SoCal High School & Prep Report

21st Annual Reebok Holiday Prep
Classic: Press Release--(December 18,1997)

We got the "official" press release a few days ago from the folks at Las Vegas Events and Image Media, who are organizing the 21st Annual Reebok Holiday Prep Classic. Some of you will be going, a lot of you will not. But you'll wish you were. For those not familiar with this tournament, or who haven't been paying attention, it's probably one of the most well-known, and most respected tournaments of its kind, featuring top teams from around the United States. But rather than try to give you our own take on the tournament, which we'll be doing in the days to come (from Las Vegas no less), here's the official word from the official organizers, all very official-like:

HOOP DREAMS, LAS VEGAS STYLE

Dec. 19-23, 1997--Durango HS & Cimmaron Memorial

LAS VEGAS-- Nationally ranked Mt. Zion, Rice, and Westchester are coming to Las Vegas from three different regions of the country and are the clear favorites in a field of 52 high school basketball teams entered in the 21st Annual Reebok Holiday Prep Classic, presented by Las Vegas Events. But the trio will face serious, if not as well known, challenges along the way in the Classic, to be held December 19-23 in two gyms each at Durango and Cimarron Memorial High Schools in Las Vegas.

The big three teams will line up against squads from 16 States and Canada in what is the nation's largest in-season boy's prep basketball tournament in the nation. Many of the top players from several states will gather in Las Vegas for the prestigious annual hoopfest, seeking to be seen and wanting to see what prep hoops are all about in different parts of the country.

Mt. Zion begins the season ranked No. 3 in the National Prep Basketball Poll, while Rice is No. 8 and Westchester is starting the year in the No. 15 slot.

Mt. Ziion Christian Academy, 26-2 last season, is from Durham, N.C., and won last year's Reebok Holiday Prep Classic, winning six straight games including a 63-59 victory over Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, CA) in the championship game. Coach Joel Hopkins' Warriors lost last year's Classic MVP Tracy McGrady to the NBA's Toronto Raptors, but he has reloaded with a pair of the nation's top 25 prospects. Senior 6'-6" guard Cory Hightower averaged 9.1 points per game last season and senior 6'-7" forward Travis Robinson scored 14.2 ppg and grabbed 6/1 rebounds per game.

Mt. Zion will start its road to a repeat title on Friday, Dec 19, at 6:15 pm against Pittsburgh's Baldwin High School (4-18 last year) in Durango's main gym. It will mark Mt. Zion's fourth appearance in Las Vegas.

Rice High School, 25-6 last year, is from New York City, and coach Maurice Hicks' Raiders are returning to the Classic for the second time. They finished second to perennial power Oak Hill in 1992. Rice will be led by All-State senior 6'-5" forward Anthony Glover (24 ppg and 10 rpg), senior 6'-1" guard Anthony Brown (12.5 assists per game) and junior 6'-2" guard Kenny Satterfield.

Rice opens the tournament against Henderson's Basic HS (12-11) on opening night at 7:50 in the Durango auxiliary gym.

Westchester High School, 25-7 last year, should feel right at home in the tournament. Not only do they have the No. 2 ranked team in all of basketball-rich California, they have three outstanding players and the Comets have the best winning percentage (.905) of any team in the storied history of the Classic. In four trips to Las Vegas, coach Ed Azzam's Comets are 19-2 with two titles (1987, 1993), a fifth place win (1994) and a seventh place finish (1995). This year's squad is led by All-Area senior guards 6'-4" Tonly Bland (18 ppg) and 6'-3" Albert Miller along with talented transfers 6'-9" junior center Chris Osborne (Fairfax HS), 5'-8" guard Brandon Granville (St. Bernard HS) and 6'-7" senior forward David Bluthenthal (Venice HS).

Westchester begins it's quest on opening night against Phoenix South Mountain (14-13 last year) at 9:05 in Durango's main gym.

Besides No. 2 Westchester the other five teams playing in Las Vegas ranked in the top 20 preseason in California by Student Sports Magazine and their records last season are: No. 5 Los Angeles Compton (24-6), No. 9 Long Beach Poly (29-3), No. 10 Simi Valley (23-4), No. 15 Carmighael Jesuit (25-7) and No. 19 Inglewood (19-7).

Basic is one of nine teams entered from Nevada. Leading the home state contingent are defending state champion Las Vegas Bishop Gorman (29-7 last season) and state finalists Las Vegas Durango (21-12) and Reno Galena (24-7). The other Las Vegas area teams entered are: Cimmaron-Memorial (14-11), Clark (12-12), Green Valley (16-12), Las Vegas (23-8) and Western (12-14).

Other teams ranked regionally in the preseason National Prep Basketball Poll who will be playing in the Classic are: Long Branch (N.J) HS, 20=9-3 and No. 9 in the Northeast; Denver Manual, 16-6 and No. 10 in the Midlands; Little Rock, Ark. Central HS, 24-5 and No. 8 in the Southwest; and Mesa, Ariz, Mountain View HS, 28-1 and No 9, and Compton (Calif) HS, 24-6 and No. 10 in the West Coast.

Because school is still in session before the Christmas break on December 19, the first day's play won't begin until 2:00 pm. No high school games are allowed to be played on Sunday and action on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday will start at 10:00 am. Play will finish the first three days at approximately 10:30 pm and 9:30 pm on the final day.

Championship bracket play will start at 5:25 pm on Monday, December 22. Tuesday, December 23, the final place games will all be played in Durango's main gym as follows: ninth place 2:15 pm; seventh place--3:40 pm; fifth place--5:05 pm; third place--6:30 pm; and the championship game of the 21st Reebok Holiday Prep Classic will be played at 8:00 pm on Tuesday, December 23 in Durango's Main Gym.

All tournament passes, priced at $35 each for adults and $18 for students, are on sale daily in the tournament office at Durango H.S. Single-day tickets, good for all games at both tournament venues, are $10 each for adults and $5 for students and wil be sold only at the door.

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