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REDONDO BEACH, Ca. – The Pacific Shores Tournament will once again serve as the “tip off”, of sorts, to the Southern California high school basketball season.

The 64^th version of the event, with Redondo Union High once again serving as tournament host via its two nifty gymnasiums, gets underway on Nov. 23 (a Monday) and wraps up five evenings later (Nov. 28).

The first-round matchups and tournament bracket haven’t been finalized yet.

But there is another terrific 16-team field, 13 of those coming from the CIF Southern Section schools and three others from the L.A.

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LAS VEGAS – The first-ever #EAT911 Showcase, held in the Tarkanian Center Friday evening, proved every bit the hit its producer could have hoped for.

It was a virtual up-close-and-personal look at the core players from the Bishop Gorman and Findlay Prep programs – with some other nifty prospects, from Las Vegas and other spots, on display as well.

With Atlanta-based trainer Mark Edwards and Tank Thornton (father of Duke freshman point guard Derryck Thornton) leading pre-games drill work and then doing the subbing in the “Frosh-Soph” and “Juniors-Seniors” games, multiple players stood out during the five-hour (give or take) event.

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CARLSBAD, Ca. – Approximately eight hours after it tipped off on Saturday morning, the first Crème’ of the County had all of the appearances of a success in the Army-Navy Academy’s Duffield Sports Center, located just a couple of blocks from the ocean.

The bulk of the better boys’ basketball players – in San Diego County – across the 8th thru senior classes – were on display during eight well-played, 50-minute games.

All things considered, the most impressive performer in the entire event was 6-foot-6, multiple-skilled Richard Polanco, who attends and plays for Army-Navy but is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who plays for its junior national program.

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CARLSBAD, Ca. – The first-ever “Crème of the County – featuring many of the best basketball prospects in San Diego County, and beyond – is scheduled to tip off Saturday morning at 10 o’clock in the Duffield Sports Center on the Army-Navy Academy campus.

Eight games of approximately one hour each – beginning with the Class of 2020 (current eighth graders) contest at 10 a.m.

Things are set to wrap up with the 2016 (current high school seniors) game at 5 p.m.

According to event co-organizer Aaron Burgin (@FullTimeHoops1), each roster has been filled and there is no “walk-up” availability for players of any grade level.

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LIVERMORE, Ca. – It was a Sunday sweep for the Southern California squads during the first-ever Prep2Prep All-Star Basketball Classic at Los Positas College.

But while the Class of 2017 squad from the southland rolled to an eased-up 135-114 in the opener of the double-dip (played in front of an estimated 1,400), its 2016 counterpart had a much more arduous task before finally holding off the lads from Northern California.

Concord Del La Salle guard Jordan Ratinho – mostly terrific throughout the 48-minute contest affair while finishing with 20 points – missed a 3-point attempt from out top with about two seconds to go and the southerners held on for the 137-134 decision.

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