LAS VEGAS – The first-ever #EAT911 Showcase, held in the Tarkanian Center Friday evening, proved every bit the hit its producer could have hoped for.
It was a virtual up-close-and-personal look at the core players from the Bishop Gorman and Findlay Prep programs – with some other nifty prospects, from Las Vegas and other spots, on display as well.
With Atlanta-based trainer Mark Edwards and Tank Thornton (father of Duke freshman point guard Derryck Thornton) leading pre-games drill work and then doing the subbing in the “Frosh-Soph” and “Juniors-Seniors” games, multiple players stood out during the five-hour (give or take) event.
Among those were a couple of standouts from the Class of 2017 for Grant Rice’s Bishop Gorman program – which has captured four consecutive Nevada State crowns.
And Chuck O’Bannon (the son and nephew of UCLA 1990s standouts Charles and Ed O’Bannon, respectively) and Christian Popoola Jr. shared Most Outstanding Player honors after the second game for leading the “Orange” to a 79-61 victory over its “White” counterpart.
Popoola (whose father put the event on) is a left-handed point guard who attended Lone Peak in Highland, UT, as a sophomore after playing as a freshman at Gorman, scored 12 of his eventual 16 points in a first half that ended with the Orange comfortably in front (40-29).
He hit mid-range pull-up jump shots and also finished a couple of strong drives in the first half, as well.
And O’Bannon (who had a sizzling slam with his off- – left – hand in the second half) scored 12 of his game-high 20 points after intermission.
Three others scored in double figures for the Orange: senior center Zach Collins (13 points and six rebounds) of Gorman and juniors P.J. Washington (12 points) of Findlay Prep and Troy Brown (10 points and two assists) of Centennial.
Two players scored in double digits for the White: another junior forward from Findlay Prep in Donnie Tillman (11 points) and Mike Bibby Jr. (14 points and five assists), a senior point guard at Shadow Mountain High in Phoenix.
Bibby is the son of the former University of Arizona and NBA point guard, and the grandson of Henry Bibby, who played for three UCLA national championship teams under the late John R. Wooden, played in the NBA and has coached in college (USC) and in the NBA.
Another Shadow Mountain player, freshman point guard Jaelen House, was an easy choice as the Frosh-Soph Game’s MOP after scoring 15 points to go with three rebounds and several assists (although he was credited with just one on the final stats sheet).
The son of another former NBA standout guard (Eddie House), Jaelen isn’t yet the jump shooter that his dad was. Of course, not many can make that claim.
Jaelen House is right there with any of the better 2019 PG prospects in the West – and beyond.
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