MSU's Derrick Zimmerman To Compete In Portsmouth Invitational Tourney
The nation's oldest amateur basketball tournament, the 51st Annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament is recognized by NBA and European scouts as the premier showcase for hot prospects. This year's event will take place April 9-12 at the Churchland High School gymnasium in Portsmouth.
Noted as the only tournament for college seniors to participate in and be evaluated by the National Basketball Association prior to the league's pre-draft camp in Chicago this June, this year's PIT is slated to also feature fellow SEC standouts Marquis Daniels of Auburn, LSU's Ronald Dupree, Erwin Dudley of Alabama, Justin Hamilton and Brett Nelson of Florida, South Carolina's Chuck Eidson, and Jules Camara of Kentucky. A total of 64 players have accepted invitations to compete in the four-day event, which will consist of 11 games beginning with Wednesday's opening-round games and concluding with the consolation championship, third-place championship and overall championship contests on Saturday.
Having twice earned third-team all-SEC honors by the Associated Press, Zimmerman averaged 8.9 points, 5.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game this past season in helping lead coach Rick Stansbury's 21-10 Bulldogs to a second straight NCAA Tournament appearance and repeat berth in the championship game of the SEC Tournament. In becoming the school's all-time leader with 514 career assists, Zimmerman also became the third Mississippi State guard in the past decade to lead the SEC in assists during consecutive seasons, joining former State standouts Detrick White (1999 & '98) and Chuck Evans (1993 & '92).
A two-time team co-captain for MSU and twice selected to the SEC All-Tournament Team, Zimmerman helped lead the Bulldogs to a four-year composite record of 80-47, including back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, an SEC Western Division championship this past season, an SEC Tournament title a year ago, and an NIT quarterfinal-round showing in 2001. Along with setting a new all-time school standard by appearing in 127 career games, including 66 consecutive starts during his junior and senior campaigns, the Monroe, La., native concluded his career ranked second on MSU's all-time list with 205 career steals. Zimmerman also totaled 870 points, 416 rebounds, 89 blocks and 80 dunks during his four-year career.
The money raised annually by the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament is funneled to local non-profit organizations and scholarships to deserving high school student-athletes. The PIT has raised over $450,000 in contributions to these causes over the years, and a total of 90 PIT scholarships have been awarded. Additional information on the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament can be found at www.portsmouthinvitational.com.