Brimmer attracts attention of recruiters

Spencer Patterson

Friday, July 16, 1999 | 10:15 a.m.

For Durango's Jamaal Brimmer, an athletic scholarship to a Division I college has long been a realistic dream.

Until Thursday, Brimmer always assumed he'd attain that dream on the football field, not on the basketball hardwood.

But with an eye-catching performance on Day 1 of this year's adidas Big Time Basketball Tournament, the senior-to-be may have put himself on the map as a prospect in his "second" sport.

Brimmer, who also serves as the Trailblazers' starting quarterback and free safety during football season, netted 39 total points in two games Thursday -- including a game-high 28 in an early-morning loss to the highly touted New Orleans Jazz.

And according to Durango coach Al LaRocque, that had more than a few college coaches and basketball scouting experts inquiring about the 6-1 forward.

"He's such a competitor that he's going to make something good happen for himself," LaRocque said. "He's just gotten better and better."

After starting the 1998-99 high school season as a key reserve for the Blazers, Brimmer broke into the squad's starting lineup late in the season, thanks largely to scoring touch, both going to the hoop and from 3-point range.

Already a heavily pursued football prospect, Brimmer now finds himself considering a future in basketball.

"If basketball is an option I'll take it, but football is probably still first," Brimmer said. "I'm going for the best offer."

Although Brimmer made a strong impression on Day 1, his Durango-based Las Vegas Stars club started the five-day event with an 0-2 record, courtesy of a 102-85 loss to New Orleans and a 97-74 defeat at the hands of Virginia's Capital Players.

"It's hard to play two games in a day against teams like that," said LaRocque, whose team is among the tournament's top 48 squads and, therefore, guaranteed a spot in the 100-team championship bracket.

* TOUGH TRIP: One of Day 1's biggest surprises certainly had to be California's EBO/EA Sports' 71-58 loss to DTA Wisconsin. But after a hellish journey to Las Vegas that ultimately took 14 hours, it's hard to blame the Fresno-based favorite for losing.

Originally scheduled to arrive Wednesday night, EBO's players and coaches drove two-and-a-half hours from Fresno to San Jose, only to be told (after waiting in the airport much of the night) that their flight was being cancelled.

With the San Jose airport shutting down for the night, the team drove to San Francisco, where players spent the remainder of the night sleeping on the airport floor. EBO finally arrived early Thursday morning, but was unable to check into its hotel until later in the day.

After a brief rest, the squad headed to Green Valley High, where the relatively unheralded Wisconsin club pulled off the upset. To make matters worse, the Californians were forced to play in T-shirts after learning that a box containing their uniforms had been lost during the trip.

Despite his team's troubles, however, EBO coach Darren Matsubara is convinced his charges can bounce back.

"While I'm disappointed that we lost, I'm very proud of the way they fought and battled," Matsubara said. "They could have given up. You'll see the real EBO tomorrow."

* LOCAL ROUNDUP: Bishop Gorman got off to a strong start on Thursday, posting a 72-55 win over Pennsylvania's Sam Rines Blue at Las Vegas High. Although not initially placed among the tourney's elite 48, two wins on Friday will put the Gaels into the field of 100 in the weekend's championship bracket.

"We're trying to use it as a positive," Gorman coach Jeff Wagonseller said. "You can view it as a slap in the face, but I'm just glad to be here."

Valley High's "Viking Express" also opened with a win, downing Texas' Dallas Dirty Dozen 59-54, while Green Valley High defended its home court with an 80-71 victory over Central Cal. Likewise, Silverado High won at home, 65-55, over Ohio's Lima II.

The remaining three local squads -- Cheyenne High, Mojave High's Las Vegas Rattlers and Palo Verde High's Las Vegas Panthers -- all suffered losses in their first contests.

* TIDBITS: Junior-to-be Justin Burns, originally listed on rosters for both Durango and Gorman, was nowhere to be found on day one and isn't expected in town anytime soon. Burns, whose brother, Jason, graduated from Durango last year, has reportedly enrolled at Georgetown Prep for both the summer and 1999-2000 school sessions. ... Tony Gwynn Jr., son of major league hitting great Tony Gwynn, is in town playing for the San Diego-based Rising Stars Express. ... Two of the country's top prep point guards will go head-to-head tonight at 8 p.m. when the New York Ravens take on the Illinois Fire. The Ravens' Andre Barrett and the Fire's Imari Sawyer are ranked Nos. 15 and 17, respectively, among incoming seniors by recruiting expert Bob Gibbons.