Future Findlay players, Gorman star shine in lopsided win

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Thursday, July 23, 2009 | 9:38 p.m.

Basketball is not supposed to be this easy.

The Dream Vision 15s raced past, jumped over and outclassed 43 Hoops Academy on Thursday during the adidas Super 64 tournament at Cimarron-Memorial High for an 88-45 victory.

Despite having five on its eight-player roster who haven't attended one day of high school, the blowout featured a handful of highlight-reel dunks and several other impressive plays not typical for the average ninth grader.

Then again, these aren't your typical high school freshmen. The group of 14- and 15-year-olds is drawing attention from some of college basketball's top programs.

Bishop Gorman rising sophomore Shabazz Muhammad, who helped the Gaels win the Nevada state title last winter, led San Diego-based Dream Vision with 27 points.

Muhammad, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, isn’t the lone player with local ties on the roster. Point guard Nigel Williams-Goss, who will attend Findlay Prep in Henderson next year as a true freshman, had 15 points and 14 assists. Another future Findlay player, rising sophomore forward Winston Shepard, also had a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

“I try not to over-coach them,” Dream Vision coach Clayton Williams said. “I try to keep the plays very simple and let them develop and create on their own.”

The trio of Muhammad, Williams-Goss and Shepard will bring plenty of attention to Las Vegas in years to come.

Muhammad is considered one of the top prospects for the class of 2012, while Williams-Goss showed Thursday why he will be Findlay’s first four year player. Findlay capped its third season in April by beating Oak Hill Academy in the first ESPN National High School Invitational. That was the finishing touch of a 33-0 campaign.

Before the trio heads to private schools in different parts of the Las Vegas Valley, they are enjoying their time dominating the summer circuit.

“(Muhammad) draws so much attention that it opens things up for me,” Williams-Goss said. “He is so athletic and such an explosive scorer.”

Muhammad, who averaged 13.5 points and six rebounds per game for Gorman as a freshman, has already been offered a scholarship by UNLV. Rebels coach Lon Kruger sat courtside Thursday, while UCLA’s Ben Howland attended Wednesday’s game and is high on Muhammad after he shined in the Bruins camp earlier this summer.

“I don’t get nervous playing in front of all those coaches,” Muhammad said. “I know I have to perform.”

Williams formed his Dream Vision franchise four years ago and has two entries in the adidas event. The 15-year-old team that dominated Thursday has only lost five games — including Wednesday when it blew a 10-point second half lead — in four years in comparison to about 200 wins, Williams said.

“There has been some growing pain in the process, but for the most part it has been great to watch these kids grow and mature,” he said

Williams said most of the players on the team haven’t started weight training — a practice that usually begins in high school.

So, the 6-foot-3 Williams-Goss, who looks and plays like a high school senior, will only get bigger and stronger. This is the first tournament with Dream Vision for Williams-Goss, who is coming to Findlay from Portland, Ore.

“He is only 14, but he is beyond his years in maturity,” Williams said. “He is really a floor general out there and makes his teammates better.”

For as much as Muhammad has enjoyed playing with Williams-Goss and Shepard, he knows the next time they see one another on the court after this week will be as opponents.

Gorman and Findlay have a game scheduled at the Orleans Arena next winter. Findlay beat host Gorman by 18 points last year.

“He has a great basketball IQ,” Muhammad said of Williams-Goss. “Hopefully we get to guard each other a little when we play them. That would be a good showdown.”