Frank Burlison

LAS VEGAS – There is something often overlooked when discussing the overall experience of spending five days in Las Vegas watching high school hoops in every corner of the city:

Nothing says “shock to the system” like walking out of a gymnasium that had been chilled to barely 60 degrees, and then walking into an approximate 110-degree furnace that is more commonly known as “outside”.

Now, with that bit of whining out of the way . . .

I spent Day II of the final NCAA-mandated evaluation period on Thursday watching action in the adidas Super 64, going from about 9 a.m.

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LAS VEGAS – Pardon me, but I must misplaced the e-mailed flyer that was sent out in reference to the National Association of Basketball Coaches meeting Wednesday night at Bishop Gorman High.

Oh . . . it only seemed as if there enough high-profile coaches in the building to hold a national convention of sorts.

With the likes of Hall of Famers Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Roy Williams (North Carolina) and Rick Pitino (Louisville), along with John Calipari (Kentucky) and Sean Miller (Arizona), checking in from courtside, the folks who bring us the Fab 48 put on another spectacular evening of some of the finest of high school basketball.

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ANAHEIM, Ca. – His given name is George Kell III.

He’s better known as “Trey”. But by either name the San Diego St. Augustine High senior-to-be is carving out quite the hoops reputation over the spring and summer.

Kell hit the go-ahead shot with about eight seconds to go in the semifinal against for a 39-36 semifinal victory over Greg Monroe (based in New Orleans) late Sunday morning, then paced his team to a 49-40 win over Hoops Dreams (based in Boise, ID) to lead the San Diego All-Stars to the championship of the 17U division of the Double Pump Best of the Summer Tournament at the American Sports Centers, just a few blocks from Disneyland.

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LONG BEACH, Ca. – It was a championship game seemingly set on becoming more memorable for its turnovers and ill-advised shots attempt – by both squads.

But, in the closing moments, all that was washed aside Sunday afternoon during the championship game of the Invitational Division of the Pangos Summer Sweet 16 on Court 3 of the Cabrillo High gymnasium:

*With his Prodigy Elite team trailing by four points, guard Jordan McLaughlin (Etiwanda High) scored on consecutive drives, the second of those with 11 seconds to go to tie the score.

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LONG BEACH — Squads led by a couple of the best point guard-prospects anywhere navigated their way through quarterfinal- and semifinal-games Saturday contest in the Invitational Division of the Pangos Summer Sweet 16.

The victories, coupled with wins on Friday night, gave them the opportunity to play for the division’s championship on Sunday afternoon at 3 o’clock on Court 3 of Cabrillo High’s main gymnasium.

Jordan McLaughlin (Etiwanda High), fresh off a flight from Philadelphia where he participated in a Reebok-fronted camp, led Prodigy Elite to victories over Belmont Shore and the Las Vegas Prospects to earn the Inland Empire-based (in San Bernardino County) club to its spot in the finale.

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