LAS VEGAS -- Led by their own version of a New York skyline, the Long Island Panthers staked their claim as the nation's top summer basketball club by winning the 344-team adidas Big Time Tournament championship with a 84-73 victory over the New Jersey-based Tim Thomas Playaz.

The Panthers emerged from pool play with a 2-1 record -- they lost their first game of the tournament, 64-61, to the Fort Worth Lions -- then went on a 7-0 run in the three-day single elimination phase of the nation's largest club basketball tournament. It was the second consecutive tournament championship for Long Island, which had won the 32-team adidas 3 Stripes Classic at Hofstra University on July 14.

Long Island's 6-foot-9, 210-pound senior postman Jason Fraser (Amityville H.S./Amityville, N.Y.) was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. The live-legged Fraser had 12 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in the championship game. Hours earlier, Fraser had 27 points and 22 rebounds to lead the Panthers to a 74-68 win in the semifinals over a stubborn and talented Baltimore Select squad, led by 6-8 senior forward Carmelo Anthony.

In the championship game, the Panthers frontline of 6-9 junior Charlie Villanueva (Blair Academy/Blairstown, N.J.) and 6-7 senior Curtis Sumpter (Robeson H.S./Brooklyn, N.Y.) contributed 20 and 10 rebounds, and 18 points and six rebounds, respectively. Long Island also got 19 points in the final from 6-2 Louisville-bound senior Taquan Dean (Neptune H.S./Neptune, N.J.). A key addition to Long Island for this tournament was 5-11 starting point guard Darryl "The Thrill" Hill, a recent graduate of Cardoza High (Bayside, N.Y.), who will be attending prep school next fall. Hill was quietly spectacular for Long Island, controlling the tempo, making the right play and making his teammates better.

To get to the championship, Long Island had to defeat five of the country's top club teams in less than 36 hours. They defeated the Michigan Hurricanes (65-64), the Los Angeles Rockfish (67-53), the New York Ravens (76-64), Baltimore Select (74-68), and finally the Playaz..

Here's a look at some of the tournament's top players:

Carmelo Anthony (Oak Hill Academy/Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 6-8, senior, Baltimore Select: An impressive showing, Anthony's play led Baltimore Select to the Big Time semifinals. He's athletic, skilled and knows how to slash his way into the paint. Anthony is a strong finisher and he gets himself to the free throw line with a scorer's frequency. Anthony is extremely tough to defend and with his combination of size, skills and athleticism, he'll be a terror next season at Oak Hill. Anthony committed to Syracuse at the start of the summer.

Keleena Azubuike (Victory Christian H.S./Tulsa, Okla.), 6-6, senior, Prep Stars International: Azubuike was a strong slasher to the bucket, with good finishing ability. He's athletic, strong and he plays hard. And he also hit the occasional mid-range jumper. Azubuike is a bull when it comes to slashing to the rack and he's got the body and the skills to perform equally well on the collegiate level.

Lenny Cooke (Northern Valley Regional H.S./Old Tappan, N.J.), 6-6, senior, Prep Stars International: Lenny Cooke was, well, Lenny Cooke. He worked hard all over the floor, hustling for his points. There are times when he's too much into entertaining the crowd, too much show with the repeated crossovers, but there is no denying Cooke's talent. He's a very good rebounder, plays defense with a passion and he works so hard, trying to will his way to the basket. Cooke's outside jumper and fadaway were working in Vegas, but it's his ability to make things happen off the dribble that makes him special.

Paul Davis (Rochester H.S./Rochester, Mich.), 6-10, senior, Michigan Mustangs: Watching Davis on the floor (he seems to rarely open his mouth), you get the impression that he's shy, introverted young man. That is, until the official blows his whistle and the ball comes into play. Then, Davis turns into a take-no-prisoners, Chris Webber-type, running, jumping and dunking. And he's not just a 6-10 kid who can make pretty dunks; Davis throws them down hard. He's athletic, has strength and knows how to finish strong. He's evolved into quite a talent, draining 3-pointers from all over the court and being able to take his man off the dribble. Though it wasn't a head-to-head matchup with Shavlik Randolph, Davis was clearly the better player in the game when his Michigan Mustangs defeated Randolph's Raleigh Heat, 83-75. Davis had 34 points while eliminating Raleigh from the tournament. Randolph fouled out with 10 points.

