Frank Burlison

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Wednesday’s Day 1 of the 19^th NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp was all about players and coaches checking in, slapping on Under Armour shoes and clothing and being briefed on the rules and parameters of the four-day event at the University of Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena.

Of course – although there were no games, per se, played – the players also had an opportunity to put the skills that got them invited to the camp on display.

The players, broken up into 10 teams, rotated through 10 stations (half-courts) for about three and a half hours of drill work before the teams spent about an hour’s worth of orientation on preparation for the start of games (Thursday morning).

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SANTA ANA, CA – What’s better than having the opportunity to sit down and watch a terrific summer high school hoops game?

Why, it’s having the chance to sit down and watch that game. . . . then take a few steps and check out another . . . and un-park the behind once more and watch a third.

Seventy-five minutes later, repeat the process.

That was the scenario at Mater Dei High over the weekend during the Monarchs’ annual second-weekend-in-June tournament in their three full-courts facility.

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LONG BEACH, CA – The Pangos All-American Camp, which annually signals the start of the “summer camp/tournament circuit”, is a wrap.

And here are some observations on the 10^th edition of the three-day event that was held at Cabrillo High, located on the west side of the LBC and just a three-minute drive from the Pacific Ocean.

*The 2012 version of the event didn’t pack the “star power” of previous camps which featured the likes of Andre Drummond and Shabazz Muhammad a year ago, as well as previous gatherings that included Harrison Barnes, John Wall and Brandon Jennings.

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LONG BEACH, CA – Friday night’s first action in the 10^th Pangos All-American Camp at Cabrillo High was a bit kinetic.

Saturday’s second day was no more less fast-paced but offered more clarity.

The Dinos Trigonis production had some no-shows and is short some players – including North Carolina-bound forward Isaiah Hicks, sitting in the bleachers due to an ankle injury incurred before he arrived in Southern California – who are hobbled.

But there is plenty of depth when it comes to quality prospects of the future mid- to high-major NCAA Division I quality.

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LONG BEACH, CA – There was a lot of “pop” to the first night of the 10^th annual Pangos All-American Camp Friday at Cabrillo High on the west side of the ol’ LBC.

A quick rundown on some of the better performances I watched during the first session of games, held on three courts, that I watched last night (note: I focused on the two games I saw that were played on Court 1):

*Cliff Alexander (6-foot-8/class of 2014/Chicago Currie): It was my first viewing of him since the adidas Nations event in Los Angeles last August and I was duly impressed.

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