Frank Burlison

LAS VEGAS – The high school portion of the third Tarkanian Classic, highlighted by a whole lot of thrilling finishes over four days, ended in rather matter-of-fact fashion Saturday night at Bishop Gorman High.

The Redondo Beach (CA) Redondo Sea Hawks dominated the Oklahoma City Putnam City West Patriots for the bulk of the Platinum Division championship game’s 32 minutes to come away with a 66-51 victory.

For Coach Reggie Morris’ underclass-laden club, junior Leland Green (14 points, five rebounds and five steals) had multiple “Dwyane Wade-like” finishes; classmate Morgan Means (11 points, six rebounds and seven assists) may have been his team’s most consistent player over four days; and sophomore Billy Preston (17 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots) turned in his most impressive (and foul-free) extended performance of the event.

[Click to continue reading]

LAS VEGAS – The host Bishop Gorman Gaels and Corona (CA) Centennial Huskies hook up in Saturday’s final day of action in the Platinum Division of the third Jerry Tarkanian Classic.

That is not surprising in itself.

What is perhaps startling to many is that the game will tip off at 3:40 in the afternoon – and will be contested for third place.

That’s because the division’s top two seeds were stunned in down-to-the-wire semifinals Friday evening in the Orleans Hotel Arena.

In the first semifinal the Huskies were edged by another of the better teams in California, Redondo Beach Redondo, 55-54.

[Click to continue reading]

LAS VEGAS – Four Platinum Division teams will re-locate to a bigger stage – the court inside The Orleans Hotel Arena – for the third Tarkanian Classic semifinals Friday evening.

Three games from within the “Prep Division” begin at 11 a.m. and are highlighted by a 3 o’clock contest featuring two of the elite underclassmen in the country, junior Josh Jackson (Napa, CA, Prolific Prep) and sophomore Jarred Vanderbilt (Houston Victory Prep).

And then the “real” high school action gets underway when Southern California squads Corona Centennial and Redondo Beach Redondo hook up in the first Platinum semifinal at 5, with tournament host Bishop Gorman taking on Putnam City, OK, West at approximately 7 o’clock.

[Click to continue reading]

LAS VEGAS – Wednesday’s opening round of action set the table for some high-powered quarterfinal action Thursday during the Platinum Division of the third Tarkanian Classic at Bishop Gorman High.

That competition gets underway at 12:30 in the afternoon in the school’s “main” gymnasium, with the Southern California matchup of Redondo Beach Redondo Union and Chino Hills.

Redondo (which knocked off Philadelphia Constitution Wednesday, 72-64) and Chino Hills (84-73 over San Diego-based Foothills Christian) played in the California Interscholastic Southern Section Division Open semifinals on March 4.

[Click to continue reading]

LAS VEGAS – A “Platinum” division in which six of the 16 participants won state titles last season highlights the third Tarkanian Classic that gets underway at Bishop Gorman Wednesday afternoon at 12:30 PT.

The event is named in honor of Hall of Fame member Jerry Tarkanian – who coached UNLV teams to four Final Fours and led the Rebels to the 1990 NCAA title, and also guided Long Beach State and Fresno State teams to NCAA tournaments.

Mythical national champion Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei knocked off Oakland (CA) Bishop O’Dowd in the 2013 Platinum finale with the Monarchs also winning the first title in 2012 by toppling the host Bishop Gorman Gaels.

[Click to continue reading]