FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Black Cager Invitational Tournament
Jason Boggs, Tournament Director Senior
jboggs501@yahoo.com | (484) 522-2750

Premier Live Period Event Exclusively Connects Mid-Atlantic Scholastic Standouts with Division II and III Programs as the NIL Era Reshapes Recruiting

ALLENTOWN, PA — May 8, 2026 — In an era where the economics of college basketball recruiting have been fundamentally rewritten, a new showcase is stepping onto center court to bridge a widening gap. On June 20, the inaugural Black Cager Invitational Basketball Tournament will tip off at the state-of-the-art Executive Fieldhouse in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with a singular, unapologetic mission: connecting the Mid-Atlantic’s most promising unsigned scholastic talent directly with coaches from every Division II and Division III program across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.

The seismic shifts caused by the Transfer Portal and NIL collectives have led prominent Division I figures, including Hall of Famer Rick Pitino of St. John’s, to publicly declare a pivot away from traditional high school recruiting. This new calculus has left a deep pool of high-academic, high-character senior and post-graduate prospects searching for a new home. The Black Cager Invitational answers that call.

“The market inefficiency in men’s college basketball right now isn’t a lack of talent—it’s a lack of exposure for the right talent to the right programs,” said Delgreco Wilson, Founder of the Black Cager Invitational. “While the high-major world chases transfers, D2 and D3 programs remain the bedrock of developmental college basketball. This event isn’t a consolation prize; it is a curated marketplace for winners, scholars, and late bloomers who want to impact a program immediately. We are the anti-portal.”

Unlike traditional Live Period events that pack the sidelines with mid-major and high-major staffers focused on elite-ranked prospects, the Black Cager Invitational curates its environment exclusively for small college programs. The event guarantees that every coach in attendance—from the PSAC to the NJAC, the CACC to the Centennial Conference—has an unobstructed view of rosters full of pre-vetted student-athletes eager to compete for roster spots and academic scholarships.

THE NEW BLUEPRINT: BEYOND THE D1 GLARE


The modern college coach at the Division II and III levels isn’t looking for a mercenary; they are looking for a four-year pillar. The Black Cager Invitational showcases athletes who are physically prepared to contribute as freshmen and academically positioned to thrive at rigorous institutions. This is high-level basketball stripped of the transactional NIL frenzy, focusing purely on fit, system, and education.

“Rick Pitino was simply bold enough to say what many are thinking,” the tournament’s executive committee noted. “But for every five-star jumping to a blue blood, there are five under-recruited guards in Philly, Jersey, and Delaware that can shoot the lights out and carry a 3.4 GPA. Those kids need a stage. We built that stage at the Executive Fieldhouse.”

EVENT DETAILS:

Event: The Black Cager Invitational Basketball Tournament

Date: Saturday, June 20, 2026

Venue: Executive Fieldhouse – A premier, state-of-the-art multi-court facility designed for elite-level competition, located in the heart of the Mid-Atlantic recruiting corridor.

Attendance: Exclusively open to accredited men’s basketball coaching staffs from Division II and Division III institutions in PA, NJ, and DE.

Player Eligibility: Unsigned seniors and qualified post-graduates from the Mid-Atlantic region.

For a landscape in flux, the Black Cager Invitational offers certainty: a direct pipeline from the scholastic hardwood to the scholarshipped small-college athlete.

For media credentials, event registration, and interview requests, please contact Jason Boggs at jboggs501@yahoo.com, (484) 522-2750.

About the Black Cager Invitational:


The Black Cager Invitational is the nation’s premier competitive platform dedicated exclusively to bridging the gap between high school basketball talent and small college recruiting. Founded on the principle that opportunity should not be stratified by the economics of Division I, the Invitational champions the student-athlete seeking competitive excellence and academic achievement at the Division II and III levels.

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