Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Country’s top young players in Nike Easter Classic

While the college basketball season is over, it remains open season on high school stars who have not decided where they will play after graduation.

With no more games to prepare for, coaches from across the country will converge on Las Vegas this week to watch some of the best underclassmen play in the Nike Easter Classic.

The Classic, in its 16th year, welcomes more than 1,800 players from across the country and runs Wednesday through Saturday at nine sites in town. There will be 338 games played in 10 age divisions.

"I saw a lot of the NCAA Tournament and every time I watched I saw a boy who played at this tournament," said Classic founder and director Mae Fisher.

Jason Kidd, Isaiah Rider, Harold Minor, Shawn Bradley, Tyus Edney and Ed and Charles O'Bannon are among the Classic alums.

This year's top players, as listed by several recruiting publications, include 6-foot-11 Eric Chenowith of Villa Park, Calif., Steve Collins of Pasadena, Calif., Travis Reed of Riverside, Calif., Elton Brand of Peekskill, N.Y., K.K. Boyd of Colorado Springs and Aric McMillian of Greensboro, N.C.

On the team front, Houston Hoops features several players ranked among the top juniors in the country by Athlon College Basketball magazine, including Edwin Daniels (No. 13), 6-11 Jermaine Williams (52) and Kevin Henry (65). It also has Javier Mendoza and Chris Owens, a pair of Street & Smith All-Americans.

"We've had some great college teams here," Fisher said. "We've had some excellent high school players coming here. People recognize Las Vegas as a basketball town."

Another factor that makes the Classic special is its inclusion of younger players. While most national tournaments welcome only high school teams, this one allows middle school and junior high students a chance to participate.

"It's a different type of tournament," Fisher said. "I love to see the little guys play. They have so much fun."

The idea for the tournament came from Fisher's 17-year-old son.

"The way it first started was my son said 'I want to have the biggest boys basketball tournament in the West.' I said 'OK. Let's do it,'" Fisher said.

"The first year we had 16 teams, not quite the biggest. The second year we had 40-some. It just grew to where it's at the point we have to turn down dozens of teams every year."

The games will be headquartered at UNLV's North and South gyms, but also will be played at Cheyenne, Cimarron-Memorial, Durango, Valley and Western Highs and the Chuck Minker Sport Complex.

Admission is $4 per day, $3 for seniors and students. A family pack costs $10. Tickets are good for all gyms, all day.

Hoop scoop

* HOLIDAY ALUMNI: Three players from this year's Reebok Holiday Prep Classic at Durango High starred in Sunday's McDonald's All-America game, the most prestigious high school exhibition in the country. Stephen Jackson of Oak Hill Academy led all scorers with 21 points, helping the East to a 120-105 victory. The 6-foot-7 Jackson, bound for Arizona, was 8 of 10 from the floor. For the West, Corey Benjamin of Fontana, Calif., recorded 17 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Mike Bibby of Shadow Mountain in Phoenix added 15 points and five assists. Bibby will join Jackson at Arizona.

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