Columnist Dean Juipe: Big Time lives up to its name

Dean Juipe

Wednesday, July 23, 2003 | 10:14 a.m.

Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4084.

This city has it all: an abundance of hotel rooms, 24-hour drinking and gambling, sultry diversions.

It routinely handles big crowds and keeps them smiling. Be it getaways or conventions, Las Vegas is a place to play and perhaps, if required, a place to mix play with work.

Who wouldn't want and enjoy a paid vacation here?

Which is why I, somewhat erroneously and many years ago, thought college basketball coaches were driven to come to Las Vegas on a biannual basis to watch a horde of high-school players in massive tournaments.

They just needed an excuse to get together, stay up late, have a few belts, and, for bookkeeping's sake, file a report or two on a few standout players.

It was speculative, yet reasonable. After all, beyond its nonbasketball amenities, a week in Las Vegas can be risky or boring for teens, and the city itself is not widely known for its ability to support live sporting events.

But years of being exposed to both summer and winter showcases that allow high-school players to perform in front of hundreds of college coaches has convinced me of the tournaments' legitimacy. As was evident Tuesday at Durango High School, the 400-team Big Time Tournament that's currently on display is close to ideal from any number of perspectives.

For starters, it's beautifully run. Everything is punctual and professional, from starting times to officials to distributing the information overload.

And the caliber of play is outstanding, sometimes even astounding. Among the approximately 4,000 players are armies of big kids and legions of quick ones. Some have NBA pedigrees and some will be happy to sit on the bench at Vanderbilt, and this is where many of their futures will be determined.

The stands on both sides of the court can fill in a hurry.

"No College Coaches Beyond This Point" read four well-placed signs beneath the baskets on each end, keeping coaches on one side of the gym (by mandate of the NCAA) as a means of limiting their out-of-season contact with players and their families.

The coaches adhere to the posted warning without the slightest hint of rebellion. They stay on their side, sometimes sitting alone or sometimes in small groups, and keep tabs on the players their schools might find enticing or available.

Those inclined to bend the rules, perhaps by bumping into a potential recruit in the parking lot, have an additional obstacle: The players know the rules, too. Before each team's first game, the players are required to view an educational video that specifies what is and what isn't acceptable and spells out recruiting restrictions.

The Big Time has evolved into a cohesive and orderly gold mine of talent, one that serves players and coaches equally well. It's a place to be seen if you have college-level ability, and a place to see if you represent a college team with roster spots to fill.

It's running at 15 local high schools through Saturday.

Attend and you will see not only the familiar faces of well-known coaches but the still unfamiliar faces of future stars.

It's an event that no longer strikes me as an excuse for coaches to get together, drink and carouse on the university's tab.