NOTES: Legacy Tip-Off Classic experiences growth spurt

Jack Tarango didn't intend for the Legacy Tip-Off Classic boys basketball tournament to grow this year.

But when the Longhorns coach and tournament organizer realized this summer he overbooked the event, Tarango fixed the glitch and decided to go from 16 teams to 20.

"It was just a clerical error for myself," Tarango said. "We were able to make it work."

The fifth annual Tip-Off Classic runs Thursday through Saturday and will feature 13 local schools. Games take place at Legacy, Mojave (Thursday and Friday) and Cheyenne (Saturday).

The final is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday at Legacy.

"I think with our tournament, you play some good games to really test your talent, see how it goes against some of the very best," Tarango said. "I think it's a good test for us, and other teams in the valley can see how they fare in a tournament setting."

Two years ago, the Tip-Off Classic featured 20 teams competing in two brackets, but this year's tournament will have one bracket with some teams playing up to five games.

Centennial and Palo Verde, two of the top teams in the Division I Sunset Region last season, are in the same half of the bracket and could meet in the semifinals.

Centennial is led by standout junior guard Troy Brown and 6-foot-10-inch junior center Darian Scott, while Palo Verde returns Southern Utah recruit Taylor Miller. The Panthers defeated Centennial 75-72 in the region semifinals last season on their way to reaching the Division I state title game.

The opposite half of the bracket features Mojave, which returned three starters from last year's 17-9 team, and tournament favorite Wasatch Academy (Utah). The Tigers won the Financial Bracket two years ago and rolled to the Tip-Off Classic title last season.

Wasatch Academy guard Koby McEwen signed with Utah State and averaged 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game as a junior. He is a four-star recruit by Rivals.com and ranked No. 94 in the ESPN Recruiting Nation top 100.

The Tip-Off Classic field also includes two teams from Australia, one from Canada and out-of-state teams Canyon View (Utah) and Clovis East (Calif.).

"We'll see a different style of basketball," Tarango said. "I think watching the teams play in the fall and knowing the teams that are coming back, I'm liking the tournament more and more."

POLL POSITION — Liberty's football team held steady at No. 7 in USA Today's Pacific Region rankings, adding a little luster to Saturday's Division I state title game.

The Patriots (11-1) meet Bishop Gorman at 12:10 p.m. at Sam Boyd Stadium, and the Gaels (14-0) will enter as the top-ranked team in the USA Today Super 25 poll. Gorman, the six-time defending state champion, remained No. 3 in the MaxPreps' Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings.

LOCAL ADDED TO NATIONAL TEAM — Desert Oasis junior Brannon Flowers was selected to the U.S. Under-18 national team that will play in the International Bowl, USA Football announced this week.

The 5-foot-10-inch, 160-pound Flowers played quarterback for the Diamondbacks this season, but is listed as a wide receiver for the game against Team Canada on Feb. 3 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Flowers is the fourth local chosen for the event, which features seven games in six age groups. He joins Basic sophomore Jordan Gallegos (Under-17), Foothill sophomore Jared Ables (Under-16) and Lake Mead seventh-grader Micah Gallegos (Under-14).

RECENT COMMITMENTS — Boulder City senior Steve Wagner to Western Oregon for baseball.

— Contact reporter David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidSchoenLVRJ