Words. Aron Phillips

With the 2K Sports Preseason All-American Team playing Canada tomorrow, you may wonder why Toronto natives Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph are playing with the Americans as opposed to their fellow countrymen. With that in mind, I got up with Tristan and Cory to find out. MORE >

Words. dimemag

BOO WILLIAMS SUMMER LEAGUE Boys High School Team Camp – June 6 Mega Tournament – June 6 Big Shots BWSL Invitational Tournament – Ages 15-17, June 19 – 21 US Elite Camp – June 25- 28 Boys 10U-12U DIII National Championships – July 2 – 5 BWSL Invitational Tournament – Ages 15-17, July 9 – 11 AAU- National champions – July 16 – 19 Boys 13U-15U DIII National Championship – July 23 – 26 BWSL Basketball Camp III – August 3 – 6 Girls Black Widow’s Tournament – May 30 – 31 Boo Williams Mega Tournament – June 6 BWSL Invitational Tournament – Ages 13-16, June 19 – 21 AAU National Championships – July 2 – 5 USJN- Hampton Memorial Day Clash – July 5 – 8 Jr. Phenom All-American Showcase and Future Prospects Camp – July 9 – 11 AAU National Championships Girls 14U, DII – July 22 – 27 AAU National Championships – July 22 – 27 BWSL Basketball Camp III – August 3 – 6 INSIDE NIKE BASKETBALL Nike Hoop Jamboree – June 11 – 14 The nation’s premier basketball event for elite underclassmen – St. Louis, MO Deron Williams Nike Skills Academy – June 23 – 26 Top 20 high school point guards – Dallas, TX Vince Carter Nike Skills Academy – June 23 – 26 Top 20 high school wings – Orlando, FL Amar’e Stoudemire Nike Skills Academy – June 28 – July 1 Top 20 high school big men – Phoenix, AZ Paul Pierce Nike Skills Academy – July 28 – July 1 Top 20 high school shooting guards Lebron James Nike Skills Academy – July 5 – 7 Top 80 high school basketball players in the country. The 20 high school players who attended each of the previous four Nike Skills Academies will be invited – Akron, OH King City Classic – July 8 – 9 Top high school players in the country, tournament format. Hundreds of college coaches, scouts and members of the media are expected to attend – Cleveland, OH Nike Peach Jam Invitational – July 12 – 15 24 Nike travel teams, as well as a 16-and-under division – Riverview Park Activities Center (North Augusta, SC) Nike Nationals – July 28 – 31 The premier girls travel team tournament in the country. 24 Nike travel teams, as well as a 16-and-under division – Riverview Park Activities Center (North Augusta, SC) The Nike Global Challenge - August 7 – 9 The top 30 high school players from the United States split into three teams from the LeBron James Skills Academy in July. The three U.S. teams will go against five international teams (Canada, FMP – Serbia, & TBD) — including the winner of the Euroleague Junior Tournament – Liberty High School (Portland, OR) Nike Ball or Fall – August 11 – 12 3 on 3 tournament – Seward Park Chicago, IL NIKE/Elite Hoops Nike Elite Basketball Camp – Blessed Trinity HS, Roswell, GA Session 1: June 1 – 5  - Girls Only Session 2: June 15 – 19  - Boys Only Session 3: July 6 – 10  - Boys Only Session 4: July 27 – 31  - Girls Only Nike Elite Basketball Camp – Greater Atlanta Christian, Norcross, GA Session 1: June 1 – 5  - Girls Only Session 2: June 8 – 12  - Boys Only Nike Elite Basketball Camp – Riverwood HS, Atlanta, GA Session 1: June 8 – 12  - Girls Only Session 2: June 22 – 26  - Boys Only Nike Elite Basketball Camp – Kendron Fieldhouse, Peachtree City, GA Perimeter Skills Camp Session 1: June 15 – 19  - Boys Only Nike Elite Basketball Camp – Homewood HS, Birmingham, AL Session 1: June 29 – July 2  - Boys Only Nike Elite Basketball Camp – Perry Meridian HS, Indianapolis, IN Session 1: July 6 – 10  - Coed Camp Nike Elite Basketball Camp – Kennesaw MTN HS, Kennesaw, GA Session 1: July 13 – 17  - Boys Only Nike Elite Basketball Camp – Arnold HS, Panama City Beach, FL Session 1: July 13 – 17  - Boys Only Nike Elite Basketball Camp – Christ Presbyterian Academy, Nashville, TN Session 1: July 20 – 24  - Girls Only Session 2: July 27 – 31 – Boys Only Nike Elite Basketball Camp – McIntosh HS, Peachtree City, GA Session 1: July 20 – 24  - Boys Only

