Frank Burlison

LONG BEACH, Ca. – Team Damian Lillard continued its dominance of the 2014 adidas Nations when it mattered most Monday night at Long Beach City College.

It trailed by five points after the first quarter to Team John Wall before overwhelming its opponent over the final 30 minutes of play to cruise, 106-78, in the nationally televised championship game.

Team Lillard, Coached by Ross Burns and Scott Garson, finished 5-0 over the four-day event (the first three days of which were played at the Next Level Sports Center in Garden Grove), never winning by margin of fewer than 14 points.

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GARDEN GROVE, Ca. – Teams made up exclusively of high school underclassmen will play for the championship of the adidas Nations Monday night (6 o’clock PT) at Long Beach City College.

In Sunday night’s semifinals at the Next Level Sports Center, Team (John) Wall overcame a three-point deficit at intermission to knock off Team (Dwight) Howard, 106-89; and Team (Dwight) Howard rolled past Team Europe, 78-50.

Team Europe and Team Howard will play in the third-place game that tips off at 4 o’clock.

Both games will be televised by ESPNU.

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GARDEN GROVE, Ca. – Team Wall zipped to 3-0 Saturday night as the second day of the adidas Nations wrapped in the Next Level Sports Center.

Nine teams – four representing the United States and five others representing other regions across the world – are participating in one the last of the high-profile and super-competitive “national” events this summer that are made up of high school players.

Team Wall – named for John Wall of the Washington Wizards, one of the major players endorsing adidas products – continued to get strong efforts from Billy Preston, Maverick Rowan, Kobi Simmons and Rawle Alkins.

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GARDEN GROVE, Ca. – The last of the major high school basketball “camps” of the summer of 2014 got underway Friday, for the third year in a row, at the Next Level Sports Complex.

Nine squads – four representing the United State and five more from international regions – are part of the adidas Nations that wraps up Monday night at Long Beach City College with third-place and championship games.

Also taking part are approximately 30 current college players who serve as “counselors”, practice with the high school players and also scrimmage in front of a large turnover of NBA scouts and decision makers (general managers and scouting directors).

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LAS VEGAS – There were three championship options in 17-year-old divisions for me on Sunday’s final day of the NCAA’s basketball evaluation period.

I opted for the adidas Super 64 final between Dream Vision and Indiana Elite.

And, unlike the Big Football Vegas Classic at Spring Valley High (with Chicago Mac Irvin Fired edging Houston Hoops, 74-70) or the Fab 48 finale at Bishop Gorman High (DC Premier eking out a 50-46 victory over Louisiana Dynasty), the championship game at Rancho High didn’t have much in the way of suspense over the course of the 40-minute affair.

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