Play continued on Wednesday December 18th at the Tarkanian Classic at Bishop Gorman HS (Las Vegas NV) with the high schools taking the court and a champion being crowned in the Pangos Elite 8 prep school bracket where Trinity (Las Vegas NV) knocked off AZ Compass Prep (Chandler AZ) 73-65 in the title game.
This year’s Tark Classic has attracted a great college coaches, NBA team scouts and media turn-out over the course of the first two days of the event. Among those colleges present on Wednesday were representatives from Kansas, UCLA, Texas Tech, Texas, Oklahoma, Auburn, Michigan, Oklahoma State, Colorado, Cal, Washington State, Texas A&M, Wake Forest, Nebraska, Minnesota, Boston College, Creighton, Tulsa, BYU, Long Beach State, UAB, Duquesne, UC-Santa Barbara, Cal State Northridge, Pepperdine, San Diego, Missouri State, Idaho, Air Force and Southern Utah.
Here is a look at some of the day’s standouts:
Keith Dinwiddie 6’2” 2020 Fairfax (Los Angeles CA)
In a day of full of individual marquee performances, Dinwiddie’s 35 points (including an eye-popping 7/8 3FG) in a 88-86 win over Thomas Jefferson (Brooklyn NY) was among the brightest. Confident scorer with great touch from beyond the 3-arc as well as from the mid-range zone, Keith is averaging 25.7 ppg and has led Fairfax to a 7-0 start so far this season. San Diego State signee is very underrated nationally and proving to be a bona-fide Top 100 caliber prospect in the 2020 class.
Daishen Nix 6’5” 2020 Trinity (Las Vegas NV)
Nix capped off a tremendous Pangos Elite 8 bracket with a title game clinching 73-65 win over AZ Compass Prep that included a 32 point outburst. UCLA signee and NBN Magazine’s #14 2020 prospect averaged 31 points per game over the bracket’s 3 games and his play at the moment is on another level compared to other high school PGs nationwide.
Jaden Hardy 6’5” 2021 Coronado (Henderson NV)
5-star junior scoring guard had another monster game, 33 points (including 4 “threes”) in a 82-69 win over Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland CA). Several college heavyweights were present here keeping tabs on Hardy including Kansas, UCLA, Michigan, Auburn and Texas Beard.
Terren Frank 6’8” 2020 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth CA)
TCU-bound work-horse forward doesn’t get the hype or ink of some of his fellow Sierra Canyon teammates but he might be the most important piece to his team’s success this season. Consistently productive scoring inside as well as facing up from the perimeter, Frank also is a major factor on the glass and a top-notch versatile defender. Frank helped set the Blazer tone early against a very young but talented Oak Ridge (Orlando FL) squad and his energy was pivotal to Sierra Canyon grabbing an early lead and cruising to a 76-55 victory.
Josh Christopher 6’5” 2020 Mayfair (Lakewood CA)
Ultra-elite senior SG with strength, explosion and scoring skills is a special talent with great potential to be a NBA 1st round pick. Big-time bucket-getter is also a very underrated defender. Christopher had 21 points (3 “threes”) in a 1st round “The Eight” bracket game versus Desert Pines (Las Vegas NV).
Jared McCain 6’2” 2023 Centennial (Corona CA)
Young sharpshooter was on fire in 68-64 upset win over Fab50 #17 St. Neumann Goretti (Philadelphia PA) as he connected for 8 “threes” en route to a game-high 30 points. McCain set the Tark Classic Platinum Division single-game scoring record for a HS freshman with this terrific shooting display.
Amari Bailey 6’5” 2022 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth CA)
Top-shelf lefty scoring guard with pogo-stick bounce is a Top 10 talent in national soph class. Bailey has also showed very good ability to play on-the-ball, make precision passes as well as wise court decisions so far this season.
Devin Askew 6’4” 2020 Mater Dei (Santa Ana CA)
Tough and hardnosed PG headed to Kentucky definitely falls in the “Alpha Male” category. When you lace them up against Askew, you know you are in a War as Putnam City West (OK) found out the hard way in Mater Dei’s 72-39 blow-out win.
Mike James 6’5” 2021 Oak Ridge (Orlando FL)
Plagued by poor outside shooting against Sierra Canyon, Oak Ridge head coach Steve Reece did have a bright spot in the athletic and assertive wing forward James. Mike slashed his way to a game-high 23 points and also showed nice touch on his jump shot as well. Top 100 national-caliber prospect has offers from Wake Forest, South Florida and Texas A&M (new Aggie head coach Buzz Williams was sitting courtside watching him play here at Tark Classic).
Zaon Collins 6’0” 2021 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas NV)
Cerebral playmaker is the straw that stirs the Gorman offensive drink. Collins plays with tremendous poise and reactive instincts and is a very underrated athlete and defender. Collins had 14 points and 10 assists in the Gaels’ 77-66 win over Skyridge (UT). Currently sitting on offers from USC, Washington, UNLV, Arizona, Texas Tech and Arizona State (among others).
Alex Tchikou 6’11” 2021 Dream City Christian (Glendale AZ)
French native ranks among the nation’s top junior prospects with the highest ceiling. Long, athletic and agile, Tchikou is just scratching the surface of his tremendous upside. Schools already showering Alex with offers include Maryland, Texas A& M, Kansas, TCU, UCLA, USC, Oregon, Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and NC State.
Chibuzo Agbo 6’6” 2020 St. Augustine (San Diego CA)
Strong and athletic WF is Texas Tech signee with very nice range on his jump shot. Looks to be a great future fit in Chris Beard’s Red Raider system.
Milos Uzan 6’3” 2022 Desert Pines (Las Vegas NV)
Emerging West Coast PG prospect is a confident playmaker with 3-point range. Uzan had 24 points in Desert Pines’ 64-52 win over Mayfair (Lakewood CA).
Fabio Basili 6’3” 2022 Oak Ridge (Orlando FL)
Young, quick lead guard with 3-point range has nice long-term potential.
Cameron Young 6’6” 2020 St. Neumann Goretti (Philadelphia PA)
Bowling Green signee is a very good slasher and shooter with a Scottie Barnes-type game. Young had 16 points vs. Corona Centennial.
Tyrelle Hunt 6’5” 2020 Coronado (Henderson NV)
Blue-collar WF is an under-the-radar unsigned senior WF that had 18 points in Coronado’s 82-69 win over Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland CA).
Hakim Byrd 5’9” 2020 St. Neumann Goretti (Philadelphia PA)
Quick PG with nice penetration ball skills and underrated scoring touch. Byrd had a team-high 25 points against Corona Centennial.
Marsalis Roberson 6’4” 2021 Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland)
One of California’s sleeper junior wings had 17 points (three 3s) versus Coronado/Henderson NV.
Harold Yu 7’2” 2021 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth CA)
Massive center is very improved and it showed in SC’s win over Oak Ridge. Yu really takes up lots of space in the paint and has a refined scoring touch around the basket.
Monty Bowser 6’5” 2020 Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland)
Cal signee is a bouncy swingman that had 17 points against Coronado.
