Due to lockdown, Basketball wasn’t a part of this years Varsity celebrations. Men’s 1st player Wale suggested we create our own event to celebrate this years graduates. Daniel Johnson-Thompson pointed out that 2020 graduates didn’t have a Varsity event due to 2020 lockdown. So the Men and Women’s Basketball committee’s, got together and came up with the idea of ALUMNI SUMMER SLAM.

Alumni Summer Slam, was a mini tournament, showcasing our third year students of the past two years. The event took place on Wednesday 23rd June. The same week of Graduation.

Kieran Howell who formed part of the committee said. “We chose that week as we felt it would be the best time to engage as many of last years graduates as possible as they would be returning for graduation anyway.”

The committee organised the players into four teams and gave each team a captain, with the captains having the free reign to name the teams. The captains Grace Brownell, Layla Hall, Kieran Howell and Matthew Williamson announced their teams on instagram, which was followed by the Alumni Summer Slam Draft hosted by the committee’s very own Llifon Torr. Once the teams were sorted the committee, posted the days schedule and the teams.

In the midst of all the games Coach Dean bought out NBA 2Ball! Typically at these events, we see Dunk competitions or 3pt shootouts. We caught up with Coach Dean to find out the reason NBA 2Ball was included. “It’s an opportunity to continually bring people together, which is what the whole event is about. Dunking is individual and so is the 3pt competition. So we included something that’s inline with the premise of the event,”

The 4 hour event was streamed live on our women’s facebook page, click here to watch

Each graduate was given a framed digital version of their jersey. Coach Dean said “we don’t have the budget nor the kit supplies to give the players an authentic framed jersey, so we did the next next next best thing.” It was also a thank you, for their time and commitment to themselves and the Basketball programme.

2021 Graduate Wale said he liked the fact that it’s an event run for the students to enjoy their time and appreciate their time at University. Whilst 2020 graduate Layla “really liked seeing everyone again.” Estella who graduated in 2020 said “I love the idea that we got to be part of a new tradition that started with the classes of 2020 and 2021

Will we be seeing Alumni Summer Slam again? Coach Dean gave a resounding yes when we asked him. “we need to build on it and make it even better. The event was missing spectators. Having students and fans to watch would have been the cherry on top, for this year but it wasn’t to be.” said Coach Dean. He added “Next year we will invite parents, families, friends, fellow students and more alumni students to the event. Next year the event will be even bettere the event improves year after year.

Check out the some of the pictures of the event below