Frank Burlison

SANTA ANA, Ca. – It was touted as one of the most intriguing of matchups among the 12 boys’ hoops games set to be played over the two-day, 20^th Nike Extravaganza at Mater Dei High.

And the Friday night clash between Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill Academy and Chatsworth (CA) Sierra Canyon certainly handled all of those expectations quite well, thank you very much.

Oak Hill (27-0, with one of those victories coming as a forfeit by Memphis Hamilton for use of an ineligible player) seemed on the verge of pulling away from its Southern California opponent a few times, including with just a bit more than two minutes to go while holding an eight-point advantage.

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SANTA ANA, Ca. – Based upon some of the matchups on hand, the 20^th version of the Nike Extravaganza, hosted by Mater Dei High, could rival some of the best of the first 19.

Four games (including a girls’ clash) will be played on Friday, with Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson) – currently top-ranked nationally – taking on one of the best teams in California in Chatsworth Sierra Canyon at 7 o’clock.

Among the Oak Hill Academy standouts are McDonald’s All-American Dwayne Bacon (who signed with Florida State in November) and point guard Terrence Phillips, who committed to the University of Missouri recently and is the brother of Detroit Pistons’ standout Brandon Jennings.

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LOS ANGELES – Nine games, spread over approximately 14 hours, provided a quasi-marathon of some of the best of high school basketball offered by Southern California this season during the seventh James Samson/State Preview Classic hosted by, and held Saturday at, Fairfax High.

And three teams demonstrated that they have legitimate CIF section and state championship aspirations.

*Coach Harvey Kitani’s host Lions pushed their record to 23-zip while handling Chatsworth Sierra Canyon (now 16-2) with surprisingly little fuss or muss, 64-47.

Barring a stunning upset by way of LACES or L.A.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – There are three solid options on Saturday for those seeking to spend the better part of a day in a gymnasium watching some of the best hoops that Southern California has to offer us.

First and foremost among those events is the James Samson/State Preview, hosted by L.A. Fairfax High.

Nine games are scheduled, beginning at 8 a.m. – that’s correct; 8 in the A.M.; you may want to bring an intravenous line, hooked to a large thermos of coffee, to mainline the caffeine – with L.A.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – There are three solid options on Saturday for those seeking to spend the better part of a day in a gymnasium watching some of the best hoops that Southern California has to offer us.

First and foremost among those events is the James Samson/State Preview, hosted by L.A. Fairfax High.

Nine games are scheduled, beginning at 8 a.m. – that’s correct; 8 in the A.M.; you may want to bring an intravenous line, hooked to a large thermos of coffee, to mainline the caffeine – with L.A.

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