Feb. 8, 2005

Trenton, N.J. - Blame it all on Tyson Chandler - with a big assist to the Sovereign Bank Arena.

Until the night of Feb. 9, 2001, the Prime Time Shootout was a regional event - one that brought the top talent from New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania to Mercer County.

And then a 7-foot-2 senior from Los Angeles took the court in Trenton. Tyson Chandler - a heralded center from Dominguez High about to jump straight to the NBA - brought his game to the East Coast, and the February local sports landscape never has been the same.

Since that day there have been teams from Mississippi, Georgia, Massachusetts - even Canada. In just four years since then, the partnership between the PTS and the arena has provided local fans with an amazing array of talented players who have succeeded at the highest levels of college and professional basketball.

There are 16 active NBA players who have played at the Sovereign Bank Arena since the Prime Time Shootout moved there in 2000, a truly startling number. So picking our all-Sov team from the past five years was no easy task.

But here goes our best effort, with some help from team selection chairman Jeff Hewitson.

LEBRON JAMES - The man who might end up the most influential NBA player of his generation came to Trenton twice with his St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) team - once for a dream showdown against Carmelo Anthony, once as an international story following a return from a suspension. James returned that night to score a PTS-record 52 points and establish his place in Trenton sports history.

CARMELO ANTHONY - James' foil in that epic 2002 showdown also deserves a starting spot on our team.

"Every time LeBron would go down and make a fantastic shot, Carmelo would do it on the other end of the court," Hewitson said. "That Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) team was the best I've ever seen."

DAJUAN WAGNER - The former Camden High star's first big PTS moment dates back to pre-SBA days, when as a 14-year-old freshman he dropped 45 points on Red Bank at Rider University's Alumni Gym, while his arena legacy includes an emotional 2001 win over Julius Hodge and St. Raymond's where Wagner scored 39 points and rallied his team from a 17-point deficit.

"I still think that's the most exciting game we've had here," Hewitson said.

DWIGHT HOWARD - Howard didn't play great in his one appearance here last year, as his Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy team lost on a buzzer beater to Sebastian Telfair and Lincoln (N.Y.) High. But you can't put an NBA No. 1 draft choice on the bench.

LUOL DENG - Howard was the No. 1 pick, but Deng, the Blair Academy product, may end up as NBA Rookie of the Year, as the most complete player on the suddenly resurgent Chicago Bulls.

"Of all our guys in the NBA right now," Hewitson said, "he's probably had the biggest impact of anyone other than LeBron."

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Our bench isn't that bad, either.

JAMEER NELSON - Why not start with the 2004 College Basketball Player of the Year? Nelson, whose Chester (Pa.) squad picked apart Simon Gratz in a 2000 meeting, nearly joined Anthony as former PTS stars to win an NCAA title.

BEN GORDON - Gordon didn't lead his Mount Vernon (N.Y.) squad to a win here, losing to Christian Brothers Academy in 2001, but leading UConn to the 2004 national championship gets him on the list.

SEBASTIAN TELFAIR - Three wins in three years, including memorable comebacks over McQuaid Jesuit (Rochester, N.Y.) and Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, make Telfair a no-brainer.

JULIUS HODGE - Now a star at North Carolina State, Hodge always will be remembered for the Camden-St. Raymond's game of 2001. His NBA days are coming soon.

Mykeema Ford - The only local - and only female - on our team, Trenton High's Ford is now her team's leading scorer as a sophomore at Stony Brook. A classic win over Wildwood, in which Ford went toe-to-toe with Monica Johnson, was a key moment in a season that ended with a Tournament of Champions title.

"I loved high school," Ford said. "And I loved the experience of the Prime Time Shootout - the great fans, the great players."

JOSH SMITH - Smith showed his brilliant talent with Oak Hill last year and is playing a vital role for the rebuilding Atlanta Hawks.

TYSON CHANDLER - "He was the first great player from outside the area to receive top billing," Hewitson said.

But certainly not the last.