Frank Burlison

SALT LAKE CITY – An encompassing look at the best of high school basketball in Utah, now and into the not-so-distant future, was on display Saturday during the second Elite Athletic Training (EAT) Utah Showcase at West High.

As was the case a year ago, Christian Popoola and his Las Vegas-based EAT organization provided the platform and approximately 75 players took advantage to show why middle school and high school hoops in Utah are humming along so nicely.

Two of the very best prep standouts in the Class of 2014 – regionally and nationally – have already revealed which universities they plan to sign letters of intent with in November.

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EL CERRITO, Ca. – Age prevailed – but oh-so-barely – Sunday afternoon at El Cerrito High in a clash between most of the best prep basketball players from the Northern California Class of 2014 and their counterparts from 2015.

The seniors prevailed, 90-89, despite some impressive performances by two gifted juniors from Oakland’s Bishop O’Dowd.

Coach Lou Richie’s Dragons were 26-4 last season and could rival that record – and contend for sectional and state titles – in 2013-14 behind those aforementioned players from the Class of 2014, Ivan Rabb and Paris Austin.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – The fifth “NorCal Clash”, pitting some of the better hoops players from high schools in Northern California, is scheduled to tip off Sunday (Aug. 25) afternoon at 3:30 at El Cerrito High.

Two squads represented by players from the Classes of 2014 (seniors in the 2013-14 school year) and 2015 (juniors in 2013-14) will play.

It’s the fifth version of the contest, which stands at two victories apiece for the classes.

The event of the brainchild of Gerry Freitas (who runs the Hoop Review scouting service), who selects the players and coaches for the event.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – So, how did I go about trimming all of the high school basketball players I saw during a dozen “national-in-scope” evaluation events over about nine weeks to a list of  “the 50 best”?

I did it very methodically and almost as painfully.

In setting the bar at 50, I decided to divide it into five groups of five players (by position) for the “best 25 seniors I saw in the summer”, with three groups of five (also by position) for the “best of the 2015 class” and have a first- and second-team (yep, by position) “best of 2016”.

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LAKEWOOD, Ca. – As for “causes”, they don’t come much more “worthy” than this one.

The second “Golf for Greg” tournament (along with raffle and dinner), held in honor of the late NBA referee Greg Willard, set for Aug. 27 at Skylinks Golf Course.

Willard, who was born and raised in Orange County , died – at 54 – on April 1 of this year after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer approximately a year earlier.

He worked for 24 seasons as an NBA official after working his way up the officiating (he also officiated high school football) in Southern California.

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