Standouts galore on L.V. prep circuit Thursday

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LAS VEGAS – Many were still wiping the sleep-webs from their eyes as they filed into the Cashman Center on Thursday morning in time for the 8 o’clock tip-offs.
And then it was non-stop travel-ball hoops for the 15 hours or so, not only in Cashman (for the adidas Uprising) but a few blocks away at Rancho High (the Big Foot Las Vegas Classic) and some 20 miles south, in and around Bishop Gorman High (for the Fab 48).
The big first two-day draw in Cashman was the eight-team “Creators’ Cup” and the second day of the sub-event to the Uprising Summer Championships saw the Team Uploaded squads – the North Carolina and Virginia versions – roll into what was scheduled to be the Thursday night finale with impressive semifinal wins earlier Thursday.
The North Carolina team, led by three high-end 2016 McDonald’s All-American candidates in guards Dennis Smith (24 points) and Brandon Robinson and post Edrice Adebayo, topped the Utah Prospects and their like-wise strong McD’s AA candidate, guard Frank Jackson (28 points), 75-59.
That came following the Virginia squad’s wire-to-wire 86-58 win over Texas Pro, propelled by the front-court dominance of Sacha Killeya-Jones, Javin DeLaurier and Mamadi Diakite and backcourt play of Jeremy Sheppard and Justice Kithcart.
But the respective leadership of the two squads – members of the same program – decided to postpone a showdown until a potential Gold Division title contest Sunday afternoon.
In other Creator’s Cup play Thursday, the Chino Hills, CA-based Big Ballers squad toppled the Atlanta Celtics (102-93) and New York Rens (102-85), as senior-to-be Lonzo Ball – quite likely the best passer in high school basketball – averaged 28.5 points and 14.5 assists in the two games.
Many of those assists were the result of jump shots from brothers Li’Angelo (who will be a Chino Hills High junior in September) and LaMelo, a 13-year-old freshman-to-be.
Before busting over to Rancho High, I was also able to watch pieces of games involving the Massachusetts Rivals and Team Fast (from Oregon), Dream Vision (a collection of players, mostly from California but also including forward Brendan Bailey of Utah) vs. D1 Minnesota, and DC Thunder (Washington, DC-based) and Team 907 (Alaska).
The Mass Rivals were led by one of the nation’s top prep school players, 6-9 Wenyan Gabriel (Wilbraham, MA, Monson) and Team Fast by Gonzaga-bound post Zach Collins (who is from Gorman High) and guard Payton Pritchard (from two-time Oregon champion West Linn).
I’d read of some comparing Gabriel to Kevin Garnett. Well that’s more than a tad strong – unlike some making those comparisons, I actually watched Garnett a lot over his final two years in high school – but Gabriel, indeed, has both impressive physical dimensions and basketball skills.
Bailey (American Fork) and his Dream Vision teammate, Vance Jackson (who is transferring to Santa Ana, CA, Mater Dei for his senior season), jump shoot as well as any 6-8 players to be found on the high school scene.
Then it time for a very short drive to Rancho, where I watched the final three first-round games of the “8 Bracket” affair matching Nike EYBL squads.
The Arkansas Wings (led by another terrific jump shooter in Malik Monk and joined for these event by St. Louis forward Jayson Tatum) knocked off Team Takeover (from the D.C. area), 81-63.
That was followed by an often overpowering performance by forward Harry Giles in the Team CP3 (and, yes, Chris Paul was on the CP3 bench serving as a coach of sorts) 72-62 win against Team Melo of the Baltimore area (and Carmelo Anthony was NOT in the building).
And the third game I watched was certainly the most compelling as Mac Irvin Fire (from Chicago) held off the Oakland (CA) Soldiers, 85-81.
Six-seven Miles Bridges was easily the best player on the floor in the contest with 31 points for Mac Irvin.
Consider this:
The left-handed Bridges is from Flint, MI; attends Huntington Prep in West Virginia; played for The Family of Detroit on the spring EYBL circuit; played for the adidas Michigan Mustangs last summer; and is also playing for 1Nation in the Fab 48 this week.
Dizzying, isn’t it?
And then it was time for an approximate 18-mile hike – OK, drive – to Desert Oasis High in the southern portion of the city.
That’s where Nashville-based “We All Can Go All-Stars 2018” took on the New York Jayhawks in a 16Under division game of the Fab 48.
WACGAS is, with a few exceptions, made up of players who completed their freshman years in high school in June.
One of those exceptions is 6-5 John Petty (Huntsville, AL, Johnson), which explained the presence of new Alabama head coach Avery Johnson and his staff at court-side for the game.
Petty is one of the best 2017 prospects in the Deep South – and beyond.
But the WACGAS headliner is 6-9 Marvin Bagley, who helped lead Corona Del Sol in Tempe to a fourth consecutive Arizona title last spring.
The left hander is touted as the best prospect in the Class of 2018 – anywhere – and those touts are not just gaseous hype.
His skills, both from both the perimeter and inside the lane, border on the wondrous, indeed.
WACGAS also has a couple of clever point guard-types in Darius Garland (a sophomore-to-be at Brentwood Academy in Nashville) and Tyger Campbell (who will be a freshman at La Lumiere Academy in La Porte, IN).