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SANTA ANA, Ca. – The 18^th Nike Extravaganza, likely the best two-day high school regular-season event in the U.S. of A., is on tap for Friday and Saturday in Mater Dei High’s state-of-the-art Meruelo Athletic Center.

Fifteen games, three of those girls’ tilts, will be on display.

Action begins with the 2:30 p.m. Friday game between the girls’ squads from Rialto and Orange Lutheran, and is a wrap following the conclusion of the 9 o’clock game Saturday night between the boys’ teams from Santa Ana Mater Dei and Los Angeles Westchester.

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LOS ANGELES – The games many not have all been “state (tournament) previews”, per se.

But the eight games played Saturday during the fifth Fairfax State Preview Classic were mostly quite entertaining, if not always featuring teams likely to in the hunt for state titles comes March.

The nightcap was the best of the bunch, with Bellflower St. John Bosco (which will compete in the CIF Southern Section 3A Playoff Division) edging L.A. Loyola (IAA), 67-64, in front a of crowd that tittered on capacity.

Loyola (16-5) was playing without standpoint point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright, who has been sidelined with a sore right foot for a few weeks.

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LOS ANGELES, Ca. – Some of the very best boys high school hoops teams will be on display during the Greenway Alliance/Fairfax High State Preview Classic that gets underway Saturday morning at 9:30.

Getting things underway will be L.A. Brentwood at Rolling Hills Prep, followed by L.A. Price and San Diego Francis Parker (11 o’clock), North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake and Gardena Serra (12:30 p.m.), Mission Hills Alemany vs. L.A. Windward (2), Santa Monica vs. Compton (3:30), Orange Lutheran vs. Woodland Hills El Camino Real (5), Torrance Bishop Montgomery vs.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – I was invited to participate in an NCAA survey to determine the “15 best-ever” tournament performers as part of the celebration of the event’s 75^th anniversary – “75 Years of March Madness” – during Final Four Weekend this April in Atlanta.

The opportunity was both alluring and intimidating: How does one sort through the names of 75 of the sport’s most celebrated players (that were listed on the NCAA ballot) and pick out a measly 15?

After my usual angst when presented with any kind of challenge, I determined that I would narrow my field of options to a more manageable “only the players that I watched multiple times, either in person or on TV”, since the genesis of my passion for the greatest sports event in America.

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The 12th annual Spalding Hoophall Classic was spread over five days in Blake Arena on the campus of Springfield College.

But the teams and players that most of those who showed up to watch were on display over Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

And Monday is when a whole lot of people were really happy they braved the gathering     storm clouds in and about the state.

That’s because one of the three most touted players in the Class of 2013 — Jabari Parker, who recently committed to Duke – sparkled while leading his Chicago Simeon squad past Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill, 81-68.

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