Frank Burlison

CHICAGO – One of the season’s top high school hoops events is on tap Friday and Saturday when the third Chicago Elite Classic is held at the University of Illinois-Chicago Pavilion.

Nine prep teams from within and near Chicago, as well as teams from California, Utah, Texas, Tennessee and New York, will participate in the seven-game slate.

The event was inaugurated in 2012 under the direction of Chicago’s Simeon and Whitney Young high schools.

Three games will be played on Friday: 6 p.m., Oak Park (IL) Fenwick vs.

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NEWARK, Ca. — Last December, during the Tarkanian Classic semifinals in Las Vegas, Oakland Bishop O’Dowd toppled Las Vegas Bishop Gorman by 14 points.

It seems as if the pecking order of the “Bishops”, basketball-wise, hasn’t changed much in 11 months or so.

That appeared to be the case Saturday night when the Dragons scored the first 14 points of the third quarter and went on to knock off the Gaels, 63-55, in front of a packed Newark Memorial High gymnasium during the 8th Prep2Prep NorCal Tip-Off Classic.

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REDONDO BEACH, Ca. – They may not have been the most esthetically pleasing of basketball games.

But, ultimately, the 63^rd Dijon Thompson Pac Shores Tournament’s top two seeds – the host Redondo Sea Hawks and the Long Beach Poly Jackrabbits – won their semifinals Friday evening to advance to Saturday afternoon’s 3:30 championship game.

The Jackrabbits of Coach Shelton Diggs were in front of L.A. Westchester, 32-20, at intermission before the City power Comets made things interesting.

The got to within four points (51-47) in the fourth quarter before the Jackrabbits made just enough plays – at both ends of the floor – and hit just enough free throws to hold on for a 60-55 victory.

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NEWARK, Ca. – A showdown between two of the best teams in the country will serve as the impressive climax to the seven-game, 8^th annual Prep2Prep Tip-Off Classic Saturday at Newark Memorial High Saturday.

An 8:30 p.m. tip-off is set for Game 7, a clash between Las Vegas Bishop Gorman and Oakland Bishop O’Dowd.

It could prove to be one of the most dynamic games during the 2014-15 season, regionally and nationally.

Bishop Gorman, led by probable 2015 McDonald’s All-Americans in the post duo of 6-foot-10 Stephen Zimmerman and 6-9 Chase Jeter, was 30-3 last season after winning the program’s third consecutive Nevada state championship.

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REDONDO BEACH, Ca. – The championship semifinals were set Wednesday night via some highly competitive quarterfinals during the 63^rd Dijon Thompson Pac Shores Tournament at Redondo Union High.

*The host and top-seeded Sea Hawks built a 17-point lead at intermission only to fall behind early in the fourth quarter before pulling away down the stretch to knock off Gardena Serra, 77-69, in Wednesday night’s finale.

*Bellflower St. John Bosco overcame a three-point deficit at halftime and overpowered Compton in the fourth quarter to prevail, 66-55, and earn a slot in a 6:30 Friday semifinal with Redondo.

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