Holiday sparkles in Vegas basketball tourney

Scouts Inc. writers Antonio Williams and Bob Gibbons spent some summer days in the desert watching young basketball prospects play all day in the Reebok Summer Championships and the adidas Super 64 last week.

Of note to UCLA fans was the performance of potential future Bruin, 6-9 Renardo Sidney of Artesia High School, playing on the LA Dream Team in the Reebok tournament. The Dream Team lost to King of the Court, 61-54, in the quarterfinals of the RBK Create or Finish Cup. According to the Scouts.com report, "Sidney disappointed with his effort and energy, finishing with 12 points (4-13 FG) and 10 rebounds. At one juncture during the game, with the score knotted at 50 and 2 minutes left on the clock, Sidney found himself on the bench, atypical for a player billed as the best in his class. His sub-par [effort] has left doubts about his status as the nation’s No. 1 junior."

Things went better for four other potential future Bruins in the adidas Super 64, playing for Pump-n-Run Elite against Playaz Basketball Club at the Cox Pavilion on the UNLV campus: "Pump-n-Run was led by the future backcourt for UCLA, 6-4 SG Jrue Holiday (North Hollywood, Calif.), who scored 18 points while 6-3 PG Jerime Anderson (Anaheim, Calif.) Had 13 points. Class of 2009 prospects twins David and Travis Wear, both from Santa Ana, Calif. impressed with their play, as did North Carolina-recruit 6-2 PG Larry Drew, Jr. (Woodland Hills, Calif.), son of former NBA player and current Atlanta Hawks assistant Larry Drew." Pump-n-Run lost in overtime, 90-88.