Coming to an arena near you: Roundball Classic

First we had the LeBron Game. Last year it was the Oden Game. Now we have the Quest to be Best, as Kevin Love and O.J. Mayo -- players ranked as high as 1-2 by some scouting services -- headline the 43rd annual Roundball Classic, which will be played April 3 at the United Center.

I was among those fortunate enough to watch the summer clashes in Las Vegas between teams headed by Mayo and Love. Meanstreets Express, which featured Simeon's Derrick Rose, Indiana prep star Eric Gordon and Leo's Tony Topps, also was there.

The four-team pool in the 304-team Big Time Tournament also featured the Michigan Hurricanes, led by DePaul recruit DarQuavis Tucker and Oak Hill Academy's Alex Legion. Both are playing in the Roundball Classic.

Calling that tournament Big Time was an understatement.

''If you go by rankings, then top to bottom, this is as good as we've had,'' said Sonny Vaccaro, the founder and director of the Roundball Classic, which started as the Dapper Dan in 1965 in Pittsburgh. ''And we have the players that are ranked 1-2.

''I've known O.J. for going on five years. I think I've been around him longer than any of the kids in high school, and I've seen his maturation over the years. He is a kid with flair and ability, and I've watched it grow. He has a chance to do a lot of things others couldn't because the ball is in his hands so much of the time.''

The crowds for those summer games rivaled the galleries at the Rio for the early events of the World Series of Poker.

Rose was invited to play in the Roundball Classic, but he declined. He will play in the McDonald's All-American Game in Louisville, Ky., and the Michael Jordan game in New York City.

But giving the game a taste of Chicago are St. Joseph stars Evan Turner (Ohio State) and Demetri McCamey (Illinois) and Boys to Men Academy's Nyal ''Mac'' Koshwal (DePaul), who started at Julian.

Former Julian and current Boys to Men coach Loren Jackson is coaching one of the teams in the game.

''It's an honor for me to be coaching in such a prestigious game of this magnitude in front of the Chicago fans,'' Jackson said. ''These are players you are going to be watching in the NCAA and then in the NBA.

''As far as Mac, people who haven't seen him much in the past two years will get a chance to see how he's developed. He's a big-time talent.''

Mayo will attend USC, and Love, whose bloodlines tie him to the Beach Boys (Mike Love is his uncle), is headed to UCLA.

''If people are expecting Greg Oden, that is not what they get with Kevin,'' Vaccaro said. ''He is probably the best interior and outlet passer I've seen for someone at his level in my life. He is the quintessential [power forward].

''Kevin can shoot, and he is so skilled. He is a special kid.''

Van Coleman of Hoopmasters.com said Love ''will make any team he plays for a winner. He is the consummate blue-collar player. If Elton Brand is a good pro, Love will be. He is the best rebounding power forward/center of recent memory and the best outlet passer since Wes Unseld. Whenever he has faced great players in the summer or in high school, he always is the best or no worse than No. 2.

''He had 35 points and 18 rebounds against Santa Ana [Calif.] Mater Dei, which had five Division I players. It showed he can dominate against a team of great players.''

Coleman rates Love No. 1 and Mayo No. 3.

''Under the old NBA rules, [Mayo] would have declared for the NBA out of high school,'' Coleman said. ''I think high school became too easy for him. I think he is bored with the high school game. He has been up and down this season. But against St. Patrick [N.J., then the top-ranked team in the nation], he scored 47 points on national television and demonstrated that he can be the player everyone expected him to be.

''He is no worse than the No. 3 player in his class. He could be the consummate point guard because he creates so many things.''

Everyone looks to compare the great players to others. While Mayo, at 6-5 and 205 pounds, doesn't have the size of Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, Vaccaro compares him to Stephon Marbury. And Love's game has drawn comparisons to that of Karl Malone.

Vaccaro said this is one of the great classes of all time.

''From top to bottom, this class is loaded,'' Vaccaro said. ''There are 15 or 20 players who will be in the [NBA]. A kid like DeAndre Jordan is going to be brilliant.''

Jordan, a 7-foot center from Christian Life Center in Houston, made a name for himself at the ABCD Camp last summer in Teaneck, N.J., and signed with Texas A&M.

There are some household names in the event, but two virtual unknowns Vaccaro thinks have star potential are 6-4 guards Rico Pickett of Decatur, Ala., and LaceDarius Dunn of Excelsior Christian in Monroe, La.

Pickett is headed to Alabama and Dunn to Baylor.

''I love this game, and I plan to continue it,'' Vaccaro said.

Tickets are on sale at the United Center and through Ticketmaster at (312) 559-1212.

The Web site for the game is www.roundballclassic.net.

EAST<

Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown	High School	College
Cole Aldrich	C	6-11	250	Bloomington, Minn.	Jefferson	Kansas
Chris Allen	G	6-4	195	Lawrenceville, Ga.	Meadowcreek	Michigan St.
LaceDarius Dunn	G	6-4	205	Monroe, La.	Excelsior Christian	Baylor
DeAndre Jordan	C	7-0	240	Houston	Christian Life Center	Texas A&M
Taylor King	F	6-8	220	Huntington Beach, Calif.	Mater Dei	Duke
Gani Lawal	F	6-9	225	Norcross, Ga.	Norcross High	Georgia Tech
Alex Legion	G	6-6	200	Inkster, Mich.	Oak Hill (Va.)	Michigan
O.J. Mayo	G	6-5	205	Huntington, W.Va.	Huntington	USC
Rico Pickett	G	6-4	180	Decatur, Ala.	Decatur	Alabama
Anthony Randolph	F	6-10	210	Cedar Hill, Texas	Wilson	LSU
DarQuavis Tucker	G	6-4	200	Saginaw, Mich.	Hill	DePaul

Head coach: Nick Mariniello, Bloomfield (N.J.) Tech

WEST

<

Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown	High School	College
Justin Burrell	F	6-8	220	Middleton, N.Y.	Bridgton (Maine)	St. John's
Corey Fisher	G	6-1	175	Bronx, N.Y.	St. Patrick (N.J.)	Villanova
Jonathan Flynn	G	6-0	183	Niagara Falls, N.Y.	Niagara Falls	Syracuse
James Harden	F	6-5	205	Rancho Dominguez, Calif.	Artesia	Arizona State
James Hickson	F	6-10	242	Marietta, Ga.	Wheeler	N.C. State
Nyal Koshwal	F	6-9	238	Chicago	Boys to Men	DePaul
Kevin Love	C	6-9	240	Lake Oswego, Ore.	Lake Oswego	UCLA
Demetri McCamey	G	6-3	210	Bellwood	St. Joseph	Illinois
Herb Pope	F	6-9	230	Aliquippa, Pa.	Aliquippa	N. Mexico St.
Corey Stokes	G	6-6	220	Bayonne, N.J.	St. Benedict	Villanova
Evan Turner	F	6-6	193	Chicago	St. Joseph	Ohio State
Alexis Wangmene	C	6-8	245	San Antonio	Blair (N.J.)	Texas

Head coach: Loren Jackson, Boys to Men