Taquan Dean (Neptune H.S./Neptune, N.J.), 6-2, senior, Tim Thomas Playaz: Louisville-bound Dean found his stroke and was knocking down jumpers all week long in Las Vegas. He's also a good athlete and very good off the dribble, attacking the basket. And with the tall trees on the Long Island lineup, Dean also excelled in transition.

Raymond Felton (Latta H.S./Latta, S.C.), 6-0, senior, Beach Ball Select: Felton continued his strong play at the Big Time Tournament. The North Carolina-bound Felton was strong in transition and he was scoring at will, drilling the 3 or slashing to the bucket. Felton is super athletic, very competitive and he's very difficult to guard.

Khalif Ford (Diamond Bar H.S./Diamond Bar, Calif.), 6-0, junior, Los Angeles Rockfish: Already being recruited by the likes of UNC and Duke, Ford is blur on the floor. This Ford has at least a V-8 under the hood. He was impressive with his lightning fast slashes to the bucket, often punctuated with unusual skills such as stopping on a dime and nailing the pull-up or fadaway jumper. Ford also has good consistency on his 3-point jumper and he's very good at spotting up or creating his shot off of 1-2 dribbles. And to top it off, Ford also displayed some show-stopping passes, creating easy shots for his teammates. How good is Ford? He went for 23 points in a matchup against super soph point guard Sebastian Telfair in the Rockfish's blowout win over the Juice All-Stars during pool play.

Jason Fraser (Amityville H.S./Amityville, N.Y.), 6-9, senior, Long Island Panthers: When he wasn't taking it to the cup for his two-handed dunks, Fraser was rebounding with passion and playing very tall. He's an excellent shot blocker and was a strong presence inside for the eventual Big Time Champions. His defense and his rebounding are currently ahead of his offensive game, but he's got the ability to impact a game without being a major scoring threat.

Todd Galloway (Notre Dame Academy/Middleburg, Va.), 6-0, senior, Baltimore Select: Galloway is a tough point guard, who knows how to score. Whether it's with his long-range jumper or with the patented Baltimore take you off the dribble game, Galloway was a factor in each and every one of Baltimore Select's games. He's quick, has a very good handle and is pretty feisty for a smaller point guard. He's no softie. But he's also got some refined offense, with the ability to score points in a hurry.

Darryl "The Thrill" Hill (Cardozo H.S./Bayside, N.Y.), 5'11, post-graduate, Long Island Panthers: This was Hill's first tournament with Long Island and "The Thrill" was a welcome addition. Gary Charles' Panthers have been known for their strong frontline, but the addition of Hill, a steady creator for his teammates, was probably just the thing that Long Island needed. Hill has the undetachable handle (trying to strip him of his dribble is like trying to put a quarter in a slot machine that some blue-haired octogenarian has been priming for over an hour, it ain't happening) and his penetration game, which was highlighted by some sensational passing, opened up easy scoring opportunities for Fraser, Villanueva, Sumpter and Dean.

Daniel Horton (Cedar Hill H.S./Cedar Hill, Texas), 6-2, senior, Texas Blue Chip: The Michigan-bound Horton is a very skilled scorer from the point position, who has no trouble draining the long-range jumper. Horton was impressive with his outside-inside game as he's also very good off the dribble and a threat to score every time he touches the ball.

Sani Ibrahim (Oak Hill Academy/Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-10, senior, Atlanta Celtics: Ibrahim seemed consumed with trying to show off his offensive skills, instead of trying to keep it simple and utilize his athletic and size advantage. What Ibrahim does with consistency is to provide a shot-blocking force inside. Ibrahim does change a lot of shots in the paint and also boards well. But his insistence on going to a fadaway turnaround jumper that wasn't falling, instead of trying to power his way inside. Ibrahim is very talented, but his shot selection hurt his game and Atlanta's chances in the tournament.

