High school hoop fanatics might want to camp out at Allen Fieldhouse, Horejsi Center and Sport2Sport all weekend.
In all, 42 games will be played in the 17-and-under division of the Jayhawk Invitational.
Here, with the assistance of All Star Sports recruiting analyst Jeremy Tiers, is a “whom to watch” guide for the next three days:
Kansas basketball fans will be most interested in the games of incoming freshmen Keith Langford and Jeff Hawkins.
Playing for the Sport2Sport Jayhawks, the duo will debut against Colorado Joint Effort at 8:30 tonight at Allen Fieldhouse. Sport2Sport, which also has a possible college prospect in Lawrence High’s Steven Vinson, will play at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Sport2Sport and noon Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse. The 17-and-under title game is 2 p.m. Sunday at Allen.
It’s still early in the recruiting game, but KU reportedly has interest in at least two players on the Fort Worth (Texas) Lions. They are: Seneca Collins, 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, from Duncanville, Texas, and Deron Williams, 6-3 from The Colony, Texas. Fort Worth meets the Kansas Kings at 7:15 tonight at Allen Fieldhosue.
Texas Blue Chips One has marquee players in Daniel Horton, 6-3 from Cedar Hill, Texas, and Ike Diogu, 6-9, 240 from Garland, Texas.
“The last I heard, Diogu had a lot of SEC schools on his list,” analyst Tiers said.
Chris Bosh, 6-10 from Dallas Lincoln, might not play for the Blue Chips because of injury. Blue Chips One will meet Pray N Play at 6 tonight at Allen.
The Westchester, N.Y., entry has college prospects in Akin Akinbala, 6-8, from the Brunswick School in Connecticut, Rashard Turner, 5-11 from Peeksgill, N.Y., and Alexei Korolev, 7-0, from Europe. The New York team will meet Houston’s Jr. Hardballers at 9:45 tonight at Allen. Houston is led by 6-10 pivot Dexter Upshaw. Sport2Sport plays the Houston team at noon Saturday at Allen.
The St. Louis Eagles’ roster includes Troy Slaten, 6-5, Chesterfield, Mo.; Ted Morris, 6-9, St. Louis; and Brian Randle, 6-7, Peoria, Ill.
“Randle will just be a junior next year. He performed well at the Howard Pulley Invitational last week,” Tiers reported. The Eagles will not open today, playing three games Saturday.
Roy Enright, 6-9, 250 from Omaha, Neb., already has committed to the University of Nebraska. His Nebraska Bison will meet Master Hoops at 9:45 tonight at Allen.
Richard Law, a 6-8 forward from Texas, will be playing for the Houston Superstars. The Stars will meet KC Act Rebels at 7:15 tonight at Horejsi. KC Act is led by 6-9 Shawnee Miege junior-to-be Jarrad Henry.
Mullen’s Roundballers, who open at 8:30 tonight at Allen, are led by Taj Gray, 6-8, Wichita East, and Charlie McDonald, 6-1, St. Joseph’s, Mo.
Wes Devries, a 6-9 forward/center from Wheaton, Ill., will play for the Central Illinois Hoyas. The Hoyas open against the Kansas Hoyas at 9:45 tonight at Horejsi.
“It’s always tough to pick who will win a tournament like this,” Tiers said. “Texas Blue Chips, St. Louis Eagles, Houston Superstars and Fort Worth Lions all have a chance if everybody shows up. Sport2Sport will have a strong team with the two Kansas players. I think it’s great having this event on a college campus. Kudos to everybody who put it together. It’s always tough with a first-year event. Next year it’ll be two, three times better.”
Today-Sunday at Allen Fieldhouse (AF), Horejsi Center (HC) and Sport2Sport (S2S)
Pool A: Texas Blue Chip, Mullen’s Roundballers, Martin Luther King Hawks (Colorado), Pray N Play Players.
Pool B: Sport2Sport All Stars, Houston Jr. Hardballers, Westchester Hawks (New York), Joint Effort (Colorado).
Pool C: St. Louis Eagles, Texas Blue Chip II, Kansas Stars, Mid State Ballerz (Tennessee).
Pool D: Central Illinois Hoyas, Houston Superstars, KC Act Runnin’ Rebels, Kansas Hoyas.
Pool E: Ft. Worth Lions, Nebraska Bison/Runza, Masters Hoops, Kansas Kings.
6 p.m. (AF): Texas Blue Chip I vs. Pray N’ Play. 7:15 p.m. (AF): Fort Worth Lions vs. Kansas Kings. 7:15 p.m. (HC): KC Act Runnin’ Rebels vs. Houston Superstars. 8:30 p.m. (AF): Sport2Sport All Stars vs. Joint Effort 8:30 p.m. (AF): Mullen’s Roundballers vs. ML King Hawks. 8:30 p.m. (HC): Texas Blue Chip II vs. Kansas Stars. 9:45 p.m. (AF): Houston Jr. Hardballers vs. Westchester Hawks. 9:45 p.m. (AF): Nebraska Bison/Runza vs. Master Hoops. 9:45 p.m. (HC): Central Illinois Hoyas v. Kansas Hoyas.
