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NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The first day of the LeBron James Skills Academy – relocated from James’ hometown of Akron, Ohio – didn’t feature an appearance from the NBA’s three-time Most Valuable Player.

That’s because James, less than a month removed from leading the Miami Heat to a championship, was about five miles south in UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center, workout out with other “candidates” for the team that will be heavily favored to bring home gold from the London Olympics.

But the bulk of the best prep players in the country – including a couple who call Canada home – made up a group of about 80 hoopsters in a bit more than 90 minutes of drills in both gymnasiums at Rancho High.

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BELLFLOWER, Ca. – What shapes up as one of the elite Southern California hoops events of the summer will get under way Monday afternoon, with St. John Bosco High serving as the event’s headquarters.

The 32-team, Braves Varsity Summer Classic will be played in four prep gyms over the course of five days (no games will be played on July 4), with the championship game set for Saturday afternoon, 3 o’clock, at SJB.

Besides the host school, games will also be played at Compton Dominguez, Lakewood St.

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By FRANK BURLISON

VARIOUS LOCALES, Southern California – The final day of June offers a lot of high school hoops-viewing options in the sunny Southland for the hard-core among the prep followers.

Three terrific tournaments wrap up this evening with championship games:

*Los Angeles Price takes on Lawndale Leuzinger at 6 p.m. in the Compton Dominguez finale.

Price is led by 6-foot-2 guard Chance Murray while Leuzinger also has a gifted backcourt, led by another senior-to-be in Eric Childress.

*Long Beach Poly and Pasadena tip off in the title game at L.A.

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By JAMES KERTI

Players like Cliff Alexander (6-9/Chicago, IL/Curie/2014) and Andrew Harrison (6-4/Richmond, TX/Ft. Bend Travis/2013) have deservedly garnered much attention on the high school basketball scene this summer.

With the standout play of some of the elite players up to this point, it’s inevitable that some prospects have gotten lost in the crowd.

Those underappreciated players, however, will have ample opportunities to make names for themselves as July literally and figuratively heats up.

I’m expecting some of the following players to surprise onlookers with strong performances in July.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – I can’t believe the third weekend of June 2012 is just about a wrap.

As a wise man (or woman) once suggested, “Gee, time sure flies, doesn’t it?”

Here is a rundown on my basketball-watching activities over Saturday and Sunday . . .

I casually cruised up the 73 Toll Road Saturday morning to Newport Beach to check out the action in the Corona del Mar Sea Kings Shootout.

The Las Vegas Bishop Gorman Gaels were the headline act – or would have been back in the days when there were a lot of daily newspapers and they had the space/manpower to devote to a high-profile summer hoops event.

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