Elijiah Ingram (St. Anthony H.S./Jersey City, N.J.), 6-0, senior, Tim Thomas Playaz: One of the nation's more crafty point guards, Ingram was impressive with the way he led the Playaz to the championship game. His ability to penetrate and find his open teammates, along with his ability to finish plays in the paint, were key for the Playaz.

Lebron James (St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S./Akron, Ohio), 6-7, junior, Northeast Ohio Shooting Stars: The country's undisputed top high school player, James played in the Big Time with his long-time travel team from Ohio. While facing lots of defensive pressure, James was still very effective and impressive with his vast array of skills. Extremely athletic with equally advanced skills, James is a true basketball player, who was content to draw the opposition to him and find the open teammate with his brilliant passing. The ultimate triple-threat with his passing, shooting and ballhandling skills, James was still not enough to keep Northeast Ohio from being eliminated in the first-round of single elimination play.

Keion Kindred (Dominguez H.S./Compton, Calif.), 6-3, senior, West Coast All-Stars: The Sergio McClain of high school hoops, the big bodied Kindred was a key player for West Coast All-Stars. He's not a true point guard, but more of a point-swingman. Actually, he's just a good basketball player without a true position. He's got good instincts for the ball, scores well in the paint and rebounds well for a perimeter player. A true Jack of All Trades, Kindred hustles and makes things happen.

Antonio Lawrence (San Joaquin Memorial H.S./Fresno, Calif.), 6-5, senior, EBO/EA Sports: Yes, Lawrence is transferring schools, leaving Jackson High in his native Jacksonville, Fla., for his newly adopted hometown of Fresno, Calif., where he's spent much of the past two summers. And Lawrence, who starred at the adidas ABCD Camp with his full-court hustle and high-flying above the rim game, was also impressive in Las Vegas. A superior athlete, Lawrence has a nose for the ball and finishes well inside the key. He's still lacking a consistent long-range jumper, but he showed some improved shot-selection and unselfish play for EBO/EA Sports.

Richard Midgely (Modesto Christian H.S./Modesto, Calif.), 6-2, senior, EBO/EA Sports: Midgely's presence, along with that of three of his well-school Modesto Christian teammates, seemed to have a calming effect on the normally frenetic run-and-gun EBO/EA Sports team. Midgely, who handles the ball well, made good decisions on the floor and he's a very good long-range shooter.

Travis Outlaw (Starkville H.S./Starkville, Miss.), 6-8, junior, Atlanta Celtics: Outlaw is one of the Fastbreak USA players who moved over to the Celtics for the Big Time Tournament. Very athletic with unusually long arms and a knack for making the highlight dunk, Outlaw was hot and cold at the Big Time Tournament. There is no denying his potential (just watch him come out of nowhere for one of his spectacular tip-jams), but Outlaw is still developing his halfcourt game. There are times when he looks pretty awesome on his high-elevation turnaround jumpers, but then again, there are moments when he's stymied by rather pedestrian defense. But time is on his side (he's still only 16 and has two more seasons of high school basketball) and he's shown some flashes of halfcourt game.

Daryl Pegram (Worcester Academy/Worcester, Mass.), 6-8, senior, Los Angeles Rockfish: Pegram's stock rose in the playoffs as he was impressive with his aggressive and athletic play. He was strong driving the ball off the dribble and rebounded the ball well. He also showed off a solid 3-point jumper and he played hard. Though recruited by a host of mid-major programs, Pegram's inspired play had several high-majors (including Indiana) hoping to get involved.

Leon Powe (Oakland Tech H.S./Oakland, Calif.), 6-7, junior, Oakland Slam N Jam I: OK, so he's probably a legit 6-6, but there is no denying that his well-built, high-flying junior plays taller, much taller. "The Show" is one of the better power forwards in high school basketball, regardless of class. Give him a lane and he's going upstairs for the power slam. A strong rebounder (and he's a threat on the offensive glass to posterize anyone with a tip-jam), Powe has developed a nice mid-range shot, which he drains with good consistency. He's strong, physical and just a junior. And he's only getting better.

