Coach Dru Joyce II has made a name for himself as a coach for up-and-coming talent in the basketball world since 1995, with the establishment of the Northeast Ohio Basketball Association (NEO Basketball). 2003 was the year that changed the game, as the “Fab 5” of LeBron James, Dru Joyce III, Romeo Travis, Sian Cotton, and Willie McGee captured the national spotlight. Five incredibly talented young basketball players from Akron, Ohio, the “Fab 5” made national headlines as they became the USA Today National Champions and clinched the Ohio State Boys Basketball Championship title for the third time in four years for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. The man behind these young talents, guiding and shaping their skills and changing the game, was Coach Dru Joyce.

 

Coach Dru is basketball. His name is synonymous with the game. What is most impressive about Dru Joyce is his absolute dedication to the purity of the game of basketball. 2018 marked the 15th anniversary of the beginning of the era of dominance and excellence that he has brought to the game, ushered in by his remarkable St. Vincent-St. Mary Class of 2003 National and State Champion team. 2018 also marked another milestone in coach Dru's era of basketball dominance, as St. Vincent St. Mary captured its record breaking 8th State tile.  

 

The Dru Joyce Classic has been an influential basketball tournament for up-and-coming young athletes since its inception over a decade ago. Major NBA recruits have graced the courts of the Dru Joyce Classic, giving the communities of Akron, Ohio and Nashville, Tennessee the opportunity to witness greatness on a smaller court before moving on to dominate the national stage in the NBA and NCAA, as well as the ever-growing international basketball scene world-wide.