Full courts

Adam Candee

Friday, March 26, 2004 | 9:50 a.m.

Why will three major prep basketball tournaments be fighting for dollars and attention over the same five-day stretch this summer in Las Vegas?

It's gotta be the shoes.

Reebok, Nike, and adidas will all sponsor tournaments in Las Vegas between July 22-26 this year, creating a sprawl that could bring as many as 600 teams to the city during that five-day stretch. It could turn out to be a boon for the city, which already enjoyed an estimated $5 million impact from the week-long convergence of the prep and college basketball universe.

The advent of two more tournaments to compete with the traditionally huge Big Time event is a by-product of Sonny Vaccaro's move from adidas to Reebok. Vaccaro, the grassroots basketball kingpin who owns the Big Time and is responsible for the growth of the summer tournament industry, will now operate the tournament under the Reebok banner.

After first discussing cooperating with sending its affiliated teams to the Big Time, adidas instead decided to create its own event called the Super 64 to compete with Reebok's tournament. Officials at adidas were not available for comment Thursday, but the NCAA website lists the Super 64 as a sanctioned event that begins July 22.

At the same time, Hal Pastner, who runs a number of Nike-sponsored events around the country, moved up part of an event that usually runs right after the Big Time to compete with the behemoth that grew to 400 teams and 4,000 players last year.

"All three events are going to co-exist, I guess," said longtime Big Time director Larry McKay, who operates the event along with Green Valley High coach Jim Allen on behalf of Vaccaro.

Pastner, who also runs an Easter tournament in Las Vegas, said that the rising costs of the Big Time prompted him to push forward The Main Event to the same dates -- which coincide with the opening of an NCAA recruiting period for coaches.

"It's America. It's ridiculous. Give people a chance," Pastner said. "They run a good tournament. I run an excellent event."

The Big Time pulled in a team entry fee of $800 last year. It also charged a daily per-person admission fee of $10 and college coaches paid $200 a pop for tournament rosters. Pastner said he will cut his team entry fee to $550 ($450 for teams competing in any of his other events) and that a tournament pass for fans will cost $25.

"They're sick and tired of paying the high prices," Pastner said.

The effects of the competition are already being felt by the Big Time, which slashed its entry fee from $800 to $600. Still, as each shoe company brings in the teams that have deals with them, the Big Time is pretty much assured of seeing a drop from last year's all-time registration high.

"No doubt we're not going to have 400 teams," McKay said.

McKay said that 90 teams are registered and paid, and a recent tournament news release said that the tournament already has nearly 200 applications. Pastner plans to cap The Main Event around 200 teams.

The Big Time will use as many as 12 local high school gyms, with its headquarters tentatively set for Green Valley. The Gators' floor may not be available, though, because of anticipated repair work following a winter flood in the auxilary gym.

Durango, which formerly served as the second hub for the Big Time, is affiliated with Nike and will now be part of The Main Event, which will also use UNLV's North and South gyms. According to the NCAA listing, the Super 64 will run out of Shadow Ridge High.

Durango coach Al LaRocque said that while the three tournaments could create a logistical nightmare for coaches getting around the city, the split might be a good thing for attracting more college attention for recruits. College coaches are not allowed any direct with players, parents, or prep coaches during the tournaments, but they get to see just about all of the nation's best players during the week.

A business teacher, LaRocque also feels that the shoe fallout that created much of this situation could yield good results for the open market.

"This country was founded on free enterprise," LaRocque said. "Competition is good."