Words. HShoop

Avery Bradley (photo. Kelly Kline)

United We Rise. The same slogan that Kobe, LeBron and the rest of the U.S. senior national team has adopted for the Beijing Olympics could also have been used to describe the mindset of the American high schoolers on “USA-2″ as they took the ‘chip at the Nike Global Challenge this past weekend.

“Playing together,” said 2009 SF/SG Roscoe Smith (Walbrook HS, Baltimore) when asked about his team’s keys to victory. “Building a trust in one another and a unity. We kept our head in the game and trusted one another.” MORE >

Words. HShoop

John Wall, Nike Global Challenge 2008 (photo. Kelly Kline)

Depending on who you ask, John Wall is the best player in the 2009 class and the best player in the country on top of that. The lightning-quick 6-foot-3 point guard has definitely been living up to that billing at the Nike Global Challenge, dominating for stretches in his first two games against Serbia and Puerto Rico. Playing for a U.S. team that features 2010 superstud Jeremy Tyler, 2011 phenom Michael Gilchrist and fellow ’09 stars Aaron Dotson and Daniel Orton, Wall is the unquestioned leader of the group. We got up with the Word of God Christian (N.C.) product shortly after he helped Team USA knock off P.R. in a losers-bracket contest.

High School Hoop: How has this tournament been so far? John Wall: It’s been great, you know, getting to meet different people from different countries that are some great players. You get to see how they play; it’s different and they play physical. Like over here, most guards drive and try to score. But they’ll drive and try to kick out. You see new things, and they don’t back down. MORE >

Words. HShoop

Class of 2009 guard Aaron Dotson is the latest in long line of elite ballplayers to come out of Rainier Beach H.S. in Seattle. Following in the footsteps of, among others, Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson, Terrence Williams (Louisville) and Rodrick Stewart, who just won a national championship at Kansas, Dotson is one of the nation’s top players and has been a standout at this weekend’s Nike Global Challenge in Oregon. We got up with Aaron shortly after his USA #3 team beat Puerto Rico in a loser’s bracket game, the night after they’d lost to Serbia.

High School Hoop: What’s been the highlight of your summer? Aaron Dotson: I would say the LeBron academy — there was so many good plays I can’t pick out one. Yesterday I had a good one when I dunked on a kid. Did you see that?

HSH: Yeah, that seemed like the dagger, but then Serbia came back. AD: We came out slow. We got the lead but we lost it. Our team is filled with superstars; I guess we just started to collide. MORE >

Words. HShoop

Jereme Richmond at the ’08 LeBron Academy (photo. Kelly Kline)

Class of 2010 star Jereme Richmond, a 6-6 small forward from Waukegan H.S. (Ill.) hasn’t had to worry about impressing the scouts for a long time. Although he’s just going into his junior year, Richmond gave his verbal commitment to the Fighting Illini a couple of years ago. At the Nike Global Challenge this weekend in suburban Portland, Ore., Richmond is one of the 30 elite U.S. players selected to play against teams from Serbia, Senegal, Puerto Rico, Lithuania and Canada.

High School Hoop: How has this Global Challenge been so far? Jereme Richmond: It’s fun. Like I always say, anytime you play against the best in the country, and now the world, you always have a sense of pride about yourself. For me, playing against the best in the world is an honor.

HSH: Do you think being on the U.S. team you have a target on your back? JR: Definitely. You know what I’m saying? I always look at it like Team USA is the team to beat everywhere we go, in whatever sport. So all these guys out here, they’re coming for our head, playing real physical. They get after it against us. Any time they can beat Team USA, that’s a big thing. MORE >