SoCalHoops Tournament News

adidas Las Vegas Big Time Expands
To 400 Teams? Sheesh...--(June 13, 2003)

Yes, you read that correctly.  Four-Hundred.  Four Zero Zero.  Big?  Yes.  Of course.  It's gargantuan, humongus, enormous, reaaaalllly reaaaalllly big.  But how big is "too big" you ask?   Let's just say that there's no way that anyone can even hope to see half of the teams and players at this event.   Of course, that doesn't mean that only the guys playing in the "open" bracket will be the ones getting looks, but it's safe to say that this event is going to have college coaches spread out all over town.    Of course, where everyone will be and when is somethiing we won't know until we see the quality of the teams participating, but it's also a safe bet that just about every travel team in the country with any aspirations of being seen by a college coach this summer will be in Las Vegas during the week of July 22-26. 

We just received the following press release from our friends at the adidas Las Vegas Big Time Tournament, and even though you will certainly find this information elsewhere on the net, we thought we'd pass it along first.   Here's the info from the e-mail we just received: 

June 13, 2003

July 22-26 in Las Vegas
Field expanded to 400 Boy’s Prep Basketball
Teams for The 9th adidas BIG TIME tourney

Nation’s Largest Summer Tournament to Feature
996 Games on 30 Courts at 15 High Schools;
Teams entered from 42 U.S. States, Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada

LAS VEGAS--Just when you thought that boy’s high school summer  basketball in Las Vegas couldn’t get any bigger, tournament officials have announced that next month’s 9th Annual adidas Big Time tournament has been expanded to a record 400 teams. Because of increased demand, the adidas Big Time has added 56 teams to the tournament to be held July 22 26 on 30 courts at 15 area high schools in Southern Nevada.

This year’s massive hoopfest, featuring a total 400 teams from 42 U.S. States, Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada, will provide serious summer hardwood heat when 996 total games are played on 30 courts at 15 high school gyms in the Southern Nevada area. After three ‘pool play’ games for each team in two days, four single-elimination tournaments will be held with nearly 400 college coaches expected on site.

With 12 teams from the host State of Nevada, this year’s adidas Big Time prep hoop extravangaza, being held under the sanction and guidelines and as a model of new policies of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), includes a record 13 states with 10 or more teams entered. Amazingly, despite adding 56 more teams than the 344 that participated the last two years, a waiting list continues to grow for this massive 400-team hoopfest. The adidas Big Time will have over 5,500 athletes participating during the five-day extravaganza.

In eight 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.

Daily General Admission tickets, priced at $10 each and good for admission to all games at all sites, will be available at the door. 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 Saturday, July 26.

By individual state, the top three (all with record numbers) are California, with 87 teams entered, Texas with 51 and Colorado with 22. Fourth this year is Washington State with 21, followed by Wisconsin with 15, Connecticut, New York State and Ohio with 13 each, Arizona, Nevada and Pennsylvania with 12 each and Indiana and Michigan with 11 teams each. Canada is sending a record five teams to this year’s tournament and the U.S. Virgin Islands is sending its first-ever entry.

Reading like a current who’s who of young basketball superstars, alumni of The adidas Big Time include Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady of the Orlando Magic and Lamar Odom of the LA Clippers. The teams with the best records from the first 72 non-seeded 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 also hold tournaments. The A Division tournament will include all the second place teams from the first 72 non-seeded four-team pools along with all teams from the last 14 non-seed pools in another 128-team tournament. All the third and all the fourth place teams from the first 72 non-seeded pools will compete in their own respective B and C Division 72-team single elimination tournaments.

Besides Green Valley the other tournament sites in Henderson will be Basic HS, Coronado HS and Foothill HS while the site in N. Las Vegas will be Mojave HS. The Las Vegas area high schools hosting The adidas Big Time will be: Bonanza, Chaparral, Cimarron-Memorial, Desert Pines, Durango, Las Vegas, Palo Verde, Silverado, Valley and Western. With the latest tournament expansion, Bonanza and Western were the two sites added. Each of the tournament sites features a main gymnasium and an auxiliary gym which will be utilized by the tournament.

The Big Time also uses top game officials from throughout the West and 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. 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), Atlanta Celtics I (2000), Long Island Panthers of New York (2001) and New York Ravens (2002). All will field teams 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), Friends of Hoop Black of Washington State (2000), Portland Elite Legends of Oregon (2001) and Stop Six of Texas (2002). Starting in 1997, B Division winners have been: Emerald City of Washington State (1997), Wisconsin Shooters (1998), Northern Stars of South Dakota (1999), Derek Smith All Stars Black of Kentucky (2000), Arizona Stars (2001) and SSA-Sacramento Platinum (2002). The C Division began in 1999 and winning titles have been: Packers Blue of Washington State (1999), Tru-Playaz of Colorado (2000), The Firm of Texas (2001) and Seattle Friends of Hoop-Green (2002).

For more information, contact the tournament headquarters at 702.256.9832 or visit the official website of The adidas Big Time at www.adidasbigtime.com.

2003 The adidas Big Time
Boy’s High School Summer Basketball Tournament
July 22-26 • Las Vegas • QUICK FACTS

FORMAT--400 teams
Pool play first two days, single elimination tournaments final three days. All teams will play three games in pool play and at least one in bracket  tournament. 56 top-seeded teams (seeded pre-tournament) automatically in Open tournament. Additional 86 four-team pools for balance of pool play. Winners of  72 pools (P through MMMM) plus 56 top seeds form 128-team Open Tournament (8 16-team brackets, 8 bracket ‘winners’ to Open Quarterfinals). Three additional tournaments--A Division--will have 128 teams--2nd place teams from Pool Play P through MMMM plus ALL teams from last 14 pools--128 teams; B & C Divisions  will both have 72 teams all from pools P thru MMMM, B--3rd place teams from Pool Play; C--4th place teams from Pool Play. 996 TOTAL GAMES

Official Tournament Sites
(2 gyms at each-30 Total courts)
Green Valley HS-HEADQUARTERS--460 Arroyo Grande Avenue Henderson
Durango HS--7100 West Dewey Drive
Basic HS--400 Palo Verde Drive-Henderson
Bonanza HS--6665 Del Rey Avenue*
Chaparral HS--3850 Annie Oakley Drive
Cimarron-Memorial HS--2301 North Tenaya Way
Coronado HS--1001 Coronado Center Drive-Henderson
Desert Pines HS--3800 Harris Avenue
Foothill HS--800 College Drive-Henderson
Las Vegas HS--6500 East Sahara Avenue
Mojave HS--5302 Goldfield Street-North Las Vegas
Palo Verde HS--333 S. Pavilion Center Drive
Silverado HS--1650 Silver Hawk Avenue
Valley HS--2839 Burnham Avenue
Western HS--4601 West Bonanza Road*
*NEW SITE THIS YEAR

CO-DIRECTORS: Larry McKay and Jim Allen
TICKETS: General Admission-$10 per day--good for all games, all sites
MEDIA GREEN VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL-Primary center
CENTERS: DURANGO HIGH SCHOOL-Secondary center
MEDIA Travis Gonzolez, adidas Public Relations (800) 289 2724, ext. 2305
CONTACTS: Dominic Clark, local media director (702) 735-7123
MEDIA PHONE Green Valley Media Center -- (702) 799-0950, ext. 271
NUMBERS: Durango Media Center -- (702) 799-5850, ext. 223

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