Prep Basketball: The 7th adidas Big Time Tourney set to expand

Just how do you spell BIG?

Many might say a-d-I-d-a-s as July's 7th Annual adidas Big Time boy's high school summer tournament has been expanded to a record 344 teams. America's finest young basketball talent will shine in the spotlight of Las Vegas, lighting up the neon-drenched sky of this popular entertainment and sports mecca, July 25-29.

Amazingly, despite increasing the field by 32 teams, a waiting list continues to grow for this massive hoopfest. The adidas Big Time will have over 4,500 athletes participating during the five-day extravaganza.

Representing 41 U.S. States and Canada, the record 344 teams will provide their own unique brand of summer hardwood heat when 856 total games will be played on 26 courts at 13 high school gyms in the Southern Nevada area. After three "pool play" games for each team in two days, teams will move into one of four single-elimination tournaments held in front of more than 300 college coaches. California has the most teams entered with 76, followed by Texas with 37, Washington with 20, Indiana with 18, Colorado with 15 and New York and Nevada with 13 each. Canada is sending four teams to The adidas Big Time this year.

In six years, The Big Time has grown rapidly into the summertime event to watch and the tournament at which to be watched. Green Valley High School, located in suburban Henderson, will be the official Tournament headquarters and the site where the majority of the featured Open division games will be played.

"The commitment from adidas for the Big Time tournament has raised the bar to a new level," said Larry McKay, who founded the tournament along with Green Valley coach and tournament co-director Jim Allen in 1995. "The interest in this year's tournament has far exceeded our greatest expectations. This response is truly a direct reflection of the incredible support that we have from adidas' Sonny Vaccaro and hundreds of talented and tireless tournament staff."

Reading like a current who's who of young basketball superstars, alumni of The adidas Big Time include Kobe Bryant of the two-time defending World Champion Los Angeles Lakers, Tracy McGrady of the Orlando Magic and Lamar Odom of the LA Clippers.

The teams with the best records from 72 four-team pools will advance along with the 56 top-seeded teams (seeded pre-tournament) to comprise the 128 team Open Division. The three additional A,B and C Divisions will include all the second, all the third and all the fourth place teams from Pool Play competing in their own respective 72-team single-elimination tournaments.

Besides Green Valley the other tournament sites in Henderson will be Basic HS and Foothill HS, while the sites in N. Las Vegas will be Mojave HS and Cheyenne HS. The Las Vegas high schools hosting The adidas Big Time will be: Cimarron-Memorial, Chaparral, Desert Pines, Durango, Las Vegas, Palo Verde, Silverado and Valley.

Each of the tournament sites features a main gymnasium and an auxiliary gym which will be utilized by the tournament. Basic HS was added to the site list when the tournament decided to increase by 32 teams.

The adidas Big Time also uses top game officials from throughout the Western U.S. National High School Federation rules are followed with a few exceptions, the major one of which is that the games are played in two 16-minute halves instead of four 8-minute quarters.

Games will start at 9 a.m. daily. Green Valley and Durango will be the only venues in action during the tournament's final day and the championship games in all four Division will be held at Green Valley on Sunday, July 29. General admission daily tickets, $8 each and good for all games, will be available only at the door.

Previous Open Division champions in The Big Time are: Team New Orleans (1995), Illinois Warriors I (1996), DC Assault I of Maryland (1997), Michigan Mustangs (1998), New Orleans Jazz (1999) and the Atlanta Celtics I (2000). All but Team New Orleans are entered this year.

Past A Division champs are: Illinois Warriors II (1995), Bronx Ravens (1996), Dakota Schoolers of South Dakota (1997), LA Rockfish Orcas (1998), Valentino's Bison Red of Nebraska (1999) and Friends of Hoop Black of Washington State (2000). Dakota Schoolers, LA Rockfish Orcas and Friends of Hoop return.

Starting in 1997, B Division winners have been: Emerald City of Washington State (1997), Wisconsin Shooters (1998), Northern Stars of South Dakota (1999) and the Derek Smith All Stars Black of Kentucky (2000). All four programs return teams again this year.

The C Division began in 1999 and the first crown was won by Packers Blue of Washington State. Winning the C Division crown in 2000 was Tru-Playaz of Colorado. Tru-Playaz has entered this year.

Including the 32-team increase over last year's 312 entries. The adidas Big Time filled 344 slots nearly a month earlier than last year's "smaller" field.

The first official entry for 2001 was received from the Middlesex Magic of Belmont, Mass., on March 9. The last official team to be accepted was the Donyell Marshall Foundation II of Syracuse, N.Y., on June 12, nearly six weeks prior to the event.

For more information, contact the tournament office at (702) 799-5454 or visit the official tournament website at adidas Big Time Tourney web page.