9:30 a.m. (S2S): Sport2Sport All-Stars v. Westchester Hawks. 10:45 a.m. (AF): Central Illinois Hoyas vs. KC ACT Rebels. 10:45 a.m. (AF): Houston Superstars vs. Kansas Hoyas. 10:45 a.m. (HC): St. Louis Eagles vs. Mid State Ballerz. Noon (AF): Sport2Sport All-Stars vs. Houston Jr. Hardballers. Noon (HC): Texas Blue Chip One vs. ML King Hawks. Noon (HC): Mullen’s Roundballers vs. Pray N Play Players. 1:15 p.m. (AF): Kansas Stars vs. St. Louis Eagles. 1:15 p.m. (AF): Texas Blue Chip II vs. Mid State Ballerz. 1:15 p.m. (HC): Westchester Hawks vs. Joint Effort. 1:15 p.m. (HC): Fort Worth Lions vs. Master Hoops. 1:15 p.m. (S2S): Nebraska Bison vs. Kansas Kings. 2:30 p.m. (HC): KC Act Rebels vs. Kansas Hoyas. 3:45 p.m. (AF): Central Illinois Hoyas vs. Houston Superstars. 3:45 p.m. (AF): Texas Blue Chip I vs. Mullen’s Roundballers. 3:45 p.m. (HC): Master Hoops vs. Kansas Kings. 3:45 p.m. (S2S): ML King Hawks vs. Pray N Play. 5 p.m. (AF): Ft. Worth Lions vs. Nebraska Bison. 5 p.m. (HC): Houston Hardballers vs. Joint Effort. 6:15 p.m. (AF): St. Louis Eagles vs. Texas Blue Chips II. 6:15 p.m. (HC): Kansas Stars vs. MidState Ballerz.
9:15 and 10:15 playoff games at Allen Fieldhouse and Horejsi Center. Semifinals: 11:30 a.m., Allen Fieldhouse. Championship game: 2 p.m. Allen Fieldhouse.
Pool A: St. Louis Wolfpack, KC Hoopservice Nets, KC Warriors, KC Rocktown, Houston Select.
Pool B: St. Louis Eagles, Pray N Play Players, KC Premier, KC Magic, Team Yes (Seatte).
6 p.m. (AF): KC Hoopservice Nets vs. Houston Select. 7:15 p.m. (AF): KC Warriors vs. KC Rocktown. 8:30 p.m. (HC): KC Premier vs. KC Magic. 9:45 p.m. (HC): Pray N Play vs. Team Yes.
10:45 a.m. (HC): Pray N Play vs. KC Premier. 10:45 a.m. (S2S): St. Louis Wolfpack vs. Houston Select. 10:45 (S2S): KC Hoopservice Nets vs. KC Warriors. Noon (AF): St. Louis Eagles vs. Team Yes. 1:15 p.m. (S2S): Houston Select vs. KC Warriors. 2:30 p.m. (AF): Team Yes vs. KC Premier. 2:30 p.m. (AF): St. Louis Wolfpack vs. KC Rocktown. 2:30 p.m. (HC): St. Louis Eagles vs. KC Magic. 5 p.m. (AF): KC Magic vs. Pray N Play. 5 p.m. (S2S): St. Louis Wolfpack vs. KC Warriors. 5 p.m. (S2S): KC Rocktown vs. KC Hoopsservice Nets. 6:15 p.m. (S2S): St. Louis Eagles vs. KC Premier.
10:15 a.m. (HC): St. Louis Eagles vs. Pray N Play. 10:15 a.m. (S2S): KC Rocktown vs. Houston Select. 10:15 a.m. (S2S): Team Yes vs. KC Magic. 11:30 a.m. (S2S): St. Louis Wolfpack vs. KC Hoopservice Nets. 2 p.m. (AF): Championship.
Nill Brothers Sports, Sport2Sport All-Stars, KC Keys, St. Louis Eagles, Kansas City 76ers.
Noon (S2S): Nill Brothers Sports vs. Sport2Sport. Noon (S2S): KC 76ers vs. St. Louis Eagles. 2:30 p.m. (S2S): KC Keys vs. Sport2Sport. 2:30 p.m. (S2S): Nill Brothers vs. KC 76ers. 6:15 p.m. (AF): KC 76ers vs. Sport2Sport. 6:15 p.m. (S2S): KC Keys vs. St. Louis Eagles.
9 a.m. (S2S): KC Keys vs. Nill Brothers. 9 a.m. (S2S): St. Louis Eagles vs. Sport2Sport. 12:45 p.m. (AF): KC Keys vs. KC 76ers. 12:45 p.m. (AF): St. Louis Eagles vs. Nill Brothers.
Notes: Kansas basketball signee Keith Langford and red-shirt Jeff Hawkins will play for Sport2Sport in the 17&under tournament. … Two courts will be used at Allen Fieldhouse, Horejsi Center and Sport2Sport. … Westchester Hawks won last week’s Boo Williams tournament in New York.
