LV welcomes hoops world

Spencer Patterson

Tuesday, July 24, 2001 | 10:39 a.m.

Among the most highly touted high schoolers expected to participate in this week's Big Time Tournament are:

Since its inception in 1995, the annual adidas Big Time Basketball Tournament has grown at an exponential rate, from a field of 64 in year one to a staggering 344 teams for this week's seventh edition, easily making it the nation's largest summer basketball event.

But the 2001 Big Time will be bigger than ever not only in size, but also in stature, thanks to two events which have had a major impact on high school recruiting during the past year.

The first, the NCAA's decision to limit college coaches to a pair of one-week "open recruiting" periods this summer, means that the Big Time will be one of the few tournaments or camps college coaches can attend. And that means it will be a can't-miss event for high schoolers hoping to impress.

"This is the last time coaches will be able to see players until the high school season begins," recruiting expert Bob Gibbons said. "That makes this tournament the absolute must-see event of the year."

To ensure that would be the case, event co-directors Larry McKay and Jim Allen moved the Big Time from its traditional slot in mid-July to this Wednesday through Sunday, to coincide with the second open period.

"In order to accomplish our goals, we needed to be in an open contact period," McKay said. "Now, this will be the place to be."

While the NCAA's ruling cutting back summer recruiting was expected to affect the Big Time, a more unexpected turn of events occurred at last month's NBA draft, when the first three picks were selected directly out of high school. According to McKay, that has already translated into more interest in this week's event from the professional ranks.

"With the top three picks coming from high schools, we've had a lot more calls than we normally do from NBA scouts about coming to the Big Time over the past few weeks," McKay said.

Those NBA scouts will join the usual who's who of Division I coaching celebrities, along with countless Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior college coaches who will descend on the 13 high schools playing host to the five-day extravaganza.

"I would say it has a chance to be the event with the best players in the country this summer -- high profile names, young kids and even a couple of players who could be in the NBA draft next year," said Fox Sports college basketball writer Frank Burlison.

All told, more than 4,000 athletes will descend on Las Vegas, with teams divided into four divisions: the elite "open" bracket, as well as A, B and C divisions. In addition to the 344 teams scheduled to compete, McKay said he had to turn away 70-80 others, though two alternate squads will show up just in case there are cancellations.

Four of the tournament's previous five open division champions will be back in attendance: the Atlanta Celtics (2000), New Orleans Jazz ('99 and '95), Michigan Mustangs ('98) and DC Assault ('97). Among others expected to compete for the team title are the Michigan Hurricanes, New York's Long Island Panthers, North Carolina's Raleigh Heat and New Jersey's Tim Thomas Playaz.

Top players expected to participate include the Raleigh Heat's Shavlik Randolph and LeBron James -- the latter a 6-7 rising junior called the nation's best high school player by both Gibbons and Burlison -- the Atlanta Celtics' Sani Ibrahim, the Michigan Hurricanes' Anthony Roberson and the Long Island Panthers' Lenny Cooke.

Southern Nevada will field 12 teams, including the Las Vegas Rebels, a local all-star squad entered in the open division. Bishop Gorman's C.J. Watson, the area's top senior recruit, as well as Reno High junior center David Padgett, are both slated to play for California's Pump & Run.

Daily tickets are $8 and are good for all games at all sites.