Shavlik Randolph (Broughton H.S.-Raleigh, N.C.), 6-8, senior, Raleigh Heat: Randolph looked much healthier than he's been in previous events and had his share of moments. While he was moving healthier, without any indication of injury, Randolph was a marked man. He did get his share of hustle/garbage play buckets and he was effective scoring in transition, but Randolph was also having trouble scoring off his trademark off-the-dribble game. In fact, he probably had more turnovers than baskets, when he went outside to face-up and create off the dribble. Still, he's a very skilled big man with a sweet stroke, who can bury the jumper if left wide open.

Anthony Roberson (Saginaw H.S./Saginaw, Mich.) 6-2, senior, Michigan Hurricanes: Roberson is Roberson, one of the best point guards in the class. He's a scoring point and he's a major competitor. When he's on, he's very good and the Hurricanes rode him into the round of 32. The Florida-bound Roberson looked good, slashing to the bucket; he's a good finisher and also set up his teammates with his passing skills.

Curtis Sumpter (Robeson H.S./Brooklyn, N.Y.) 6-7, senior, Long Island Panthers: Sumpter is one of the keys to the success of the Long Island Panthers. He's a competitor, better than average athlete and an excellent basketball player. Sumpter contributes to the Panthers' cause with his mid-range and in scoring ability and his work on the glass. Whatever the Panthers needed, a rebound or someone to fill the lane in transition, Sumpter provided.

Robert Swift (Garces H.S./Bakersfield, Calif.), 6-11, sophomore, Los Angeles Rockfish: Remember the name, this 220-pound youngster had flashes of brilliance in limited playing time, that had ACC coaches and NBA scouts taking notice. First off, he's a natural shot-blocker, he's got solid fundamentals and he's a good athlete. Swift does a very good job of rebounding the ball and then utilizing his height and keeping the ball high. He had several impressive tip-dunks and he also showed a solid post game, making several drops step moves and finishing well. He won't turn 16 until December, but expect Swift to continue to develop into one of the games top young big men.

Sebastian Telfair (Lincoln H.S./Brooklyn, N.Y.), 5-10, sophomore, Juice All-Stars: He created quite a stir with his play at the adidas ABCD Camp and he was a catalyst for the Juice squad with his penetration skills. A strong competitor, Telfair pushed the tempo and made strong decisions when given the opportunity, though his Juice All-Stars seemed rather disorganized at times. For whatever reason, the All-Stars didn't seem to always be on the same page offensively, with breakdowns taking away from Telfair's game. Telfair's quickness, ballhandling and cool demeanor, still were quite impressive.

Michael Thompson (Providence Catholic H.S./New Lenox, Ill.), 6-10, senior, Raleigh Heat: Thompson was playing with some energy and spirit, which was lacking from his efforts at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions in North Carolina over the Memorial Day weekend. He's a big body and when he plays with some urgency, he's pretty good. He hustles, rebounds and gets his share of garbage points. Thompson was finishing around the bucket with gusto, getting his share of two-handed dunks. He has already committed to Duke and there was an unconfirmed rumor afloat that Coach K had a sit-down with Thompson, regarding the possibility of redshirting his freshman season, if he didn't pick up his play. Don't know about the validity of the rumor, but something has gotten into Thompson. Something good. Expect to see him get some playing time for Duke in the 2002-2003 season.

Charlie Villanueva (Blair Academy/Blairstown, N.J.), 6-9, junior, Long Island Panthers: Villanueva possesses excellent size to go along with strong perimeter skills. He's a mid-range scorer, who's also a threat, with his size and athleticism, to score inside the paint. He's more of a small forward/power forward combo (or at least that's what his game will be at the next level), who's got a soft shooting touch. He's made significant improvement in the past year and must be considered one of the country's top juniors.

Donald Wilson (Dorsey H.S./Los Angeles, Calif.), 6-4, senior, Los Angeles Rockfish: Though he was playing on just one good ankle, Wilson obviously has a high threshold for pain. He wasn't visibly hobbled by the ankle unless he exploded for one of his high-flying dunks, which was often at the Big Time. A strong competitor and warrior on the floor, Wilson was also impressive with his on-ball defense. Very active on the floor, Wilson's defense and hustle created many turnovers and he excelled in transition. The off-guard was also impressive moving without the ball, scoring off of various cuts and curls. And though the knock on him has been a lack of a jumper, Wilson showed an improved stroke and had no trouble draining the 3-point shot, in earning his spot on the all-tournament team.

