Where to find UNLV’s targets at this week’s basketball tournaments

By Taylor Bern

Published Wednesday, July 24, 2013 | 2 a.m.

Updated Wednesday, July 24, 2013 | 1:15 p.m.

For basketball junkies, the problem isn’t finding games this week. It’s getting to all the ones you want to see.

The recruiting world descends on Las Vegas through the weekend for tournaments at gyms dotted all over the valley. Walk into almost any high school gym in the next six days and you’re likely to find a sanctioned game with college coaches and parents lining the stands.

The biggest tournaments are the Fab 48, Adidas Super 64 and the Las Vegas Classic, with the former two bringing in most of the big names. Following the action very closely will be UNLV’s coaching staff, which has an open scholarship and homework to do on a collection of players in all three tournaments.

Coach Dave Rice has said he doesn’t plan to fill that open spot before the 2013-14 season begins, so unless something changes, the staff’s work will be on the next few classes of Rebels.

And who will those guys be? The Rebels have their eyes on several prospects who are playing in town this week. Follow along from gym to gym:

CLASS OF 2014

• The first thing you’ll notice with this group is they’re very big, and that’s with good reason.

UNLV has the one open scholarship, one 2014 commit in Maryland's Dwayne Morgan and only one senior on the roster — big man Carlos Lopez-Sosa — but the staff knows it will likely have more than one spot to fill. In college basketball these days it’s rare that everyone comes back, and pro scouts are likely to have their eye on junior Khem Birch all season.

So at this stage, the front court likely needs the most immediate help and UNLV hopes to get at least one of these big men to fill the void. Texas’ Myles Turner may already be out of UNLV’s reach but the big man, who this summer went from unranked to the top 10 on most scouting services, still lists the Rebels among his final 26 — yes, 26 — schools.

Another quick riser is Goodluck Okonoboh from Massachusetts. He’s probably the most important guy in this group for UNLV fans to get an eye on.

Goodluck Okonoboh, 6-9, F

Team: Mass Rivals

Tournament: Super 64

Location: Rancho High

When: Wednesday — 5 p.m., Auxiliary Gym vs. Florida Elite; Thursday — 9:20 a.m., Main Gym vs. Dream Vision and 4 p.m., Main Gym vs. Milwaukee Rebels

Myles Turner, 6-11, C

Team: Texas Select

Tournament: Fab 48

Location: Bishop Gorman High

When: Wednesday — 8:45 p.m., Court 1 vs. Mac Irvin Fire; Thursday — noon, Court 2 vs. Net Gain Sports 17 and 9:20 p.m., Court 3 vs. Juice All-Stars 17; Friday — 3:30 p.m., Court 1 vs. Belmont Shore

Jaylen Johnson, 6-8, F

Team: Dorian’s Pride

Tournament: Super 64

Location: Rancho High

When: Wednesday — 6:20 pm., Main Gym vs. Atlanta Celtics; Thursday — 9:20 a.m. at Valley High, Main Gym vs. New Orleans Elite and 4 p.m., North Gym vs. Team Loaded VA

Brekkott Chapman, 6-8, F

Team: Utah Prospects

Tournament: Fab 48

Location: Bishop Gorman High

When: Thursday — 2:20 p.m., Court 2 vs. Sport U; Friday — 8:30 a.m., Court 3 vs. Ray Allen Select 17 and 8:10 p.m., Court 1 vs. New York Panthers

Rashad Vaughn, 6-5, G

Team: Nothing But Net

Tournament: Fab 48

Location: Bishop Gorman High

When: 9:40 a.m., Court 2 vs. Arkansas Hawks 17 and 5:50 p.m., Court 3 vs. MWA; Friday — 9:20 p.m., Court 1 vs. Wisconsin Swing 17

Jordan McLaughlin, 5-11, G

Team: Prodigy Elite

Tournament: Fab 48

Location: Bishop Gorman High

When: Thursday — 2:20 p.m., Court 3 vs. Inland; Friday — 9:40 a.m., Court 1 vs. Miners BYC Elite 17 and 4:40 p.m., Court 2 vs. Team Rise

CLASS OF 2015

• This is a locals-heavy group and probably the most important class UNLV coaches will be watching this week.

Bishop Gorman teammates Stephen Zimmerman and Chase Jeter, who both hold UNLV offers, are expected to play on separate Dream Vision squads at the Adidas Super 64. Zimmerman will be with the 17U team while Jeter will play for 16U. The decision likely is tied to making sure Jeter can get adequate playing time.

The Las Vegas Prospects’ Ray Smith also has an offer from UNLV, and he’ll be playing alongside emerging Canyon Springs guard Jordan Davis. Their game Friday evening will put the duo against a couple of Class of 2016 prospects the Rebels are monitoring.

California guard Jeremy Hemsley already has a UNLV offer and he’s likely the key guard the Rebels are targeting.

Stephen Zimmerman, 7-0, C

Team: Dream Vision 17

Tournament: Super 64

Location: Rancho High

When: Wednesday — 5 p.m., Main Gym vs. Milwaukee Rebels and 7:30 p.m., (at Bishop Gorman with Belmont Shore) Court 1 vs. Mo Williams Elite; Thursday — 9:20 a.m., Main Gym vs. Mass Rivals and 4 p.m., Auxiliary Gym vs. Florida Elite

Chase Jeter, 6-9, F

Team: Dream Vision 16

Tournament: Super 64

Location: Valley High

When: Wednesday — 7:40 p.m., Main Gym vs. Eric Gordon Central Stars; Thursday — 9 p.m., Main Gym vs. DI Minnesota; Friday (at Rancho High) — 10:40 a.m., Auxiliary Gym vs. Team Loaded (Gore)

Jordan Davis, 6-1, G and Ray Smith, 6-6, F

Team: Las Vegas Prospects 16

Tournament: Fab 48

Location: Desert Oasis High

When: Thursday — 1:10 p.m., Court 2 vs. MeanStreets; Friday — 8:30 a.m., Court 3 vs. Q6 All Stars Elite and 4:40 p.m., Court 1 vs. Pangos Silver 16

Jeremy Hemsley, 6-3, G

Team: Superior Athletes Black

Tournament: Fab 48

Location: Bishop Gorman High

When: Thursday — noon, Court 3 vs. Team Detroit and 8:10 p.m., Court 1 vs. Branch West Elite; Friday — 1:10 p.m., Court 2 vs. BTI Select 17

Nate Grimes, 6-7, F

Team: Las Vegas Knicks

Tournament: Las Vegas Classic

Location: Cheyenne High

When: Thursday — 8 a.m., Court 2 vs. Mansfield Bruins and 9 p.m., Court 1 vs. Total Package White; Friday — 2:30 p.m., Court 1 vs. Team Alberta

CLASS OF 2016

• This class may be three years away but coaches love to plan for the future. This is all about starting a relationship and monitoring the players’ progress.

Leland Green, 6-1, G and Jayce Johnson, 6-11, C

Team: Pangos Silver 16

Tournament: Fab 48

Location: Desert Oasis High

When: Thursday — 2:20 p.m., Court 2 vs. Q6 All Stars Elite; Friday — 9:40 a.m., Court 3 vs. MeanStreets and 4:40 p.m., Court 1 vs. Las Vegas Prospects

Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.