Sin City tourneys draw top hoops recruits
After a welcome, NCAA-mandated six-day break, college basketball coaches will be back on the road Sunday through the end of the month continuing their pursuit of high school basketball players.
The place to be all next week will be Las Vegas, where 600 AAU teams will compete at either the Main Event, the Reebok Championship or the Adidas Super 64.
Yes, three tournaments will be going on at once, testing college scouts’ patience as they navigate the busy streets of Vegas with temperatures soaring well over 100 degrees.
Virtually every major college recruit in the country will compete in Glitter City.
Kansas Citian Travis Releford, who has orally committed to Kansas University, will compete for K.C. Pump N Run at the Adidas Super 64 at six Vegas high schools as well as two UNLV facilities.
Also at Adidas will be 6-foot-11 Indiana Elite center Tyler Zeller, who is considering KU, Indiana, Kentucky, Notre Dame, North Carolina and others, and 6-7 Las Vegas Prospects power forward Olek Czyz, who is considering KU, Duke, Kentucky, Louisville and others.
Willie Warren, a 6-3 guard who this week pared his list to KU and seven other schools, will compete as the main attraction for Team Texas at the 256-team Main Event Tourney.
Darius Miller, a 6-6 forward, who has Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, KU and others on his list, will play for the D1 Greyhounds at the Reebok event, which boasts 224 teams.
Also at Reebok will be Romero Osby, the 6-8 Southeast Elite standout who surprised everybody by committing to Mississippi State over KU, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Memphis, USC and others.
It’s not yet been revealed which of the tourneys will involve KU targets J’Mison Morgan, Greg Monroe, Clarence Trent, Quintrell Thomas, Terrance Henry, Scott Suggs, Phillip McDonald, Andrew Steele, Verdell Jones and Rotnei Clarke.
• Miles looking good: The Washington Wizards are considering inviting former KU point guard Aaron Miles to veteran’s camp in October.
Miles averaged 7.0 points and 4.6 assists a game for the Wizards summer league team in Las Vegas.
“We’ll evaluate and make a decision, but Aaron has played very well,” Washington coach Eddie Jordan told the Portland Tribune. “He hasn’t hurt himself, I can tell you that. He’s a pure point, has a veteran’s savvy about him, can make shots and sets up his teammates. And he has a good personality on the court.”
• Xavier Henry invited to Big Apple: KU target Xavier Henry, a 6-6 junior from Putnam City (Okla.) High, will participate in the second annual Boost Mobile Elite 24 Hoops Classic Aug. 24 at New York’s outdoor Rucker Park. KU’s Cole Aldrich played in the game, which is sponsored by Rise Magazine, last year. Others who have accepted invitations: Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, Samardo Samuels, Dexter Strickland, Al-Farouq Aminu, Devin Ebanks, Drew Gordon, Luke Babbitt, Trey Thompkins, Sylven Landesberg, LaQuinton Ross, Lance Stephenson, John Riek, Derrick Favors and B.J. Mullens.
• Hinrich in Vegas: No players are expected to be cut following this weekend’s U.S. National Team minicamp in Las Vegas.
Seventeen players are at the camp, including former KU guard Kirk Hinrich of the Chicago Bulls. In all, 12 players will represent the U.S. the FIBA Americas Tournament in August in Vegas.
The team’s final roster of 12 must be submitted by Aug. 21, the day before the start of the tourney.
“Unless someone is hurt or has a family issue, we probably won't make any cuts at the minicamp,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The top two finishers at the FIBA Americas Tournament will advance to the Beijing Olympics. The U.S. is not considered a lock with Brazil and Argentina on hand.
Duke coach Krzyzewski is assisted by Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, Phoenix Suns coach Mike D'Antoni and Portland's Nate McMillan.
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