Kennedy Winston (Blount H.S./Prichard, Ala.), 6-6, senior, Prep Stars International: Winston was solid, knocking down mid-range jumpers and creating his pull-up J off the dribble. It's tough to find good chemistry on a team full of "stars" and major scorers, but Winston was pretty consistent. He'll continue to be a solid scoring threat with his mid-range game at the next level, should he decide to go to college.

Antione Wright (Lawrence Academy/Groton, Mass.) 6-7, senior, Inland: Wright started the Big Time with a 34-point outburst and he became one of the hottest "must-see" players for the over 500 college coaches who attended the Big Time Tournament. Wright, who exploded on the recruiting scene with a very impressive showing at the adidas ABCD Camp earlier in the month, was stroking his sweet 3-point jumper from all parts beyond the arc. He also displayed his ability to score off the dribble, with the pull-up jumper or with the athletic finish.

Team Texas wins AAU Super Showcase
Led by 6-2 senior shooting guard Bracey Wright (The Colony H.S./The Colony, Texas), Team Texas defeated the Boston Amateur Basketball Club (BABC), 75-65, to win the AAU Super Showcase at the Disney Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. Team Texas, which had won the Nike Peach Jam Tournament in Augusta, Ga., during the first open-evaluation period earlier in the month, was also led by 6-4 senior swingman Josh Washington (Monterey H.S./Lubbock, Texas) and 5-10 senior point guard Bryan Hopkins (Lincoln H.S./Dallas, Texas), who scored 19 and 15 points, respectively, in the championship game.

Majerus hears good word from recruits
Timothy Drisdom, the 6-3, 195-pound senior point guard from Calvary Chapel High School in Downey, Calif., gave a verbal commitment on Tuesday afternoon to Rick Majerus and the Utah Utes. Drisdom is one of the better passing point guards in the country, but also led the adidas ABCD Camp this year in 3-point field goal shooting, knocking down over 67 percent from behind the arc.

Drisdom was high on Majerus wish list and his parents took an unofficial visit to the Utah campus last week while Drisdom was competing at the adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas. Drisdom plays for the Los Angeles Rockfish club and has drawn favorable comparisons to another former Rockfish player, Andre Miller, who went on to become an All-American at Utah and is one of the best young point guards in the NBA. Reportedly, Majerus was ecstatic with Drisdom's verbal commitment.

Expect Majerus to get another welcome surprise this week when 6-7 swingman Bryant Markson (Monrovia H.S./Monrovia, Calif.) gives him a call, also pledging his verbal commitment to the Utes. Markson, who was one of the top juniors in the country (he made the underclass all-star game at last summer's adidas ABCD Camp), has been off the summer circuit, recuperating from ACL surgery. Markson is a teammate and good friend of Drisdom on the Los Angeles Rockfish and he expressed that the commitment of Drisdom, along with the chance to be coached by Majerus, was key in his decision.

Markson, who averaged 24 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists last season for his high school, has still been heavily recruited by major colleges, selecting Utah over Kansas, Arizona, Wyoming, Southern California and New Mexico. Even after he injured his knee this spring, both Majerus and Kansas head coach Roy Williams made special visits to Markson's high school to express their interest while Markson went through a very limited workout. With his rehabilitation going ahead of schedule, Markson is expected to be cleared for the start of high school practice in November and should be ready to play once the high school season begins in December, but he's not expected to return to 100 percent until the spring of 2002.

When healthy, Markson is one of the more athletic players in the country. He's got some raw spots in his game, but he's also got some great scoring instincts and superb playground moves (he's constantly facing double-teams in high school). He's a very good rebounder for a swingman, runs the floor exceptionally well and even has a knack for blocking jump shots.

From a recruiting standpoint, it seems like a win-win situation. Markson has a chance to be an exceptional collegiate player if he improves his fundamentals (a Majerus strongpoint), while Majerus has been dying for a long, lean major league athlete like Markson. And Markson gets a chance to play with his favorite point guard, Drisdom, who is one of the better leaders and passers in high school basketball.