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By JAMES KERTI

LAS VEGAS, NV — Teams from California, Utah, and Idaho joined some of Nevada’s best for the Las Vegas Easter Showdown from April 5-7.

In the 17U Boys Division, Marcus Banks Hard 2 Guard, Salt Lake Prospects, Hard 2 Guard — Inland Empire, and Salt Lake Rebels Red each went an undefeated 3-0 in pool play to claim first round byes.

The Salt Lake Prospects cruised into the championship having been challenged only by the Henderson Heat, which featured Kentrell Washington from Clark and Foothill’s Tyler Roberts.

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PORTLAND, Ore. – The USA team battled back from an 18-point deficit at intermission Saturday night to take its first lead via a five-foot flip shot by UCLA-bound Kyle Anderson with 3:21 to go at the Rose Garden.

That was quite the comeback, eh, for some of the best young U.S. men’s hoopsters during the 15^th Nike Hoops Summit?

It was – briefly, that is.

The World squad regained the lead with 1:21 remaining on a short jumper by Dario Saric of Croatia and pulled away for an 84-75 victory in front of 10,666 for only the fourth win by the World in the series.

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PORTLAND, OR – The 15^th Nike Hoop Summit is on tap for tonight  (7 o’clock PT) in the Rose Garden,

And a healthy portion of the best teen-aged male hoopsters on the planet will be on display.

Shabazz Muhammad (6-5/Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas), Kyle Anderson (6-8/St. Anthony in Jersey City) and Nerlens Noel (6-10/The Tilton School in Tilton, NH), considered by most talent evaluators to be the top three players in the Class of 2012, are part of the 10-member Team USA roster.

Ironically, two of the most high profile players on the World team are Toronto imports who play in the United States, Anthony Bennett (a 6-7, 240-pound senior at Findlay Prep in Henderson, NV) and Andrew Wiggins (a 6-7, 205-pound sophomore at Huntington Prep in Huntington, WV).

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By JAMES KERTI

The Nevada Basketball Development League tipped off its third weekend of action in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Many players from the previous two weekends were away at AAU and other events, so the field was a little narrower this time around.

With a smaller group of players, the guard play was highlighted even more than last week.

El Dorado’s Markeith Floyd has established  himself as one of the league’s best point guards. The unsigned senior has a superior outside shot off the catch and off the dribble.

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NEW ORLEANS – Ultimately, all the University of Kentucky Wildcats did during the 21 days of the NCAA Tournament – and especially Monday night in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome – was confirm what anyone who follows the sports with a balanced perspective figured for the better part of 2012:

John Calipari was coaching far and away the best collection of players in college hoops this season.

Uh, let me rephrase that:

He was coaching the best team – in every best sense of the word – in the country.

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