Frank Burlison

LA GRANGE, IL – A year ago, then-freshman De’Sean Allen-Eikens (Williston, ND) had a terrific first day at the Pangos All-Midwest Frosh/Soph Camp.

But an injury kept him out of the Top 30 All-Star Game that was played on the concluding Sunday afternoon.

Flash forward 12 months and, after another couple of scintillating performances on Saturday in the Park District Center in this Chicago suburb, the affable Allen-Eikens promised to make an appearance in Sunday’s top all-star game – if selected to play, of course.

“Don’t worry,” the now 6-foot-6, 200-pound sophomore said, smiling after helping his “St.

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LOS ANGELES – Three CIF Southern Section champions and the L.A. City champion – the host program – highlight the 16-team field for the Fairfax High Fall Basketball Classic Saturday.

Among the spotlight contests are Mater Dei vs. Loyola (11 a.m.); the host Lions vs. Crespi (2 p.m.);  Redondo vs. Chino Hills (6:30) and, to cap the day’s activities, Santa Monica vs. Sierra Canyon at 8.

Chino Hills and Sierra Canyon will likely be the consensus choice as the two strongest Southern Section teams going into the regular season.

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LEWISVILLE, TEXAS – Most basketball camp “all-star games” turn into largely “you score-I score” affairs with little defense, in particular, and intensity of effort, in general.

The Top 30 Game that wrapped up the Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp Sunday afternoon at the MAC Center proved quite the exception to that premise.

*With the squad wearing black jerseys trailing by three points, freshman guard Zarek Thomas (Cedar Hill, TX) scored on a nifty drive along the left baseline to get his squad to within a point with about 20 seconds remaining.

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LEWISVILLE, Texas – It didn’t take long on Saturday to grasp that event founder and director Dinos Trigonis had assembled another strong group of players for his Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp at the MAC Center in this Dallas suburb.

Approximately 180 players were on hand and, during the two camp games each participated in Saturday afternoon evening, some standouts made their selves noticeable immediately.

The tallest – and most impressive – in that group was 6-foot-10 Charles Bassey, a freshman at St. Anthony High in San Antonio who didn’t migrate to the United States (from Nigeria) until about three months ago.

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REDONDO BEACH, Ca. – The Hoop Masters South Bay Fall Basketball League is on tap again Saturday at Redondo Union High with a strong schedule of games pitting players from some of the better teams in Southern California.

The schedule:

Main Gymnasium: 10 a.m. Montebello’s Finest (Cantwell-Sacred Heart players) vs. The Zahn’s (Redondo Union players), junior varsity; 11 a.m, The Zahn’s vs. The Collins (Harvard-Westlake); Noon, Amir Johnson (Westchester) vs. IE’s Finest (Chino Hills); 1 p.m., D. DeRozan (Compton) vs. C. Smith (Fairfax); 2, IE’s Finest vs.

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