Las Vegas prepping for basketball’s last live recruiting period

Las Vegas Review-Journal

6 years ago

Bishop Gorman’s Noah Taitz (20) shoots against Clark’s Ian Alexander (32) during the Sunset Region boys basketball championship at Legacy High School in North Las Vegas on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018. Bishop Gorman won 57-46. Players from Gorman, Clark and several other valley high schools will participate in tournaments around Las Vegas. Andrea Cornejo Las Vegas Review-Journal @DreaCornejo

Bishop Gorman’s Zaon Collins drives past a Bishop Manogue defender during the 4A NIAA state basketball championship game in Reno, Nev., on Friday, Feb. 23, 2018. Gorman won 62-41. Cathleen Allison/Las Vegas Review-Journal

Bishop Gorman’s Zaon Collins (10) shoots against Clark’s James Bridges (15) during the Sunset Region boys basketball championship at Legacy High School in North Las Vegas on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018. Bishop Gorman won 57-46. Andrea Cornejo Las Vegas Review-Journal @DreaCornejo

Bishop Gorman’s Noah Taitz shoots over a Bishop Manogue defender in the 4A NIAA state basketball championship game in Reno, Nev., on Friday, Feb. 23, 2018. Gorman won 62-41. Cathleen Allison/Las Vegas Review-Journal

Clark’s Jalen Hill (21) drives against Bishop Gorman’s Chance Michels (25) during a basketball game at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas on Friday, Feb. 9, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Clark’s Jalen Hill (21) blocks a shot from Bishop Gorman’s Zaon Collins (10) during a basketball game at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas on Friday, Feb. 9, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Durango’s Anthony Hunter (21) passes the ball to Durango’s Vernell Watts (22) during a basketball game at Sierra Vista High School in Las Vegas on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto

Durango’s Anthony Hunter (21) dribbles around Desert Oasis’ Manny Mitchell (5) at Durango High School on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018. Desert Oasis won 98-80. Patrick Connolly Las Vegas Review-Journal @PConnPie

Las Vegas is a basketball town.

Especially during July.

The conclusion of NBA Summer League signals the end of AAU basketball season, and as always, the country’s best club basketball teams will congregate in the desert for the final live recruiting period.

Future NBA and college basketball stars will pass through to play before a large gathering of college coaches at dozens of high schools and community gyms throughout the week.

The annual Fab 48 and Las Vegas Classic tournaments draw some of the best teams from the Nike and Under Armour basketball leagues, and the inaugural Las Vegas Finals is a de facto replacement for the Adidas Summer Championships, which moved to Southern California.

All three circuits feature some of the best high school players in the country, and there are plenty of strong independent programs, too.

Get ready for some basketball.

Fab 48

It features 15 brackets with players ranging in age from 15 to 17U. Vegas Elite’s top 16U squad includes Bishop Gorman guards Noah Taitz and Zaon Collins and Coronado guard Richard Isaacs.

The top 17U bracket is loaded with top-tier talent from shoe company summer circuits and begins at Gorman on Thursday morning.

The five-day event featuring 489 high school teams begins with a handful of games Wednesday night, and will stretch across 18 local venues, including Canyon Springs, Centennial, Desert Oasis, Faith Lutheran, Green Valley and Las Vegas High.

The top championship game is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Gorman.

Las Vegas Classic

It features 668 teams from 15U to 17U, including the top eight 17U teams from Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League.

They’ll play in a separate eight-team tournament starting at Spring Valley on Thursday, and will join the other 17U teams for the remainder of the tournament for the weekend.

Twenty-nine gyms around town will help host the event, which features local standouts such as Clark’s Jalen Hill, Liberty’s Julian Strawther, Coronado’s Jaden Hardy and the rest of the Las Vegas Prospects.

The platinum championship game is Sunday afternoon at Spring Valley.

The Prospects reached the championship game in 2017, falling to California Supreme in overtime.

Las Vegas Finals

The new tournament features some of the top Adidas teams that, in years past, would have played in the brand’s summer championships.

The Las Vegas Knicks are one of those teams and feature Durango point guard Anthony Hunter and Faith Lutheran wing Brevin Walter. Local products Nike Blake, Sedrick Hammond and Orlando Robinson play starring roles, too.

Count the Las Vegas Punishers and Las Vegas Dynasty as other local 17U programs in the 48-team event, which runs from Wednesday to Saturday at Rancho, Del Sol, Foothill, Legacy and Mountain View.

An official schedule hadn’t been posted as of Monday afternoon.

More preps: Follow all of our Nevada Preps coverage online at nevadapreps.com and @NevadaPreps on Twitter.

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.