, including 2010 prospect Kendall Marshall, find a way to make things happen on the floor, making Boo Williams will be a force to be reckoned with.

Florida’s Team Breakdown continues the South’s sweep of the leaderboard at #3. Shooting guard Kenny Boynton is the only Top 50 player on the team (#7 overall), but his deadly shooting is usually enough to carry this team into the Challenge of Champions.

Not to be forgotten, Worldwide Renegades boasts Ari Stewart, the third ranked power forward in the country and a skilled shooter who can hit the three. Sharing the court with Stewart are point guards Mfon Udofia and Lorenzo Brown, as well as small forward Richard Howell. This talented group looks to break into the top four and earn a ticket to Chicago.

With a field this talented, the South is wide open. Fans will be in for exciting games and some of the best summer basketball around as these teams battle it out for bragging rights and a berth in the Challenge of Champions.