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  CARTERSVILLE, Ga. – The Vegas Elite 17s squad, after ringing up EYBL’s single-game scoring record in its 130-76 on Friday night, was a slowed down a bit Saturday during the second day of the Nike-fronted league in the Lakepoint Sporting Community’s Champions.

  And that was just a little bit.

   It improved to 3-0 by holding off against Texas-based Pro Skills, 98-93, Saturday morning and then running away in the second later that night’s against Florida-based Nightrydas Elite, 94-78.

   A non-Las Vegas resident, 6-foot-4 Josh Christopher (from Mayfair High in the Southern California suburb of Lakewood), continued operating at full throttle Saturday while averaging 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists on a squad that also includes two of the other very best 2020 prospects in the West (Noah Taitz of Bishop Gorman and Julian Strawther of Liberty) and elite juniors-to-be Jaden Hardy (Coronado) and Zaon Collins (Bishop Gorman).

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CARTERSVILLE, Ga. – Anyone wondering how Ziaire Williams would “adjust” to competition on the Nike/EYBL circuit got a resounding answer Friday night during opening action for the 2019 season.

  And that would be a pronounced “Quite well, thank you very much!”

   Actually, after his 25-point and 11-rebound effort in the Oakland Soldiers’ 83-78 win over All-Ohio Red, a better question might be “How are EYBL opponents going to find a way to slow down Ziaire Williams?”

   The 6-foot-8 junior from Notre Dame High in Southern California’s San Fernando community of Sherman Oaks was a standout for the BTI (Basketball Training Institute) “independent” (non-athletic apparel-sponsored) program for three sets of springs and summers.

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LAS VEGAS – There wasn’t anything approach real defense – half court or transition – and offensive patience and execution were also at bare minimums.

  Yes, the 17^th annual Jordan Brand Classic – played Saturday evening in T-Mobile Arena after moving from Brooklyn – was pretty much like every other “national” prep all-star basketball game.

   But it did provide a nice opportunity to see many of the top freshmen in the 2019-20 college season – and, no doubt, many of the top picks in the 2020 NBA draft – in action together once last time.

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  LAS VEGAS – Richard Isaacs, Jr. demonstrated once more Saturday afternoon why his should be one of the first names mentioned when the discussion turns to the best high school players in the Class of 2022 anywhere.

  “Pop Pop”, who attends Coronado High in near-by Henderson, but has been raised in a whole lot of gymnasiums in Nevada and Southern California, dictated both the pace and outcome during the Vegas Elite EYBL’s squad’s 86-64 victory over Southern California-based Strive for Greatness at Bishop Gorman High for the championship of the 16-team bracket, 16s’ division of the Pangos Easter Classic.

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LAS VEGAS – “Defense” might have been an abstract concept but the Vegas Elite EYBL clash with the Southern California-based ICAN All-Stars Friday afternoon in the 17s division of the Pangos Easter Classic at Bishop Gorman was chalk full of hoops entertainment value.

   The Las Vegas-based team, which begins Nike/EYBL spring action next week in Georgia, led by double figure-margins most of the way but then held off a furious ICAN rally to prevail, 101-98.

    The EYBL is led by high-profile members of the Class of 2020 in Josh Christopher (Lakewood Mayfair), Julian Strawther (Henderson Liberty) and Noah Taitz (Bishop Gorman), as well as one of the five-best prospects in the Class of 2021 in Jaden Hardy (Henderson Coronado).

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